Tag: portfolio

Posted on

Research Portfolio (Dan )

The topic that I chose to study is unconsious accent bias. I was intrigued by the a similar topic that I saw one of our classmates conducted in unit 1. Upon starting my research, I was surprised to see that there is a relatively small amount of research done into this topic compared to other types of discrimination. However, through the use of some of these tools provided in this class I as able to find some quality sources. My main method of finding these sources was through the Syracuse university library. However, I had never heard of SAGE before and was pleasantly surprised with how much it helped me. This topic is one that is meaningful to me as some of my very close friends are not natives of the United States. It was very eye opening read the stories of the discrimination and feeling of loneliness that some people experience all because of their nonnative accent. I would like to continue searching for more articles that explore some of the ways that we can mitigate this problem. I am looking forward to tying all of my research together in unit 3.

Annotation 1 ( Mirela ted talk)

Annotation 2 (PBS)

Annotation 3 (short note on accent-bias)

Annotation 4 (Accent bias_forbes)

Annotation 5 ( political skill)

Annotation 6 ( speaking with nonnative accent)

WRT 205 focusing flowchart

Rounding out the conversation

Complicating your research ( final )

Posted on

Research Portfolio – Samantha Danylchuk

Unit 2 Research Reflection 

At the start of this assignment, I had no clue where I was going or what I wanted to do research on. But as I read more into my classmates’ posts, the generational gap in the workplace stood out to me right away. This is something I know I will be experiencing for myself in a few years after I graduate college, so I focused on looking for sources that covered generational diversity in the work environment. As far as the tools and strategies that I used to locate my sources, I spent time going through the helpful links and handouts tabs on our blackboard and searched on Google Scholars, SAGE, EBSCOhost, GALE, and ted.com. Some of my sources go into depth on the different habits of each current generation in the work force and how the conflicts need to be solved, while others focus on the similarities among the generations and what other initiatives that offices or other working environments can implement to bring a more successful atmosphere. Additionally, some include experiments and data tables focusing on a specific career industry while others explain the broader idea.  

I really enjoyed the two note taking techniques I did which included free – writing and organizing a double-entry journal. These two techniques were very different because I felt my thoughts go all over the place when I did a 5-minute free write, but the journal helped me stay organized and on topic. It was really interesting to me how I enjoyed both of them (probably the free-writing a tad more) yet they are completely different approaches at annotating. The research plan has guided my work to search for articles that I think would answer my questions. Having this plan ahead of time really helped me in the whole process of researching because I started typing in keywords that led me to what I was looking for, rather than just any article that would be lacking in information I needed. My plan has begun to evolve based on the data I’ve found, references I’ve read that my sources include, and all the knowledge I have already learned from the entirety of this assignment. Some additional sources I would like to locate are those that challenge my thoughts in some way, making me question and counter the ideas that they demonstrate. I have yet to disagree with anything I’ve found, so this is a gap that I see in my research which I am prioritizing in searching for with my project proposal. 

The idea that one day in the next 5 or 10 years, I could be in a work environment filled with people from all different generations is the most intriguing concept about this topic to me. I’ve already had professors of all different ages in just one year at SU, so to think that my topic is even happening around me is so exciting! For a club I belong to at school called The Women’s Network, we visited the headquarters of Bloomberg in New York City early last year, and I spoke to a recent graduate of SU who is working in finance there now and she explained to me how most of her colleagues are older men so she was extremely intimidated when she began her job at first. To actually know of experiences and see my topic be exemplified in the real working world is super intriguing and I can’t wait to go further with my research on this! 

Annotations

Complicating Your Research Exercise

Focusing Flowchart

Rounding Out The Conversation

Posted on

Research Portfolio, Bryan

At the end of unit one I had come across an article speaking about the interactions between both native and nonspeakers when they communicate in the workplace. Amidst the research I was doing on office discrimination, I found myself very intrigued by this related topic. Here was where I first heard the term linguistic (or language) diversity being used. With a few quick google searches I began to wrap my head around larger issues that surrounded the subject. As I continued to read more sources and find articles that covered a wide range of perspectives, I slowly began to realize how significant these discussions became for understanding the development of how organizational cultures come to be. Moreover, I wanted to learn why this form of diversity isn’t as commonly discussed when compared to other types of diversity and inclusion efforts such as racial, ethnic, or gender motives.

The development of my research was founded on this groundwork which continued to evolve as we proceeded into unit two. While some sources reiterated similar findings to my first study, one notable article helped me understand these topics applied at a more global scale. This text, along with the others I annotated below, widened my position on the topic by looking at language diversity further in individual, community, and international levels (along with relating past articles we’ve read in the class). Additionally, in order to round out and complicate my work I decided to look at studies in specific environmental settings different from the workplace. This led me to uncover interesting and insightful perspectives from a classroom and governmental context. These sources were accessed off of Google Scholar, TED.com, and a number of Syracuse Library Databases that focused on Linguistic/ Applied Language collections.

To my discovery, I found most authors and professionals consensus that there was not much research on the impact of language diversity out there. Only in recent decades has the public increasingly been made aware of the potential issues and societal benefits language (particularly multilingualism) can have. Given our trends in globalization and increased mobility in transnational countries, however, it makes sense that some areas of research (such as figuring out why linguistic diversity isn’t as openly discussed) can be because of the limited discourse on a relatively new subject.

Despite the gaps within the overall body of research, I still managed to collect a substantial amount of knowledge to develop my portfolio. The oppositional research I did for example changed my one-way view of how I saw language. Instead of all the pubic acclaim language diversity typically receives, the article offered an alternative point of view looking at language diversity not only as a resource but also as a problem. It informed me of areas commonly overlooked thus making it critical for assessing this type of diversity. Overall I found many of our mini writing exercises reinforce my initial writing interests by staying on top of and coming back to main, central ideas. Eventually I’d like to find more potential sources on the oppositional claims I’ve found since it’s an area that is especially underrepresented.

Annotations

Focusing Flowchart

Complicating Research

Conversation Worksheet

Research Plan, Bryan

Posted on

Justin’s Research Portfolio

When we first began the unit and we were tasked with coming up with a topic, I knew I wanted to talk about diversity in the education system and more specifically, the process of screening. As I was doing my research, I noticed that this was a highly debated topic. Many people thought that screening would help schools increase their diversity by picking students from different backgrounds and locations. However, others thought it creates unfair judgement based on the previous school the student went to, along with many other factors, and as a result lessens the diversity in that school.

The main purpose of my research is to find out whether screening results in more or less diversity in schools. I also wanted to show why it is so important to have diversity and inclusion in schools which a lot of the articles I found expand on that idea. The majority of my sources came from Syracuse libraries where I found numerous scholarly articles on my topic. However, I found it difficult to find primary sources throughout the research stage. I wanted to find some kind of an interview or article from the point of view of a student or parent and their experiences with screening and whether or not it helped them get into a certain school. All the articles I found were written by researchers and experts in the field of education specializing in inclusion. All the exercises we were tasked with helped with the annotations especially the note taking exercises. This one really helped me identify the main points of the article and helped add to the conversion we’ve been having all unit on diversity.  In addition, it helped me think more about the sources I used and include my views on the topic.

While I feel like I covered most of what I wanted to, I believe there are some gaps in my research. Like I mentioned before the perspectives of all the articles comes from experts in the field. However it would be good to get articles from the perspective of a student who may have been affected by the screening process or a family member of that student. Overall, the information I found from my research was very intriguing. Reading about the topic and comparing different viewpoints is fascinating, then offering my own input helped me better understand the topic and the main idea the writers were trying to get across. All of the information I got from the sources helped grow my knowledge on this topic and contributed to our discussions on diversity.

Supporting Materials: 

WRT 205 Focusing Flowchart PDF

WRT 205 Complicating Your Research

WRT 205 Rounding out the Conversation Worksheet

WRT 205 Annotations PDF

Research Plan

 

 

Posted on

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.

Annotation 1

Annotation 2

Annotation 3

Annotation 4

Annotation 5

Annotation 6

WRT 205 Research Plan

WRT 205 Focusing flowchart

WRT 205 Rounding out the conversation worksheet

WRT 205 Complicating Research Assignment

 

Posted on

Mike – Research Portfolio

As we began Unit 2, and started down the path of this research project, J.K. Rowling’s Twitter feed was in the news again. As I thought about what she tweeted and the subsequent response, an idea began to form. I wanted to explore “cancel culture”. At least, I thought I did. However, after our first assignment, it became clear that wasn’t quite right for our purposes.

Then it dawned on me. What is “cancel culture” really, but a form of consumer activism? It is the market voicing their collective displeasure directly to the source. That type of protest has taken many forms over the years, and I was certain I’d be able to find good resources to help in forming my arguments.

My first bit of research involved Google. Doing a search on “consumer activism” I quickly found my first solid source, Caroline Heldman’s Protest Politics in the Marketplace. Our second note-taking exercise spurred a number of questions in my mind:

  • What is it about the past 40/50 years that has brought about the shift toward widespread adoption of consumer activism?
  • Is consumer activism actually more powerful/effective than voting/being involved politically?
  • How has cause-marketing has influenced me?

Google also helped me find R. Henry Weaver’s paper, “Is Consumer Activism Economic Democracy?”, but it wasn’t until the “Complicating Research” assignment, that things really started to take shape.  The first tool that caught my eye was “Web of Knowledge”. I found that it and SAGE were both relatively simple to navigate. I loved the option to copy citations to my clipboard, although the citation from SAGE did not include the URL, so I added it manually. My experiments with Backlink Checker were not quite as successful. I tried the URL from the citation for “Political Consumerism as a Neoliberal Response to Youth Political Disengagement” by Georgios Kyroglou and Matt Henn, but that provided me with 2,174,123 total backlinks from 13,328 domains. As a control, I tried backlinking a random article from the Guardian’s website and ended up with similar results! I was somewhat overwhelmed as I navigated through SAGE and Web of Knowledge. The sheer number of options and directions I could take my research was staggering and got me thinking about all sorts of possibilities.

It was the “Rounding Out the Conversation” exercise that helped nail down my sources. After I finished, I realized that I had only cited five, so I went back through everything I had downloaded and found my sixth, which I just added today.

I appreciate how the tools introduced in each assignment have been building on the previous week’s work. At the same time, they’ve gotten me to think differently about the sources I’ve collected and the work I’m trying produce. What started out as a reaction to a news story has developed into a intellectually stimulating exercise. I doubt that I could have predicted that I’d land on the subject of consumer activism, but being able to tie in both the personal and the global is something I’ve really enjoyed, and look forward to completing.

Protest Politics in the Marketplace

Shopping for Change

Packaged Facts

Political Consumerism

Corporate Environmentalism

Economic Democracy

Focusing Flowchart – Mike K

Complicating Research – Mike K

Rounding Out The Conversation – Mike K

Research Plan Blog Post

Posted on

Michaela Reis-Research Portfolio

Unit 2 Research Reflection

The first step I took when approaching my research portfolio was narrowing down my focus. The focusing flowchart was helpful with that because the prompts were so clear it helped me pick key terms that I had learned from Unit 1 and form a topic that I was interested in. Reflecting on each week of readings and discussions helped me pinpoint what I engaged in with classmates and what I was drawn to. Diversity training has been a large focus of this class and each time it was discussed I found the question of how do we implement it in a way that increases diversity and inclusion coming up. What I ended up realizing was that empathy and perspective were two topics that could help solve the question.

My second step was searching for sources that within the guidelines set would help support and challenge my claim. The sources I found were very beneficial to my research and I found that most supported the claim that empathy and perspective were key to understanding diverse individuals and creating more open attitudes, therefore we would benefit through adding them into diversity training strategies. Even the opposing sources that I found through complication my research helped me shape a better argument and figure out how to respond to oppositions surrounding my claim. I often found that many sources believe that it takes more than empathy to change people’s biases due to things such as cognitive dissonance, leading me to want to extend my resources and locate sources that also discuss that topic. The research plan helped me organize my thoughts along with rounding out the conversation, which helped me recognize the specific benefit of each source I found. I appreciated the structure of completing a few pieces of the research portfolio each week, keeping me on track and allowing me to not leave things till the last minute. Finally, the annotation helped me assess each source in-depth and analyze them in a discussion that helped to fully develop my project.

Annotation #1

Annotation #2

Annotation #3

Annotation #4

Annotation #5

Annotation #6

Focusing Flowchart

Complicating Research

Rouding out the conversation

Research Plan

 

 

Posted on

Aaron, Research Portfolio

My research focuses on ethnic and racial diversity in education. The question I am concerned with is: what effect does implicit bias have on academic performance of students? I was lucky enough to find a very interesting topic in the very first source that I looked at while conducting this research. I stumbled upon a chapter of a book (the chapter was titled “Diversity”) and in this piece of writing I was introduced to implicit theories of intelligence. This essentially is where someone has biases towards people and treat them differently depending on what their ethnic background is: for instance a teacher may treat white kids better because they assume they will be “smarter” and do well with classwork, while a group of indigenous kids get overlooked. The indigenous kids may not fare as well on exams, but may have a whole different sphere of knowledge and intelligence, one that the white kids may not have.

Looking for sources (mostly through Syracuse Libraries Summon site, and JSTOR, but also Google Scholar) I found a lot of different chapters, articles and studies about diversity in education. From there I specifically looked for biases within academia and found quite a bit- sources that had to do with university administration and their attempts at installing diversity coalitions at school (and ultimately failing for the most part), professors picking out students to advise (based on their ethnic background), groups of college students and how their grades were while looking at what their classroom environment consisted of racially, and rural school districts dealing with what is known as “white flight” and how their districts are coping with rapidly changing demographics.

What I would like to find more of are peer reviewed studies that are not skewed a certain way: The best study that I found (and am using) makes a really convincing argument that racial diversity has little to no impact whatsoever on how people perform academically. This would be a good piece to use if I was playing devil’s advocate- but when I reread the study, I picked up on the statistics being skewed and not really impartial at all. Most other studies that I have looked through seem to be in the same vein.

The more I look into implicit theories of intelligence and biases that people have, it’s certainly opened my eyes. It’s scary because this almost seems to be an inherently natural behavior that people have and commit subconsciously, and me being someone who plans to go into education and am a white male, I don’t want to fall into this sort of behavior, it seems like systemically there is a disservice being done to women, people of color, disabled people, and people who are part of the LGBTQ community. I plan on digging as deep as I can to find more about this phenomenon.

 

Annotation_1

Annotation_2

Annotation_3

Annotation_4

Annotation_5

Annotation_6

Rounding out the Conversation

Focus Flowchart

Research Plan, Aaron