Discussion Journal #7

        Over the last week (Oct 21st - 25th) we have been learning about evaluations. What types of evaluations there are, and why people do evaluations. Professor Wells asked our class who thought they were an expert at evaluations. No one raised their hand, she then told us that we all were, and that to get through our everyday lives we all had to make many decisions based on evaluations about our environment. We evaluate what clothes to wear based on the weather, and what activities we plan on doing. We also must evaluate what we plan to do based on how much time we have and the priority of the activities we need to finish. Based on all of that she said we all were already experts of informal evaluations, but we were going to learn about formal evaluations.
        So that brings me to the core of what I learned this week. The reasons why we evaluate, so we can run the best programs possible, and to figure out what works and what does not work. A formal evaluation can be a very important tool in continuing to provide the public or investors with a positive interaction. Professor Wells gave us some tips when doing an evaluation, she told us to gather different perspectives. Meaning to be sure to ask a variety of people what they think of the program you are offering. That advice leads up to the next tip which is ask the people who know best. Don't ask a sales person about how marketing is set up, but instead go to the marketing director and vice verse. She also told us to look for the underlying issues, don't just accept that a problem is present because of what seem on the surface to be causing the issue always look for if there is an underlying issue at the root of the problem. We were also advised to use the information that we receive from our evaluations in ways that are meaningful. Not just to collect it and store it but to put the data into use. Use it and apply it in the areas that need the improvement, and continue to improve the areas that are doing well so they continue to do well.
        Based on the information that we learned the last week I believe I am now better prepared to conduct both formal and informal evaluations. I also know the value of conducting these evaluations, and the information that can be gained. As well as the trust or bond that you can form with the people within your program by asking them their opinions and genuinely caring about their answers. I will remember this valuable tool as I continue my education and into my career. I will conduct evaluations of both small and large programs or even of the classes I take. I have been made aware of the invaluable tool that is evaluations and plan to use to make all aspects of my life better.

Discussion Journal #6

         Hello again a good week of school (Sep 7th-11th) and then a great week off for Fall break. During break though it is good to look back on what was learned the weeks before. Last week we learned a lot about disabilities and the many barriers that people with disabilities face. In our reading "Barriers to Recreation Participation" I learned about intrinsic barriers and environmental barriers. Things I have never considered as a barrier like lack of knowledge, I realized are huge barriers even bigger than perhaps some of the physical barriers. I was also forced to realize to how many barriers there really are for the people who suffer from a disability and how hard it is for them to even go basic places like grocery shopping. When they leave their house they must find accessible transportation, a route that is architecturally designed to allow ease of access, and plan such outings for days that the weather will not create its own barriers.
          So as part of a class activity a small group of us went out on our campus to a building with a check list of requirements. The requirements were the ADA  building requirements for new buildings to be compliant. The list was very long, and had very precise measurement requirements from the width of parking stalls, how tall counters can be, how many inches a ramp can raise over the distance of a foot, and many more. We measured and recorded all the data to see how much thought has to go into that building and how precise the builders are when they construct it. I also started to notice things in other buildings, walking to class or going to the movies, I would notice building attributes that make it more or less accessible. I also learned that while for me it may feel good to offer to help a person with a disability for them it may insinuate that I don't think they can do it for them selves, and may cause them to feel like a lesser person.
         Because of all I have learned over that last week I hope to make more thoughtful decisions regarding my interactions with persons who are disabled. I also hope to help inform my friends and family about the many barriers that face people even those with very minor disabilities.

This week we are also supposed to report on what we think we have earned for a participation grade for the first half of this semester based on my attendance and participation. I believe that I have earned a 50 out of 50 for this portion of the semester.

Discussion Journal #5

Hello again everyone, last week (Sep 30- Oct 04) we had some very thought provoking and controversial topics that stemmed  from a persons identity and sexual orientation. These topics included core and thread identities, sexual identity, heterosexual dominance, conceptual issues in female sexual activity, and conceptual issues in female sexual desire. In general the topics of sex and sexual orientation are usually taboo to bring up and talk about with in a group of people, which is why I was not surprised to hear the chatter among my classmates on Thursday morning. People were shocked about the topic of the readings and were a bit uncomfortable about possibly discussing such topics with in the group.

The majority of the class period was spent discussing the topic of identity.We discussed how someones identity is made up of many pieces, and those pieces can be considered core or thread identities depending on how large a part of that persons life that identity is. We talked about how core identities are major parts of someones life and hoe they will affect every other aspect of a persons life. As an example if being a parent is an core identity  then all the choices you make will be based on the fact that you are a parent. You will dress differently and act differently in ways that portray that you are part of the group. You would also likely talk about your kids often. The other type of identity we talked about were thread identities are the parts of someones identity that only affect  part of their lives. Our reading gives an excellent example of a thread identity when it talked about the author's identity of being a professor. For the author when at home the fact that he is a professor is not a large part of his identity; however, when he is at the school in front of a class room it is a major part of his identity. Also the reading mentions that we do not always choose our core identities because sometimes things such as our skin color can decide that for us.

So for me all this talk about core and thread identities made me start to question what my core and thread identities were. Lets start with core, the first core identity of mine is that I am female this is not one I get to choose nor is it one that I find particularly important. The second one I identified was that I am ex-military. Many of my conversations with both friends and acquaintances will refer back to times when I was in the military and I like for people to know that I was in the military. Next is the fact that I am a student, I plan my work schedules, my home repairs, and my time with friends all around my class times and have many times told those around me I can't do something because I have homework to do. The last core identity I noticed was that I am athletic and enjoy physical sports. Much of my wardrobe are jerseys and t-shirts with the logos of sports I love, and I am always up for sport. I tell those around me to let me know if they need one more for a game unless I have school I would love to come play. Each of these categories female, ex-military, student, and athletic are very large and important part of how I want others  to see me. 

While examining thread identities I found that at different times I portray my self to the people around me to fit what I want them to see. At work I want my coworkers to see me as tough so I act as though I can handle anything and am always sharing stories about difficult situations I have had to work through. When with close friends it is important to me that they know I am lesbian which is something I don't share with any other group I hang out with. When working on projects I want to be seen as a professional and an adult so I will dress nicer and act more mature.  

While looking at the many parts of my identity I found it much harder to identify my thread identities. I was also shocked at the areas that I was putting a lot of emphasis on, in the future I would like to perhaps not emphasis my military experience so much, and stress more the side of me as an mature adult. While I was shocked at the priority levels of some of the areas I identified I was not shocked about any of the specific areas I do express as important to me. 

I think a persons identity is very important, and I also think it is important that people understand the concept of core and thread identities. Once people do understand they can be more aware of the self identity that they are projecting to the people around them, and they will also understand that their identities can change at anytime as they grow and learn new things.