Write a two-page maximum (double-spaced) journal
entry discussing “the biggest lesson(s) learned or was inspired by this week
in the course.” A journal entry might consist
of thoughts on
strategies or tactics used in your personal dealings
or during a particular
class exercise or negotiation; entries may consist of
thoughts about readings, videos,
or lectures from that week; or it might
address some of the questions set forth in the
Syllabus section entitled
“Additional thoughts on Journal entries” (see below). Students
should refer to class lectures,
readings, and exercises when writing your Journal entries
WRITING REQUIREMENTS
1” borders, and 12-point font. Also, please put page numbers at the bottom of each page.
Citing in your papers/journals to readings, exercises, lectures, videos, etc., can be quite
informal—please do so by either (1) putting footnotes at the bottom of the page, or (2) by
putting citations directly into the text of your paper. For example, writing “(ATL, p. 13)” in the text (or in a footnote) of your paper or journal entry would indicate a reference to p. 13 of our textbook, Alternatives to Litigation.
Following are the kinds of questions that might be interesting to address in your journal
entries. (This list is not meant to be exhaustive; rather, it’s meant to serve as inspiration for
possible journal entries):
Readings
What
were the most helpful principles/ideas/concepts you learned from this
section of reading?
In
thinking about this section of reading, what did you agree with most,
and what did you agree with least?
What concept or discussion was enlightening for
you or provided a first-time exposure to an argument, thought process or
experience?
Are
there ideas/concepts/principles in the readings that might sound good in
‘theory’ but that might not work as well in the ‘real world’? Explain why.
Are
there readings or ideas from the course that will be especially relevant
to your work or responsibilities outside of school? Explain why.
Why
do you believe certain disputes are more difficult to resolve? Is it the
dispute or the people?
Can you write about a
particular ADR skill that you are focused on developing or improving right
now, and why?
Exercises
What
did you do especially well during this exercise? What did the other side
do well?
What
was your biggest mistake during the exercise? The other side’s?
Who
was persuasive in this exercise, and why?
Did
your respective styles of interaction and communication work well together
during the exercise? Why or why not?
What
were the major difficulties that occurred during this exercise? Were they
successfully addressed? If not, why not?
Can
you give an example of how you attempted to use, during the exercise, some
of the tools/skills/lessons you’ve learned during the course?
What
are the most important lessons you learned from the exercise? Will you be
able to apply those lessons to other areas of your work or life?
Can
you write about a particular ADR skill that you are focused on developing
or improving right now, and why?
