GEA #1
Answer the five questions given for this assignment. Paper should be at least 750 words and try to keep it under 1500 words. This is a “personal response” paper and is really all about you and your investigation into the answer. However, it is intended to be a formal academic paper your composition skills (grammar, punctuation, paragraph structure, clarity of expression, etc.) will be included in the evaluation of the paper. It should be an example of your best writing. Please review rubric for grading.
I look forward to reading your papers.
Which of the directives (commandments) in “The Dialogue Decalogue” would be the most difficult for you to put into practice if you participated in a dialogue with a person from a religious tradition other than your own (or any religious tradition, if you are not religious yourself)? Give the number and a short explanation for your choice.
Which of the directives in “The Dialogue Decalogue” would be the easiest for you to put into practice if you participated in a dialogue with a person from a religious tradition other than your own (or any religious tradition, if you are not religious yourself)? Give the number and a short explanation for your choice.
Using the Waterline of Diversity diagram, make a list of four values/traits that are important to your identity. Think first of the traits you strive to attain/maintain/improve for yourself. Examples might include punctuality, honesty, politeness, orderliness, compassion, and so on. After completing your list, put them in order of priority from greater to lesser importance for you. Then consider which traits are visible and which ones are under the line of visibility. What would you like to make more visible?
List two groups/organizations you admire and two you distrust. Do you notice any difference in your feelings when thinking about a group instead of an individual; if so, what accounts for that difference? What steps can you see yourself taking to establish trust where it is lacking?
What practical project (be specific) could you complete together with someone very different from you that would serve the wider world of both your communities?
Following is the material to engage questions.
Please click open and read the following: https://dialogueinstitute.org/what-is-dialogue
Then answer the following questions #1 & #2 utilizing the Dialogue Decalogue Principles located in the following link: https://dialogueinstitute.org/dialogue-principles
Which of the directives (commandments) in “The Dialogue Decalogue” would be the most difficult for you to put into practice if you participated in a dialogue with a person from a religious tradition other than your own (or any religious tradition, if you are not religious yourself)? Give the number and a short explanation for your choice.
Which of the directives in “The Dialogue Decalogue” would be the easiest for you to put into practice if you participated in a dialogue with a person from a religious tradition other than your own (or any religious tradition, if you are not religious yourself)? Give the number and a short explanation for your choice.
“Know ourselves by becoming conscious of our own values. “We are given innumerable values via the experiences we have from childhood through adulthood from our families and surroundings. In the beginning, these values are simply accepted. With age, however, we usually begin slowly to become aware of the unconscious values we have absorbed, and we begin the often-painful process to question them. One may have learned to analyze a situation with impeccable critical thinking but be totally blind about how one and/or others fits into a context or situation. With this blindness, differences can become a source of threat.
Using the diagram above, make a list of four values/traits that are important to your identity. Think first of the traits you strive to attain/maintain/improve for yourself. Examples might include punctuality, honesty, politeness, orderliness, compassion, and so on. After completing your list, put them in order of priority from greater to lesser importance for you. Then consider which traits are visible and which ones are under the line of visibility. What would you like to make more visible?
“Learn that our relations with other persons and groups are directed by our and their values and the interrelationships. “When a person feels threatened, biology can make it hard to remain nondefensive. We must actively address our instinct to freeze, fight, or flee in order to protect ourselves. Scientists believe this reaction was designed to protect people from physical danger, but it can happen just as much when one is threatened by words. When people experience a sense of threat to important aspects of their identities or core values, their brains tend to respond automatically, and they seek to defend what they hold dear.
Emotional Hijacking
When someone believes that his/her values and identity are threatened, his/her emotions can “hijack” the thinking part of the brain, preventing it from evaluating the situation. In this situation, threat and conflict can narrow one’s perceptions, thinking, and awareness. The ability to reason and engage other people with respect and interest disappears, along with open-heartedness and curiosity. When this happens, people tend to pay selective attention to what others are saying, and it becomes difficult to listen accurately. Instead, people listen with selective attention, focusing on hearing the differences, defending themselves, and finding the flaws in what the other person is saying. It is common to react quickly and speak like a person under attack, becoming more judgmental, belittling, and blaming; people can be “triggered” into making attributions and assumptions of the “Other’s” motivations. They tend to make more statements and ask fewer questions; the questions are often designed to trap and attack. What is lost is the complexity of the “Other” and the many other aspects of identity illustrated in the “diversity iceberg” (review Waterline of Diversity diagram). People lose sight of their common humanity and the richness that is typically present when one views the world. This kind of situation invites people to reduce things to simple labels—things that are too simple to be true.
It is common to understand the situation in the following terms:
I AM / WE ARE YOU ARE / THEY ARE
Right Wrong
Good Bad
Wise Foolish / Stupid
Virtuous Evil
Caring Selfish
Reasonable Irrational
Supported by facts Ignoring facts
Open and honest Devious
Deserving of success Deserving of failure
List any two groups/organizations you admire and two you distrust. Do you notice any difference in your feelings when thinking about a group instead of an individual; if so, what accounts for that difference? What steps can you see yourself taking to establish trust where it is lacking?
(This paper is completely subject so any group/organization, whether big or small. religious or non-religious (For example, previously students have listed Facebook, Lululemon, right wing political parties, and so on…)
“Learn to move between different worlds and integrate them in caring, cooperative actions. ”We have learned that each of us “makes” our own world, built up from our experiences, reflections, and integration thereof. In deep dialogue we increasingly become aware that each person we encounter is an entire world unto her/himself. Both the Jewish Mishnah and the Muslim Qur’an make that clear in their sacred writings: “To whomever saves a single soul [Self] it is reckoned as if s/he saved the whole world . . . To whomever destroys a single soul [Self] it is reckoned as if s/he destroyed the whole world . . . From this you learn that one human is worth the whole of creation” (Mishnah: Aboth Rabbi Nathan 31); “Whoever kills an innocent human being, it shall be as if he has killed all humankind, and whoever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all humankind” (Qur’an: 5:32). Note the near identity in these two different religion’s “revelations”!
What practical project (be specific) could you complete together with someone very different from you that would serve the wider world of both your communities?
GUIDELINES:
The five questions are answered to comprise one paper. This paper will demonstrate your understanding and inclusion of the course material into a well-structured academic paper that includes an Introduction, Body, and Conclusion.
Please review Announcements for further details
Below is a General Guideline for Course Papers that will be instructive as well.
Instructor’s General Guide for Paper’s
Introduction, Body, and Conclusion
Introduction: Must introduce the paper itself and its agenda, not just the general topic of the paper.
Tell the reader WHAT the paper is about, WHY the paper is important, and HOW the paper is organized and structured.
Introduces the paper with focus on the subject, question(s) and structure of the paper. Engage the assignment fully in the paper’s introduction and tell how the paper will tackle all assigned topics. Do not meander with narrative, get to the point quickly as a possible in a systematic matter.
Subject- what the paper is about
Explain why the study is important and worth reader’s consideration
It answers a question(s), resolves an issue(s), solves a problem(s)
How the paper will be organized: Paper MUST be at least 750 words and try to keep it under 1,500 words.
Number of sections, what they deal with, how they will be arranged and structured (historical, topical, sequence in a text, etc.)
Issues and questions suggest concepts and categories in which specific terms (beliefs, ideas, texts, historical periods) can be analyzed.
Concepts and categories presented in the introduction, help organize the paper and facilitate clear and meaningful analyses of specific terms.
Body: The heart of the paper. It contains date and analysis necessary to reach a conclusion that is meaningful in terms of the concerns of the paper. Which have been presented in the introduction.
Each section looks back to the introduction, the HOW of the paper, and forward to the conclusion.
Aim to drive home a point about each concept analyzed or those that have been compared or contrasted.
Each section of the body has its own conclusion followed by a relevant transition into the next section.
Conclusion: Is not a summary of the paper. It functions to drive home the point of the paper:
To answer the questions(s), clarify the issue(s), solve the problem(s) presented in the introduction
The conclusion should be clearly related to the Introduction of the paper. As well as the important findings presented in the body of the paper and explain how these findings answer the WHY question presented in the introduction.
The answer is direct and emphatic using findings in the body of the paper while not simply repeating the findings. Do NOT SUMMARIZE in your conclusions.
General Grading Rubric (Including GEA Rubric included in CANVAS Module)
20 % CONCEPT: The topic of the paper and the relevant question, issue, problem, to be engaged i.e. clarity in the relationship of the “what” and the “why” of the paper.
20% COMPOSITION: Grammar, style, spelling, syntax, usage, precision in citations and notes, overall structure.
20% CONTENT: Facts, data, dates, direct quotes, technical or religious terms, relevant theories, and necessary/relevant sources.
20% COHERENCE: Organizational precision, following through on structure given in the introduction, support for claims and assertions, clarity of reasoning, premises for conclusions and accurate deployment of sources.
20% CONCLUSION: Findings that are clearly and logically related to the topic of the paper, and material developed in the body of the paper.
If necessary: End, foot, and a bibliography CMS, An analysis of the reading versus a book report or plot summary
Lack of clear and systematic introduction
Errors in citation of sources
Too many errors in writing; tense and number
Lack of depth in analysis: unsupported claims or ones poorly supported)
Lack of detail in exposition: related to descriptions of a topic in the paper of the author’s position
Absence of necessary technical terms or lack of full explication of terms used
Less than full expression: a result of summarizing a position or simply not writing fully expressive sentences.
Less than clear expression: a result of using the wrong words/terms or misusing appropriated one to express one’s understanding
Problems with conclusions: absence of conclusions, conclusions that are summaries, and conclusions that are unrelated to the body of the paper.
Failure of paper to follow the agenda given in their introductions, especially the” how” of the introduction
Failure to fully respond to the assignment, specifically failing to respond to one of more assigned elements.
Omission of relevant sources
Paraphrasing, near-quoting….
Rubric
General Education: Human + Cultural Diversity
Criteria Ratings Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCommunication
Students will produce well-organized, well-developed statements that reflect appropriate use of language to clearly present specific ideas/concepts to distinct audiences.
25 pts
a. Novice
• Student demonstrates minimal attention to context, audience, purpose, and to the assigned task. • Student uses appropriate and relevant content to develop simple ideas in some part of the assignment. • Student attempts to use a consistent system for basic organization and presentation. • Student demonstrates an attempt to use sources to support ideas and uses language that sometimes impedes meaning because of errors in usage.
12 pts
b. Developing
• Student demonstrates an adequate understanding of context, audience, and purpose and to the assigned task. • Student uses appropriate and relevant content to explore and develop ideas throughout most of the assignment. • Student demonstrates fairly consistent use of important conventions such as organization, content, presentation, and style. • Student demonstrates use of credible and relevant sources to support ideas and uses straightforward language that generally conveys meaning to audience with some errors.
0 pts
c. Proficient
• Student demonstrates a thorough understanding of context, audience, and purpose and to the assigned task. • Student uses appropriate, relevant, and compelling content to illustrate mastery of the subject. • Student demonstrates detailed attention to and successful execution of a wide range of conventions to an assignment. • Student demonstrates skillful use of high-quality, credible, and relevant sources to develop ideas and uses graceful language that skillfully communicates meaning to audience with very few, if any, errors.
25 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCritical & Analytical Thinking
Students will comprehensively explore issues, ideas, artifacts, and events before accepting or formulating opinions or conclusions.
25 pts
a. Novice
• Student states problem to be considered without clarification or description. • Student gathers information without interpretation/evaluation; viewpoints of experts are taken as fact without question. • Student demonstrates some awareness of assumptions and begins to identify some contexts when presenting a position. • Student expresses a position that is simplistic and obvious and reaches a conclusion that is inconsistently tied to some of the information discussed/presented.
12 pts
b. Developing
• Student identifies problem to be considered critically, but description has some omissions or needs additional clarity. • Student gathers information that is mostly appropriate to develop a coherent analysis or synthesis. The viewpoints of experts are subject to questioning. • Student questions assumptions and identifies several relevant contexts (sides of an issue) when presenting a position. • Student considers opposing viewpoints when formulating a logical conclusion that is tied to appropriate information.
0 pts
c. Proficient
• Student states an issue or problem clearly and comprehensively, providing all relevant information for full understanding. • Student takes information from sources with enough interpretation/evaluation to develop a comprehensive analysis or synthesis. The viewpoints of experts are questioned thoroughly. • Student thoroughly analyzes assumptions and carefully evaluates the relevance of contexts when presenting a position, taking into consideration the complexities of an issue. • Student formulates a logical conclusion that reflects her/his ability to place evidence and perspectives discussed in priority order.
25 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeProblem Solving
Students will design, evaluate, and implement a strategy to answer open-ended questions or achieve desired goals.
25 pts
a. Novice
• Student demonstrates a limited ability to identify a problem statement or related contextual factors. • Student identifies approaches for solving the problem that do not apply to the specific context. • Student proposes a solution/hypothesis that is vague and difficult to evaluate. • Student provides a superficial solution that is implemented in a manner that does not directly address the problem statement. • Student reviews results superficially with no consideration of need for further work.
12 pts
b. Developing
• Student demonstrates the ability to construct a problem statement with evidence of most relevant contextual factors. • Student identifies multiple approaches to solve a problem, only some of which apply within a specific context. • Student proposes a solution/hypothesis that indicates comprehension of the problem. • Student provides a solution that is adequate and address multiple contextual factors of the problem. • Student reviews results relative to the problem with some consideration of need for further work.
0 pts
c. Proficient
• Student demonstrates the ability to construct a clear and insightful problem statement with evidence of all relevant contextual factors. • Student identifies multiple approaches to solve a problem that apply within a specific context. • Student proposes multiple solutions/hypotheses that indicate insightful comprehension of the problem. • Student provides a solution that is insightful and elegant and implements the solution in a manner that thoroughly addresses multiple contextual factors of the problem. • Student thoroughly reviews results relative to the problem with specific consideration of need for further work.
25 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeHuman + Cultural Diversity
Students will demonstrate an understanding of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts.
25 pts
a. Needs Improvement
• Student shows minimal awareness of own cultural rules and biases. • Student demonstrates a superficial understanding of the complexity of elements important to members of another culture. • Student views the experiences of others, but through his/her own cultural worldview. • Student has minimal understanding of cultural differences; is unable to negotiate a shared understanding/common ground. • Student shows minimal interest in learning about other cultures. • Student is receptive to interacting with culturally different others, but has difficulty suspending any judgment in her/his interactions because s/he is unaware of own judgment.
12 pts
b. Satisfactory
• Student identifies and recognizes new perspectives about own cultural rules/biases • Student demonstrates adequate understanding of the complexity of elements important to members of another culture. • Student recognizes intellectual and emotional dimensions and sometimes uses multiple worldviews in interactions. • Student recognizes and participates in cultural differences in communication and begins to negotiate a shared understanding based on those differences. • Student asks questions about other cultures and seeks answers to those question • Student begins to initiate and develop interactions with culturally different others, and begins to suspend judgment in valuing her/his interaction with culturally different others.
0 pts
c. Exceeds Expectations
• Student articulates insights into own cultural rules/biases. • Student demonstrates sophisticated understanding of the complexity of elements important to members of another culture. • Student interprets intercultural experiences from multiple worldviews and demonstrates ability to act in a supportive manner that recognizes the feelings of another cultural group. • Student articulates a deep understanding of cultural differences and is able to skillfully negotiate a shared understanding based on those differences. • Student asks complex questions about other cultures and seeks answers to those questions that reflect multiple cultural perspectives. • Student initiates and develops interactions with culturally different others, and suspends judgment in valuing her/his interaction with culturally different others.
25 pts
Total Points: 100
