Jose L. Cruz
Welcome to my General education core skills artifacts page!
Here you will find assignments from the varias general educaiton classes I attended at South Piedmont. These classes allowed me to gain core skills of written and oral communication, intercultural competence, technology, and analysis and interpretaiton, and problem solving skills. The Associates in Science degree has expectations for each enrolled students that they are exposed to these sic skills.
My core general education classes have consisted of Math, Science, and Literature based learning.
My strengths are comprehensive communication and I am able to grasp concepts fairly easy.
Written Communication
The learner will organize and express ideas clearly through written communication in a manner appropriate for the intended audience.
Oral Communication
The learner will organize and express ideas clearly through oral communication in a manner appropriate for the intended audience.
Intercultural Competence
The learner will develop awareness, knowledge, and behaviors necessary for intercultural competence: to positively influence personal identity and personal choices, to enhance communication in cross cultural contexts, and to enrich understanding of how culture influences interactions with individuals, groups, and organizations.
Technology
The learner will choose and utilize appropriate technologies to access, organize, and analyze and communicate information.
Analysis and Interpretation
The learner will apply the basic principles of interpretation and analysis to synthesize information.
Problem Solving
The learner will apply the basic principles of mathematics and/or scientific inquiry to identify, interpret and evaluate and solve problems.
I set two smart goals for the writing communication core skill. My first goal is to improve my writing abilities and expand my literacy knowledge. My second SMART goal is to be able to brainstorm better and find ideas using techniques I may learn throughout my program. Classes such as English 111, 112, and 113 have helped me improve my writing one way or another. For this artifact, I chose my second essay written in ENG 111. The assignment consisted of writing a 5 page argumentative paper that will inform readers on an issue and propose a solution that will solve it. The Format was MLA and a minimum of five primary sources was required.
My goals for written communication are to improve my skills as a writer and be able to brainstorm ideas using different techniques. When I first began the assignment I wasn’t sure what to write about. My instructor told me to be creative and find a current topic that peaks my own interest. He advised that I should read some news articles and write specific words I remember from those articles. Then he said I should write a sentence for each word, and the one that really pops out to me should be my topic for the assignment. I learned a new way of brainstorming and so I began to use it for every writing assignment after this one. My first goal was to improve as a writer, which includes focusing my papers even more and having proper organization. This artifact was one that required a lot of my time to write. The topic was about rape and seemed very broad, but I managed to focus on that and write about the psychological troubles a rape victim may endure.
Working on this paper has helped me improve as a writer by offering a challenging topic of my choice, and focusing it to one specific idea. After I knew what it was I wanted to write about the rest of the paper seemed fairly simple. I found that by using a different brainstorming technique I was able to really put together a paper that proves my growth as a writer.
My first goal was to learn about different cultures and how society influences those certain individuals. My second goal was to understand the different interactions that culturally diverse people will have with one another. In SOC-210, Sociology, I was assigned a essay assignment that required me to observe a public area and write what I observed and different types of conclusions. The central idea revolved around stereotypes and the different labels society has placed on certain individuals based on how they look. I was told to avoid speaking to anyone and just observe everything from a distance for a few hours. This assignment helps students grow awareness of their surroundings by observing the different cultures that walk by and interact in the crowd. The paper has to be at least three pages long in MLA format.
I was not so sure how this assignment was going to turn out and honestly felt like it was an impossible assignment. My public location of choice was Concord Mills Mall on a busy holiday Saturday. To my amazement I was able to take a lot of notes and observe different people and their different interactions. My first goal was to learn about different cultures and how society influences those certain individuals. I saw many different individuals following the norms of society; such as people from different religious beliefs saying bless you to another outside of their own social group. I also saw the flow of crowd traffic and how expectations of politeness influence behavior. I never imagined how many people of different cultural backgrounds have common expectations such as holding the door open for someone or saying sorry when certain boundaries are overstepped. Boundaries like these would include stepping on someones shoes, bumping shoulders, or trying to walk through the same door without sufficient space. I even managed to incorporate my conversations I had with a strangers who sat close by and began talking. My second goal was to learn about the different faiths in society and expand my knowledge on the similarities each one has to another. This paper allowed me to also be exposed to different religious beliefs as different tourists showed up from diverse parts of the world. I saw people wearing religious clothing and even witnessed a quick prayer among an Asian tourist group. I was exposed to a variety of people just by observing a public location.
I never imagined how many people from different ethnic backgrounds come together in one location all at once. This assignment has helped me open my eyes when I am in public and I see people that come from various backgrounds. I learned to be open minded when it comes to these individuals that may have different religious or cultural beliefs. The assignment called for me to observe groups that I am least around with allowing me to gain intercultural competence.
Technology has always been a major part of my life. I enjoy using my smart phone for work and family communication, while my laptop is used specifically for my educational needs. I do not have the best handwriting, so whenever I had to complete an assignment for class I would always prefer typing my work. Technology has benefited me in school, at work, and in my personal life. In CIS-110 I had to begin this ePortfolio as a class assignment. CIS-110 taught me about the various Microsoft products such as word, presentation, excel, and access which are all programs I would need to use throughout my education. My first SMART goal was to learn more about the different hidden features of the various Microsoft programs that I didn’t know about. My second SMART goal for technology was to be able to create a first impression for schools or employers that would want to learn more about me before the interview. CIS-110 has helped me by teaching me the creative features I can use to benefit my assignments while attending SPCC.
I used this ePortfolio as my artifact because I feel it has helped me reflect as a student and as a person. CIS-110 required all students to begin their ePortfolio, which at that time consisted of creating the main pages and general sections that an ePorfoilo should have. I wasn’t sure how to improve my website beyond the classroom, but with a bit of guidance from the academic support center I was able to accomplish everything you see here. For the class, I had to create a WIX account and was given a broad rubric to start off the main pages, which consisted of a welcome page, introduction, goals, and general education page. At first the whole project seemed very broad and I wasn’t sure where to start. I figured I would start by creating a website about my future career in the medical field. The class as a whole has taught me how to use Microsoft programs starting from the basics, to being able to use hidden features within that program to complete advanced task. An example can be the Microsoft Excel program. I learned a lot about how the program works and how I can use it to complete assignments inside and outside the classroom such as making calculations and embedding codes. CIS-110 has helped me achieve my second SMART goal by giving me the opportunity to create a website that is all about my time at South Piedmont.
I enjoyed creating a website about me once I got the hang of it. I found out a lot of things I didn’t know about myself through my reflections and introduction page. CIS-110 has prepared me for my future education by improving my skills on different Microsoft programs that I would need in order to be successful as a student. Taking the class as a whole has helped
I remember a few of my classes required me to analyze and interpret information, events, or pieces of work. ART-111 is also known as art appreciation, which I took online over the summer of 2015. I remember coming home from work only to find that my assignment is to turn in is analyzing a piece of art from the textbook. I had to do this every week throughout the duration of the class and it almost became repetitive. One day my instructor sent out an email with detailed instructions about a mid-term project. The project consisted of going out to an art museum and observing one specific piece at the exhibits. I was actually excited about the project and decided to travel to Charlotte NC to the Museum of modern art located in downtown charlotte. I had to stand in front of a piece of my choosing and interpret the artists’ purpose, the emotion, analyze elements and principles of design. I chose to observe ___--- Find out the art piece----- because of its humble presentation that caught my attention. My first SMART goal for analysis and interpretation is to find an authors meaning and purpose in a piece of art. My second goal is to be able to expand my descriptive vocabulary in order to give a scholarly toned review.
ART-111 consisted of a lot of interpretation of different types of art. I chose this artifact because of the quantity of work I did to complete this assignment. I feel that by going to actually see the piece of art in an exhibit allowed me to feel the process a critic might go through. The class as a whole has taught me the different elements that go in to analyzing art pieces. The skills I gained throughout the duration of the class has allowed to move forward with my interpretations of work and analyzing authors purpose in my English classes. In art appreciation I was able to use the textbook in my art analyses reports and in doing so I practice writing in a critic tone that elaborated on specific elements of design and meaning. My vocabulary for critiquing works of art did improve throughout the course, which helped me achieve my second goal.
I worked hard on every assignment given to me in art appreciation, but this artifact has allowed me to experience first hand the process of analyzing works of art as a critic. I learned new terms and interpretation skills that have allowed me to succeed in other courses at South Piedmont.
In CHM-151, and 152 I was required to complete several labs. My chemistry teacher, Mrs Cominotti, made chemistry easy and enjoyable to learn. In my second year at SPCC I took CHM-152 second semester and completed a several lab report projects. I chose my lab report about hydrates and anhydrous solutions because it allowed me to understand the concepts of basic chemistry. The lab required me to work in groups but each student had to write out a lab report individually. The lab consisted of gathering a hydrate, which is a compound with a water molecule attached, and dehydrating the hydrate over a flame. Afterwards the group had to solve for specific values and complete several charts using the measurements such as weight and mass of each element in the solution. This lab has helped me achieve my goals for problem solving because it allowed me to apply the basic principles of science, which is chemistry, and identify, interpret, and solve a problem. My first SMART goal was to improve my scientific understanding of chemical reactions. My second SMART goal was to understand the principles of chemistry and be able to apply them to real world situations.
CHM-151, and 152 has allowed me to accomplish my first goal because my instructor always discussed the basics when working on an advanced section of the book. I was never confused with topic because the way she taught kept me moving forward through each section. The lab report proves that I have improved my understanding of chemistry from the basics, to more advanced topics. I was able to accomplish my second goal with the help of this, and many other labs, because it allowed me to witness chemical reactions in person. This artifact allowed me to experience the job of an actual chemist and what a lab report should consist of.
I enjoyed chemistry because of my instructor and her teaching style. I was able to accomplish my SMART thanks to her and the assignments in class. I chose this artifact for problem solving because I felt that it best represented my knowledge of gathering information and coming up with a solution to a problem. I am able to understand chemical reactions at a molecular level and show that I can evaluate a chemical equation. By completing this artifact, I was able to learn more about chemistry and be able to apply that knowledge to a real world situation.
For COM-231, Public speaking, I was assigned several speeches throughout that semester such as an informative, persuasive, and memorial. I have attached my persuasive speech which focuses on the idea that violent video games do not influence negative behavior rather it’s the parents who allow avoid punishing behavior that stems from the negative behavior. The speech was graded based on specific time length, fluidity, research and citation, presentation, and supporting PowerPoint. I have attached a video from my persuasive speech and have set goals for Oral communications. One of my goals is to learn how to properly prepare for a speech. Another one of my goals is to improve my vocabulary in order to produce a fluid scholarly speech.
This class has allowed me to accomplish these goals by improving my speech preparation skills, and has challenged me to improve my vocabulary in order to have better fluidity instead of using filler words. My Instructor Mrs. Davis graded speeches very heavily only to make me more determined prepare for her class. The artifact is one out of several that I feel have shown improvement from when I first started the class. I would not consider myself a shy person, nor would I feel anxious towards speaking in public, but I would say I was not fluent in my speeches and always used filler words such as “um, uh, eh, all right, or ok”.
I managed to pass the class with my determination and many hours of studying outlines. Public speaking has helped me complete my goals with some help from my instructor. I can now say that my confidence has improved alongside my vocabulary. The class has prepared me for future public speaking by giving me the core skills needed to prepare, and execute a professional speech