Friday, May 3, 2013

Reflection Paper -- Wilisha


"Reflections"
Wilisha Scaife
EDAC 634 The Adult Learning
Ball State University, Dr. Bo Chang
May 2, 2013

Introduction
         The journey through Ball State University’s EDAC 634 online course has been an inspiring and exhausting experience and I will also interject some thoughts and experiences from my EDAC 635 course, as there were similar themes and connected learning for me. These two classes have required focus, commitment, and an important self-examination of concept understanding and beliefs about myself, and the adults in my world. My passion is for servicing children through working with adults on their behalf; I was excited that this “adult learning” course taught me how to better understand and serve children even though that was not the specific aim of the course (it reached me where I was). Through this journey, I have been captured, challenged, consoled and called to action. This final paper gives me the opportunity to share what I have learned, what I have enjoyed, what I felt could have been better and a bit about my experience in this online course and the process of my project.
What I learned from this course.
         I learned general information about many adult learning theories and concepts. Below is a brief description of each:
·      Andragogy – An adult learning theory that refers to practical and academic aspects of adult learning. Andragogy makes “assumptions” about adult learners. These “assumptions” are the very stamps that highlight the difference between the traditional learning of children (pedagogy) and that of the adult as a learner and the process of adult learning.
·      Self-directed/Individual Learning – A process in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes.” Being self-directed signifies that adult students can and should be allowed to participate in evaluating their learning needs, planning and implementing the learning activities, and evaluating those experiences.
·      Experiential Learning – Experiential Learning can be defined as "the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience.” Knowledge results from the combinations of grasping and transforming experience." Concrete experience provides the information that serves as a basis for reflection. From these reflections, we assimilate the information and form abstract concepts. We then use these concepts to develop new theories about the world, which we then actively test. Through the testing of our ideas, we once again gather information through experience, cycling back to the beginning of the process.
·      Spiritual Learning— Even though spirituality is generally seen as an individual's experiences of what is perceived as sacred, how one frames or understands those experiences can strongly influence one's beliefs and behaviors. In living out their spirituality, some people focus more on its inward activities such as prayer, meditation, and experiences of wholeness; others focus more on how it influences their outer action in the world, and they might not discuss spirituality per se unless asked about it directly. 
·      Narrative Learning—Narrative learning is creating a "narrative" or story about what we are learning in order to make sense of something, to discern its intern logic, and figure out how it relates to what we already know. 
·      Cognitive – Two key assumptions underlie the cognitive approach: (1) that the memory system is an active organized processor of information and (2) that prior knowledge plays an important role in learning. Cognitive theories look beyond behavior to explain brain-based learning. Cognitivists consider how human memory works to promote learning.
·      Adult Learning Theory for the 21st Century – The Adult Learning theory for the 21st Century (briefly put) is the layering of many learning theories (old and new, in study) an application of varied approaches is a way if meeting the multidimensional needs of the of adult learning in the 21st Century. 
What I liked and disliked about the course.
I liked many things about this course. Learning about the variety of learning theories and styles of adult learning had been a great experience. The general idea of Andragogy is what excited me the most. My excitement was not as much about the details of “adult learning” (although that was new and extremely helpful information), but about those details in the very point that makes adult learning “adult learning” – the differences identified between adult learners and children. 
Andragogy makes “assumptions” about adult learners. These “assumptions” are the very stamps that highlight the difference between the traditional learning of children (pedagogy) and that of the adult as a learner and the process of adult learning.
This explanation and related principles (i.e. experience of adult learners, motivations on adult learners) stirred my passion and mission to continue to say to all that these considerations should NOT be limited to adult learners. We have suffered and, more importantly, our children have suffered because little to know considerations our made in our preparation and practice of pedagogy. Much of the content (“what is taught”) of child learning, but the method (how it is taught) should also be considered. The “how” should begin with understanding and considering learning style, personality, etc. of children. In adult learned, we are encouraged to take the time for this early on in a learning environment, children (who are likely much more reluctant to learn) should be pursued in this way especially (since adults often voluntarily come to the learning environment and thus, may be much more self-motivated by intrinsic rewards).
My passion for children and community was fueled by the opportunity to learn more about narrative learning. Families come together through and stay together (connected with their own history) through story-telling; that power can be shared abroad with intentional community efforts of narrative sharing and learning. I was reminded of people in my own community like Dr. Maude Jennings and her Oral History Club. They are a group of seniors who want to give the “gift of story-telling” to the children of our community. Andragogy and Narrative learning together are exciting to me. The two combined suggest that sharing and learning can be done in a way that reaches adults and children, even at the same time.
            In terms of things I “disliked” about the class all I can really say is that it is a matter of learning style. I absolutely understand that reading is essential to any course and especially on the collegiate level. Adult learners are expected to be able to read large portions of text, critically analyze the text, and then share thoughtful opinions and reflections. This is an important part of the adult learning process. Unfortunately, the reading assignments were longer than my style, personality and attention span could handle. This is not something that I would suggest be changed (again, I understand the expectation), I am only sharing that this was a very, very difficult part of the course for me. I am also not suggesting that the reading wasn’t enjoyable and, in some cases, extremely inspiring; but I did struggle tremendously with reading some of the authors writing. As an auditory and visual learner, I was able to fill in voids with the suggestion video clips. I appreciate the sensitivity to my particular learning style, as I am sure others did as well.
            My final thoughts on my “dislikes” of this course have to do with online courses and what might be a general expectation from the educational institution on them. There seems to be an overload of work expected, for online programs, especially towards the end. In any college level class (and certainly in a graduate program) it is expected that the workload would increase with the assigned end of semester papers and projects. It is those things, along with the continued weekly assignments and the added “reflection” over every part of the process, which made this a heavier more tedious ending. I do not say this harshly because I recognize that I would have missed some wonderful ideas, beautiful illustrations, and life-changing video footage had we not bee assigned all of this reflection, however, keeping up with it all literally became a scary, daily calendar checking event for me.
Dr. Bo did make many adjustments to help make the above process a bit more manageable and I do thank her for that. I am hoping that instructors are able to find ways to give this even greater consideration early on in their syllabus preparation. Then again, maybe not; maybe it was my attention deficit, crazy busy life and lack of discipline and priority.
What I liked about the online discussions.
Online discussion was one of the most significant parts of this course for me. In the beginning, it seems as if it would be the most tedious (and it did become tedious at times) but overall, that is where I found connection with my classmates by getting to know a little about them through their life example, etc. The sharing of my classmates opened my understanding of concepts that I had read and struggled to grasp. Their examples of using those concepts provided “ah-ha” moments for me; things “clicked” when they shared.
My classmate taught me how to apply many concepts in my own life even as practice for later use. They were the professionals who proved or disproved the validity of things suggested as true in the text. I learned to trust them and their life examples; I did not devalue the efforts of the expert writers of those textbooks but again, the practice of it share-out by a classmate, meant a lot to me. My classmates helped me to evaluate whether I really “got it.” When I wrote my thoughts that revealed my understanding of a concept, it was my classmates who said “Yes, and…” or “Maybe, but…” That helped me to know if I needed to go back and reevaluate what I read, reevaluate my understanding of what I read, and/or whether I expressed it the way I wanted to or not. These things were so important to me. With all of the other great experiences this class offered, it would have been limp without the online discussion and it’s purpose of connecting students in an online learning environment. My “relational” personality desperately needed online discussion as a part of this online course. I would not have survived without it.
My suggestions to better support my learning?

         I really believed I have shared these things through sharing my expressions and answers to other questions. To put it clearly and concisely I would start with this statement: I understand and appreciate the intention of all adult educators to take the time to learn about various learning styles and to find ways to ensure that all learning styles are represented in the development of their curriculum. I recognize that takes time and is a grand assignment for the instructor all by itself. With that said, for me, the following are things that help me to learn, be inspired, apply and grow from a learning environment:
·  Opportunities for face-to-face group contact and interaction
·  Many, many visual aids and even reading material that is always available in an audio version
·  Opportunities for some hands-on applications and/or experiences (immersive, full-body experiences such as fieldtrips for observation, etc.)
·  Sensitivity for differing busy lifestyles
·  Minimizing overkill on anything. I mentioned it early specific to the online experience, it is important to value the “life experience” of adults and thus to ask them to do the same type of thing (simple things) over and over again makes them feel like children or distrusted. It is as if more and more is added just to prove that they are busy doing something or “putting our time in.” We are here (for the most part) because we want to be and so overkill just kills are motivation and make us do things mundanely and without purpose, emotion and enthusiasm.

What I liked about my process and outcome of my project and how the project helped me understand the practical field and the theories?

It honestly took me several weeks to wrap my mind around our project. My teammates truly took that lead and I am extremely grateful to them. The downside was that I felt I felt I was not making significant contributions especially early on because of my lack of seeing the connection. James and Aaron were able to see an approach to using narrative learning that was outside of my limited box. I am so glad they were. As I began to look at the program projects of others, I could see that many of my classmates were able to do the same with their learning selections. I was amazed by the ideas that came from learning concepts.  The narrative learning approach, in my mind, would need to be limited to an educational or community classroom and I could certainly see power and had ideas from those perspectives; James and Aaron saw something different. They saw a more challenging approach that made me dig a little deeper into my understanding of the topic but especially of how it could be applied to other learning environments. This was GOOD for me and I am so grateful.
I learned about the therapeutic and healing aspect of the narrative approach to learning.  After exposure, I realized the notion of using narrative as therapy for many levels of anxiety and other ills (on many levels) is used very commonly and in fact, often used in every day life. The power of narrative is therapeutic because it not only helps to remedy personal/emotional issues but it also helps to diagnose and identify the source. I can say I am much more mindful and intentional about it’s use in multiple settings now.
In the field of education, it is easy to see the importance of narratives in teaching concepts as we allow them to live in our stories. The powerful revelation of narratives in practice really for the purpose of healing hit home for me last week. In one of my afterschool classrooms there were 2nd grade girls dealing with bullying and some ‘mean-girl’ mentalities. We tried to resolve the issue by calling parents, separating children, etc., none of these tradition discipline measures worked. Finally, I showed up at the classroom, sat down with the 3 girls and without a real plan of what I would say, stories of my childhood and experience with being bullied began to flow. It believe it helped the girls as tears began to well-up in the eyes of one and the look of amazement on the face of another. But the most powerful revelation was how many details I remembered and how much passion was expressed. Events that produced so much pain (hurt from when I was only 7 years old) brought a great understanding of who I am today and healing.

Final Thoughts
Finally and overall, this online class experience has meant much more to me than I expected. I came into it unsure but determined to begin work on receiving a certificate that states my completion of a graduate program. I knew I needed connection to learn best, I knew I needed to be inspired but I was ready to settle for a “less than” experience just to enjoy the reward of completion. I am so happy to say, although my first online experience and my first graduate experience, it has been a life transforming experience for me. Not only am I more confident in moving on to more online graduate courses, but also I am ready and expecting to learn and grow with great enthusiasm. I don’t know that I will have other professors who are as considerate, accessible, flexible and supportive as Dr. Bo but I am hopeful. More importantly, if I do not get that support from an instructor, I feel I can still go forward and be successful using the concepts and tools that I have gained in my two graduate courses of which Dr. Bo is instructor for both. My classmates in EDAC 634 and 635 have shared their lives with me and given me more than they could ever know (support, encouragement, confidence, etc.). To all of my classmates and to Dr. Bo Chang, I say, THANK YOU! Remember to DREAM BIG and live out your GREATNESS!!!
Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.       
 –W. Rudolph

My Family (left to right): Jasiah (daughter, my "baby girl"), Me (Wilisha), Rob (my husband, hiding in back), Jauwan ("Wanny", my son being honored at his last BSU Men's home basketball game), Gayle (my "Mommy"), and Jayla (daughter, my "big girl") -- MY LOVE & LIFE!!!

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Jim Brunson's April Monthly Summary Comments

Jim Brunson commented on April monthly summaries for groups 1, 4 and 5.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Our April Summary


I commented on Group 1, 2  and 4
James and Aaron will do the same after others have submitted their monthly summaries. Thank you.

This month has been the most overwhelming, yet the most rewarding for Wilisha. There were family surgeries, children ill, MAJOR work deadlines and ministry events. It pushed her to the limit and left her with many nights 4:00 AM bedtimes but again… REWARDING! The final project demonstration and papers gave her a chance to review and remembrance the many learning concepts introduced early in the course. It also offered a chance to value the flow of the assignments and the process of creating the final project. The program finally came together in April, and Wilisha admits, it took that long for it time fully come together for her as well. The vision of Aaron and the work that he and James have brought to the table came alive and it was very exciting for Wilisha. She appreciates the vision and leadership of her partners, Aaron Bean and James Brunson.
For James, reading assignments were significant. Ch. 13, Cognitive Development in Adulthood; Ch. 14, Intelligence and Aging; Ch. 15, Memory, Cognition, and the Brain were especially as important to him. The information received was immediately useful in his classrooms as he has students that are well into their 50s this semester. James and his wife are both 60 and so the information also had a great deal of personal relevance.

Aaron, like his partners, has had a tremendously overwhelming month (semester). It is truly the life of an adult (spouse, parent, grandparent, full-time workers, students, and so many other life commitments). He has been working on a huge term papers along with the demands of this course… He only has a few more classes before he is finshed with his program (and we are SO proud of him as he represents us as adult learners YAY!), but the end of a program means weighted classes and assignments. KEEP PUSHING, AARON!
Continuing our education is clearly very important to us all but there were many times when the class workload simply had to take a back seat to things more important, things more urgent. We pushed through TOGETHER and had each other’s back to ensure that we would not stray too far from the mark. We all agree that we were challenged to do a lot of reflecting this month. We were to write a summary of our project demonstration, which gave some “reflection” after the demonstration itself certainly reflected on the process and progress of the term. Then, we were to read classmates' program designs and reflect upon them, we were to reflect generally upon the course, and we are to be writing our Reflection paper, which is due May 3. Reflection is good, but might there have been too much of this good thing? LOL!J
One of the downsides to online classes seems to be that instructors are expected to give much more work. It seems this ensure that online students are spending as much time (or more) than those in traditional class structures. This may not be true, but it is something that Wilisha has wondered about, and if so, she has wondered if that is consistent with the considerations of adult learners.

PROGRAM DESIGN WORK – It was gratifying to read about how well our Reminiscence program design was received by our evaluators. We each are encouraged by how well our program was received. We also believe we hit a home run with our program demonstration. Ours was substantive, realistic, and doable. Given comments we received, our classmates apparently agree.
All in all, we have learned a lot about adult education and adult learners; we have learned a lot about ourselves and about others in our class. 

We are excite about the insights and have already begun to apply them to our work and/or daily lives. Although grateful for this learning opportunity, we are ready to move forward… yes, into bigger, better, and deeper things… into greater knowledge… OK, we are just really ready for SUMMER!J
Good luck to all!!!

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Group Six Project Summary




James Brunson commented on project demonstrations for Groups 1, 3 and 5.
Wilisha Scaife commented on project demonstration for Group 1, 3, 4



“Reminiscence” Program Summary
EDAC 634, Adult as a Learner, Ball State University
Spring 2013
Group Six: Aaron Bean, Wilisha Scaife, James Brunson








Topic Summary and Selection
Creation of “Reminiscence” and Group Six began with the first step of the EDAC 634 semester project, which was an individual assignment to investigate and summarize seven learning theories related to adults and their lives. These seven theories were Andragogy, Self-Directed/Individual Learning, Transformational Learning, Experiential Learning, Embodied Learning, Spiritual Learning, and Narrative Learning. Three EDAC 634 students, Aaron Bean, Wilisha Scaife, and James Brunson, expressed special interest in Narrative Learning, which is learning through stories. These three students recognized and appreciated the sense-making capabilities of narrative learning and narrative learning programs for adult learners. They became Group Six.
Literature Review
This second step of the semester project was also an individual assignment. Each Group Six member delved more deeply into Narrative Learning and researched approaches described by different prominent educational theorists, such as Sharan B. Merriam, Rosemary S. Caffarella, Lisa M. Baumgartner, M. Carolyn Clark, Marsha Rossiter, Elena Michelson, and John M. Dirkx.  
Group Six members learned about cultural, familial, individual, and organizational narrative learning approaches. Individual narrative learning program possibilities began to attract special attention from each Group Six member.
Program Investigation
The Program Investigation portion (third step) of the Group Six semester project involved selecting and investigating two learning programs that incorporated Narrative Learning in their practice. All three Group Six members are involved with education in their careers presently. Aaron Bean is a Career and Technical Education teacher in California at the secondary level. Wilisha Scaife is the Muncie P3 Program Director at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. James Brunson is the Program Chair for Building Construction Management at Ivy Tech Community College in Fort Wayne, Indiana. James’ Building Construction Management program is for adult learners and incorporates individual narrative learning as part of the instructional plan so it became one of the programs investigated. Aaron discovered an innovative program incorporating individual narrative learning entitled “REAL* E-Portfolio Academy for K-12 Teachers”. Aaron’s discovery of this writing-intensive individual narrative learning program captured the interest and imagination of all Group Six members and became the genesis of the Group Six Program Design.
Program Design
Aaron seized the initiative for this fourth step of the Group Six semester project by conceiving the idea for “Reminiscence”, the Group Six individual narrative learning program. This program’s purpose is leading and encouraging adult learners in writing their life narratives. It is organized around four steps:
1.      Reminisce, where students gather their ideas and begin mapping their narratives;
2.      Voice, where students reflect upon their uniqueness and seek to identify the writing style that is most reflective of their unique personalities;
3.      Write, where students express themselves freely as they create their narratives in a fully developed draft document;
4.      Share, where students share their draft narratives with one another and profit from feedback received from each other as they perfect their final narrative document and publish it.
Program Evaluation
Group six considered the fifth step of the semester project and determined that it divided nicely into thirds. Wilisha and Aaron each identified an experienced educator, presented the Reminiscence Program to them, and secured their evaluations. Jim received what Wilisha and Aaron obtained and prepared the Group Six Program Evaluation document. Deringer Dietz, a high school Language Arts teacher in California with thirteen years of experience, was interviewed by Aaron. Dr. Eva Zygmunt, an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at Ball State University with twenty-seven years of experience, was interviewed by Wilisha. Both of these helpful professionals provided insightful observations and excellent suggestions to Group Six for improving the Reminiscence Program. Suggestions for improvement were:
1.      Target additional research into benefits of personal narrative in order to strengthen the authority of the program;
2.      Create more clarity within the program processes, with special emphasis upon mapping and voicing;
3.      Be zealous in editing so the intent of adult learners is in no way changed, but merely clarified.
Team Six is indebted to these fine educators for the time they invested in the Reminiscence Program and are grateful for their suggestions.
Project Demonstration
This sixth and final step of the Group Six semester project was welcomed by the group members with enthusiasm. The developmental process involved with creation of the Reminiscence Program through the preceding five steps had involved much work, but it had also captured the imagination of the group and Team Six was eager to bring its program to fruition in its Project Demonstration. Aaron and Wilisha collaborated on creation of the Group Six PowerPoint and Jim wrote the summary. Group Six is confident that its demonstration clearly portrays the therapeutic efficacy and strength of the Reminiscence Program for its target student population of adult learners.    

Group 6 Final Presentation

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Group Six "Reminiscence" Program Evaluation





       James Brunson commented on Program Evaluations for Groups 1, 2 and 4



Reminiscence Program Evaluation
 EDAC 634 Group Six
Aaron Bean – Educator Evaluation #1
Wilisha Scaife – Educator Evaluation #2
James Brunson – Paper Writing and Submission






Abstract
Evaluations from two educators of the Group Six narrative learning program, Reminiscence, are included in this report. The educators’ roles and positions are described. Also, each educator answered the following two questions:
1.      What did you like most about the program design?
2.      What do you think should be improved, why, and how?
Group Six team members’ responses to the following questions are also contained herein:
1.      Do you agree with the educators’ evaluations, why or why not?
2.      How would you improve your program design?
Educators’ original evaluation documents are appended to the end of this paper.








Body
      Deringer Dietz is a high school Language Arts teacher in California with thirteen years of experience. He was interviewed by Group Six team member Aaron Bean. Mr. Dietz thought the Reminiscence narrative writing program was interesting and progressive. He admired its plausibility and accessibility for adult learners, and noted its similarity to the journal writing that was once common for high school students.
       Mr. Dietz liked the overall idea for Reminiscence and noted especially its therapeutic potential. He referred to the joy that can be obtained by writing in order to express one’s thoughts. He suggested caution, however, concerning grammar and spelling exactness, noting that too much attention paid to mechanics can inhibit students’ freedom of expression. He particularly appreciated the guidance provided by the steps of the program, such as use of graphic organizers and mind maps, and observed that organizational skills for life can be acquired through use and mastery of such steps.
      Mr. Dietz had helpful ideas for improvement of the Reminiscence program. He focused upon Step 3-Write, and expressed concern about Reminiscence fundamentally changing the life narratives of the adult students. Step 3-Write provides for editing and refining of participants’ narratives. He noted that editing can actually change the context of a narrative and suggested that vagueness about editing purposes be eliminated. Mr. Dietz stated that “…good editing is just as important as the story being told.”
      Group Six appreciated Mr. Dietz’ thoughtful evaluation of the Reminiscence narrative writing program and agrees that vagueness should be eliminated within Step 3-Write, and that assurances concerning editing being done solely for clarity be provided to adult learners participating in the program.
      Dr. Eva Zygmunt is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at Ball State University, where she has worked for over nine years. She was interviewed by Group six team member Wilisha Scaife.
      Dr. Zygmunt, in responding to the question ”What does the evaluator like most about your program design?”, referenced “The Healing Power of Personal Narrative” (Benatar, 2011) and these sentences, among others, “To construct a story of our life is to make meaning of it. To compose memory, emotion, and internal experience, as well as autobiographical facts, into a story helps us become who we are.” She then went on to connect Reminiscence to the concepts set forth in Benatar’s work. Facilitating personal meaning making was one of the significant strengths in the Reminiscence program in her view.
      Like Mr. Dietz, Dr. Zygmunt was appreciative of the organizational tools the Reminiscence Program provides that help adult learners be truly reflective in an organized sense, in order to reap the greatest benefit from the narrative writing experience. She thought that purposes and objectives of the program were clearly stated and that the instructional sequencing was logical and appropriate. She thought the opportunity to share narratives with classmates was especially noteworthy, and helpful in aiding adult learners in cultivating their individual identities.
      Dr. Zygmunt had some suggestions for Team Six and it’s Reminiscence Program. She suggested researching benefits of personal narrative and strengthening the authority of the program by incorporating results in the Reminiscence Program instructional plan. Also like Mr. Dietz, Dr. Zygmunt recognized the need for more clarity within the program, especially as it pertains to outlined program processes such as mapping and voicing.
      Team Six is grateful to Dr. Zygmunt for her review and the expert insights she provided. Team members agree that authoritative research for the purpose identified above, and more clarity, would improve the Reminiscence program a great deal.













References
Deringer Dietz Original Evaluation Document – Aaron Bean’s Invited Educator
1.   What is your name, role, and current position?

My name is Deringer Dietz, I am a Language Arts Teacher, and teach Language Arts Honors classes at Paramount High School. I have been teaching public high school for 13 years.


2.   Upon your first read, what was your impression of the program?
I thought the program was an interesting and progressive idea. Most adults seek avenues to have their voice be heard, this seems plausible and easy for someone to try. I personally think this idea reminds of the journal writing students “used” to do in high school, and that seemed to be some of the most freeing and openly personal stories that students wrote.

3.   What did you like most about the program design?
Overall I like the whole program’s idea of writing for the purposes of therapy. It seems, (as adults), we lose the ability, time, or joy of writing to express our thoughts. This form of communication is a powerful tool that nowadays seems to get lost in the mix. I mean people would rather talk about something or themselves rather than write. When I learned to have students just write, and not be concerned with grammar and spelling errors is when I read the most intriguing pieces imagined. That one barrier being lifted gave the students confidence to be a “writer”, and I feel that is what is being touted in your program.
I also liked the guidance of the steps of the program. For example, helping the student learn to use graphic organizers and mind maps, (Step 1), is something students can use not only for the purposes of writing, but also to help with organization of other avenues of their life. 

4.   What do you think needs improvement? Why? And how?
If there were anything that I would change, or modify (or would like to know more about), it is Step 3-Write. More specifically, does Reminiscence change the delivery of the story? You mention that you help refine reflections, and that you help edit with a critical eye. I personally know that editing can actually change the context of a story, so if this is their story to tell does the program edit to fix grammatical mistakes, or edit to “sharpen” the details of the story? This part seems vague as to how it will be accomplished, and honestly, good editing is just as important as the story being told.

Dr. Eva Zygmunt Original Evaluation Document – Wilisha Scaife’s invited Educator
1.      Evaluator role and positions
Dr. Eva Zygmunt
Associate Professor
Early Childhood Education
Ball State University Teachers College
Dr. Eva Zygmunt is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education in the Department of Elementary Education at Ball State University.  Her research interests relate to education for social justice, culturally relevant pedagogy, family and community relations, and poverty.  She teaches courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels in multicultural education, family and community relations, and creativity.  Along with colleagues and members of the community, she is currently co-directing an immersion semester for early childhood and elementary education majors, emphasizing community context as a critical cognizance for educators.
2.      What does the evaluator like most about your program design?
In The Healing Power of Personal Narrative, Benatar (2011) states,
“Our stories may not be our own; we may have adopted the stories of our parents, grandparents, siblings or some other authority figure rather than developing an account of our own experience as we felt and perceived it. ….To construct a story of our lives is to make meaning of it. To compose memory, emotion and internal experience as well as autobiographical facts into a story helps us become who we are.”
The Memoir Reminiscence Writing Program speaks directly to the quote above in its design to facilitate personal meaning making.  The program is structured in such as way as to encourage the personal reflection necessary to tailor an organization of the events of our lives in order to tell our story – and in doing so – know better who we are.  This process privileges our own voice – our own interpretation of our life events, and how these have shaped the architecture of our lives. 
The purpose and objectives of the program are clearly stated, and the outlined steps of reminiscing, voicing, writing, and sharing provide a concrete roadmap through which to negotiate the process of personal narrative in the program.  Of particular note is the opportunity to share one’s story.  The culture of the classroom community can certainly be enriched through a shared heritage of stories, which contribute to a collective, as well as individual identity. 
3.      What does the evaluator think should be improved? Why? And how?
The program proposal could be strengthened with the addition of pertinent research to support the benefits of personal narrative.  Additionally, providing further definition to the processes outlined would assist the reader in visualizing the process of mapping, voicing etc.  These changes would provide a more compelling rationale for the program, as well as lend clarity to the steps integral to the process of personal narrative.