For Your Class
For Your Class
Course: Philosophy 234: Hopeful Citizenship for the 21st Century
Institution: Saint Mary's College
Faculty: Megan Zwart
Learning Activities (LA) and reflective journals (600 points)
If philosophy is training for living well, then we need to practice philosophical living!
Throughout the semester, there will be six activities that students need to complete, which will ask them to undertake a specific practice and then reflect on that experience in a journal.
Journals should be about 500-600 words and should include specifics of what practice they adopted, how it went, and what they learned from it. Journal entries will be graded according to the journal rubric.
Learning activities 1 and 2 are focused on the habits of compassion.
LA 1: Attention
Evidence shows that multitasking isn’t effective and reduces our ability to offer attention to the present moment or perform at our best. The presence of phones with us at all times is a huge driver of distraction and inattention. For 24 hours, avoid multitasking. Write a reflective journal on that experience: what did you learn about yourself? Was it difficult or easy?
LA 2: Empathy
Using the skills we’ve been developing for listening and dialogue, either interview someone you know (asking curious questions) about an issue that matters to them, or facilitate a conversation with a group of your choosing on a subject matter of your choice. Then write a reflection journal describing which virtues for the course you used. [Note, if it is possible to develop a partnership with the South Bend Civic Theatre, one option would be to host a Civics at the Civics conversation hosted by students rather than this learning activity]
About
Students in class: 20-30
Teaching modality: In person
Grade level/year: Undergraduate students
Course type: The class fulfills the requirement for critical thinking and philosophy. It is also a part of the Digital and Public Humanities Minor.
Virtues integrated: Attention, Empathy, Curiosity, Intellectual Humility, Courage and Intellectual Responsibility
Course: Philosophy 234: Hopeful Citizenship for the 21st Century
Institution: Saint Mary's College
Faculty: Megan Zwart
Learning Activities (LA) and reflective journals (600 points)
If philosophy is training for living well, then we need to practice philosophical living!
Throughout the semester, there will be six activities that students need to complete, which will ask them to undertake a specific practice and then reflect on that experience in a journal.
Journals should be about 500-600 words and should include specifics of what practice they adopted, how it went, and what they learned from it. Journal entries will be graded according to the journal rubric.
Learning activities 1 and 2 are focused on the habits of compassion.
LA 1: Attention
Evidence shows that multitasking isn’t effective and reduces our ability to offer attention to the present moment or perform at our best. The presence of phones with us at all times is a huge driver of distraction and inattention. For 24 hours, avoid multitasking. Write a reflective journal on that experience: what did you learn about yourself? Was it difficult or easy?
LA 2: Empathy
Using the skills we’ve been developing for listening and dialogue, either interview someone you know (asking curious questions) about an issue that matters to them, or facilitate a conversation with a group of your choosing on a subject matter of your choice. Then write a reflection journal describing which virtues for the course you used. [Note, if it is possible to develop a partnership with the South Bend Civic Theatre, one option would be to host a Civics at the Civics conversation hosted by students rather than this learning activity]
About
Students in class: 20-30
Teaching modality: In person
Grade level/year: Undergraduate students
Course type: The class fulfills the requirement for critical thinking and philosophy. It is also a part of the Digital and Public Humanities Minor.
Virtues integrated: Attention, Empathy, Curiosity, Intellectual Humility, Courage and Intellectual Responsibility