PDP Write-ups

Your Guide to Great PDP Write-ups

PORTFOLIO

Throughout the semester, students will be asked to compile a portfolio to document their experiences. These portfolios must be created on a digital platform as they are to be submitted electronically via Blackboard. We personally recommend using Wix or Wordpress to construct your PDP portfolios as they are free and easy to use. Portfolios should be high quality and represent something that you will be proud to look back on as a story of your first semester as a CMU Honors student. All portfolios must include activity reports with the following basic information:

Activity Reports:
A reflection report should be written shortly after the completion of each activity. Each of these reports should be approximately 500 words long and reflect meaningful thought about the activity. Each report will be evaluated for the quality of the following information presented:

1.) A clear description/explanation about the nature of the activity: what, when, where, and with whom.

-A sentence or two

2.) A justification of the activity chosen: explain why you chose this event and how this activity

represents a meaningful choice both for you personally and for the goals of the category.

-A paragraph

3.) A detailed description of your actual experience with the activity: describe your expectations going into the activity,

your observations during, and your thoughts after the activity is completed.

- A paragraph that provides adequate detail to have this make

sense to someone that was not there and may not otherwise understand your activity

4.) A reflection on what this experience means to you: Explain what you gained or learned from

completing this activity. The reflection can include any lessons or impact but do remember to make

some connection back to the category and the reasons for choosing this activity in the first place.

-A paragraph

5.) Visual documentation or evidence of your activity: this “proof” may include, but is not limited to scanned

photos, printed programs, advertisements, signed note from person leading activity, etc.. Quality

documentation is required for full credit and makes for a much better portfolio for you to look

back on in years to come. Plan ahead carefully!

EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR REPORTS:

Was the activity approved and is justification clearly provided for why the activity is appropriate for the individual student?

Is the report complete with adequate details in each section?

Is there evidence of effort and critical thought in the reflection and completion of the report itself?

Has electronic documentation been provided for activity?

Sample Write-up

On Friday, September 30, 2018, I visited the Ziibiwing Cultural Center with students from HON 100 and HON 300, as part of my PDP experience.

I was interested in attending this event for the cultural and diversity category because I am part Native American, but I have never really explored this part of my heritage before. My family is part Chippewa and my parents and grandparents have attended pow wows and other cultural events but I never had before. My grandfather actually lived on the reservation in Sault Ste Marie as a child and I have seen pictures of him there as a little boy. I was always fascinated by stories of his upbringing but I never had the chance to visit a reservation or attend cultural events. When I chose CMU as a school, I promised myself that I would use this as an opportunity to learn more about my heritage and culture. I chose the Ziibiwing Center tour because I felt it would provide me with a broad overview of the history of the Chippewa tribe in Michigan and also help me understand what life is like today for Native Americans living in community with one another. I also thought it would bring me closer to my grandfather if I understood more about the culture that he actually lived in as a child.

We took a bus to the center, toured the museum and made some traditional American crafts at the end of our tour. The first part of the tour showed the history of Native Americans in the United States, then in Michigan, and then in this region. I was able to read about the actual reservation my Grandfather grew up on. Other exhibits talked about the Indian schools that Native American children were forced into, the education of Native Americans and socio-economic status of Native Americans through the years. In addition, there were exhibits on Native American artwork, music, and dress. We learned about treaties and broken promises, and how reservation land has shrunk over time due to governments reneging on commitments. We also learned about the impact of gaming for tribal families. At the end of the tour we were able to see the traditional practice of quilling done and we made tobacco pouches that we could take with us.

This experience was life-changing for me because for the first time I was able to see and read about things that my grandparents and their parents actually lived through. It wasn’t just stories that were passed down, hearsay, but at the museum, I had real pictures, artifacts, and documents that more accurately told the story of my ancestors, and as a result, more accurately helped me understand who I am as a person today. And many of the displays included specific information about my family’s actual tribe in Sault Ste. Marie. Meeting the tribal members at the museum made everything seem more real for me, and not just stories passed down from long ago. I was able to hear first-hand their personal stories of what growing up on a reservation was like. This visit inspired me to want to learn more about my heritage. I want to go back to the museum and read some more of the historical documents that I didn’t get a chance to when we visited. I also want to attend a Pow Wow and learn enough so that I might be able to actually be in a Pow Wow someday. I have also heard that there are the remains in Mt Pleasant of an “Indian Industrial School”, and I would really like to visit it and learn more about it. My grandfather’s father told him that he knew people who were forced to change their clothes, hair style and faith when they were taken from their families and forced to attend the Industrial Schools. The abuse was rampant at the schools and many children died while living there. This left generations scarred for decades, and the negative effects of these schools are still felt today. As a sociology/anthropology major this fascinates me and I want to learn all I can about how this came to be, so that this kind of tragedy doesn’t happen again in America.