Part I
Student Involvement
Student involvement refers to the active participation of students in various learning process. This is in contrast to a situation where students remain passive as knowledge and theoretical content in imparted on them. Research has shown that student involvement is by far the best way of gaining knowledge and skills. It has great benefits for the student in regard to future career, educational success and personal development. More importantly, student involvement helps in furnishing social skills, communication and the process of building strong networks in life with one another.
There are different kinds of activities that students can do to be actively involved in their academics. The most common of these is active participation in class during lessons and lectures. Such participation is in the form of asking questions and clarifications from the instructor, as well as giving practical answers to questions and situations posed. This way, a student gets a chance to expand knowledge as well as develop critical thinking which is an important factor to consider in life.
Students can be actively involved in extra-curricular activities such as clubs and unions. There are many associations in schools that are created for various functions. Such associations are normally free for anyone to join. In groups, students learn about team work, organizing real life events and even get a chance to exercise their leadership skills. In fact, it is through these activities, including camping, where leadership can be further developed. Communication skills as well as learning how to handle others are more benefits of such engagements. Above all, it breaks the monotony that is normally experienced in classroom and academic contents, allowing students to refresh.
Student involvement can also be through attending internships, attachments and volunteering. These are practical steps in life which give students firsthand information which is more valuable than the classroom theories. I have been actively involved in the above three activities at American River College, which I found to be very helpful as a whole.
Part II
Most Important Topics
Every section of this course is generally important in life. However, there are three areas which I found to be very informative and practical in the real life. This is especially so when it comes to my specialization, which is electrical engineering. These include time management, maintaining high personal motivation and keeping my educational goals.
Time Management
In most situations, time management always emerges as a top priority for everyone. Whether in school, home or at work, time is always a precious commodity and resource that must be fully and constructively utilized. Time management, on a personal basis, helped me a lot in school, and I can foresee my skills in the same being a booster in my career. Learning how to manage time is a great experience that leaves everyone feeling renewed and motivated.
From a general point of view, every individual has many things and projects to accomplish within a given period of time, like a day. The success, accuracy and effectiveness of implementing them depend on several factors, and mainly the manner in which the available time is managed. In most cases, if I managed my time well, I ended up finishing all the tasks that I had to accomplish, and even have extra time for myself.
Time management is always helpful when it comes to avoiding procrastination. It is always fulfilling and self-motivating to have the day’s tasks accomplished in time. The opposite is always demoralizing, especially when work piles up and one has to strain in the end to make ends meet.
When it comes to critical and analytical thinking, time management plays an important role. Allocating time for every activity would allow one the much needed space to achieve effectiveness and efficiency. In the process, one gets to focus on whatever he or she is doing, and in the end, and analyze each element without the pressure of awaiting tasks.
Motivation
Motivation is one of the most significant psychological factors that affect human growth and development. As a student, motivation is always important in ensuring that one remains focused on the important elements in life or academics. Personal motivation is always a determinant of individual growth and perception, which generally affects progress. When an individual is motivated, he or she would have the power to work hard and deliver good results at the end. This is mainly because they understand the reason as to why hard work is not an option, and it is important to attain the set target.
In the case of a student, motivation is a very important element which highly affects academic progress. A student who is motivated has his or her eyes set on a prize, and they work towards it. Motivated students are always eager to learn. A student who is not motivated has no particular focus, and therefore operates on a procedural basis.
The process of goal setting is also affected by the motivation found among different students. Goals vary from being distinct, clear and timely to being general and having unreasonable spans of time. Motivated students are analytical and critical in their thinking.
Educational Goals
This course has taught me the importance of having personal goals in education. Goals are important in defining the direction in which we are heading, as well as setting the basis of our work. When I have goals, I am able to focus better and have a check factor always. The obligation to work and remain within the goals is always there. It is crucial to set goals that are reasonable, achievable and within set periods of time. Goals are useful in motivating an individual, as well as enhancing critical ability. In the strive to attain set goals, one goes through analyzing situations as well as thinking critically to overcome the hurdles that exist on the way.
Part III
No. 1
Colonization primarily refers to the establishment of a civil rule in a state by another country. In this case, the ruling state is normally much more powerful and advanced. In the case of decolonization, the colonized state resists foreign influence and establishes its own local rule. The two descriptions encompass the United States history, where colonization and slavery are frequently mentioned. At the time where America was declared an independent state, slaves and native people maintained citizenship.
There are many stereotypes that still exist about the black people in the United States. For a long time, they had all been made to believe that they are slaves and will always be. They believed that the natives are much smarter than them, and possess a great deal of cultural capital. This has never really been the case, but stereotypes always seem to stick. Many notions have also developed overtime, with most being a discriminatory path among the many tribes and ethnic groups that have lived in America in the past, before reforms of equality were effected.
No. 2
Racial microagressions are verbal statements, environmental indignities or behaviors that occur on a daily basis and are common. They are usually brief and sound hostile or insults in the ears of people with color, whether they are portrayed deliberately or unintentionally. Internalized racism is found in the situation where a given group of people have ethic attitudes towards members of their own groups, or even themselves. It is a belief based on stereotypes that portray them in a particular manner.
There are many ways in which racial microagressions are hurtful to people of color. Depending on how motivated a student is, it can be a constant source of stress and psychological discomfort. For instance, I recently overheard a high school asking another ‘what’ she is. I later understood that it was because of her mixed race. One would wonder how being a half cast makes her a ‘what’ rather than a normal human being. From my high school experience, a student once asked a classmate why he did not behave like a normal black people. Another wanted to know the language a colleague spoke in Japan, after suggesting ‘Asian’.
Internalized racism holds one back from achieving their goals in life, or prevents socialization with others. Due to this trait, one may feel that they are superior or inferior to others, which is a disadvantage, for instance, certain cosmetic practices are associated with certain races.
No. 3
Cultural capital refers to the non-financial assets within the society that promote togetherness, mobility and are generally used for the good of the community. Cultural capital can include elements such as education, physical appearance, the style of speech, mode of dressing and intellectual levels. They are distinct characteristics that define the community at large. On an individual basis, cultural capital refers to those factors that place an individual in a higher status than the rest in the community.
Community cultural wealth, according to Yosso, refers to the range of abilities, skills and knowledge that is possessed by communities of color. This is mainly in terms of resisting operations and surviving at large.
There are three major types of cultural capital. Embodied cultural capital is the first type. This kind of capital can either be acquired in a conscious state or generally handed down the community line. The elements here are acquired overtime, meaning that an individual has to practice the particular culture in order to acquire it. Embodied cultural capital; is closely related to community cultural wealth, since the former leads to the latter.
Objective cultural capital represents the tangible part of the environment. It refers to the physical items that symbolize the culture of the community. They are unique and can be easily associated with that community.
Institutionalized cultural capital mainly refers to the qualifications in education that give an individual cultural capital.
The urge to attain higher cultural capita, in terms of education, and higher community cultural wealth, in terms of skills and knowledge, influence students greatly and act as achievable goals. They provide the basis or purpose for working hard.

For a custom paper on the above topic or any other topic, place your order now!

What Awaits you:  

• On-time delivery guarantee
• Masters and PhD-level writers
• Automatic plagiarism check
• 100% Privacy and Confidentiality
• High Quality custom-written papers