Colloquium Project Reflection

         I found this practicum project through my scholars teachers, Alison and Kelly. I was struggling to think of what I wanted to do for my practicum, and I knew I wanted to work on some sort of service project, since that is such an important value held by the College Park Scholars community. I decided to talk to my teachers to see if they had any special projects they wanted to start. They suggested an extension of my Media Literacy assignment I had completed my freshman year and wanted to help spread media literacy in the College Park Community. I suggest that anybody who is struggling to find a practicum take an introspective look. What assignments did you enjoy working on in your scholars classes? Are there any improvements you think you could make, or is there any knowledge you want to share with the world? Having a conversation with your teachers is the most important first step, since they can help you through this thought process and help you brainstorm some ideas or options.

         For my practicum, I became part of a Media Literacy Outreach team. The purpose of the team was to ensure the effective and positive consumption of all types of media. To do this, we planned on partnering with a nearby middle school in order to give a quick presentation about media literacy, and then go through some hands-on activities for the students to apply their new learning to. In our presentation, we went over the different forms of media that they may encounter on any given day, building their social media profile and brand, fact checking, and finding credible sources. Each part of the presentation then correlated with a hands-on activity. Students mixed and matched photos to build their personal brand, played a fact checking news game, and finding credible and accessible sources.

         I gained a few different valuable experiences while working on this practicum. In an unplanned coincidence, it happened that I was already friends with the other people who had chosen to be part of this team for their practicum as well. One was my roommate; one is going to be my roommate next year and the other two are close friends as well. This was one of my first graded group assignments I have worked on in college due to COVID. So, the combination of working with friends and it being my first big project in college was a big prospect. I learned to work on a team with friends, without allowing for any interference or distractions. We were specific about when we were working on the project versus doing other things. We created a boundary and made sure to keep our work separate from everything else. Something else I learned was how to take a backseat when working on a group project. Normally I try and take charge to ensure that everything gets done, everyone does their part and so that we stay on track. However, with my workload, job and other commitments during the spring semester, I decided it would be better for me to function just as a team member and allow someone else to take the lead. This was a very valuable experience for me. I found myself at times wanting to take charge or push for certain things to be done in a timely manner or changes to be made. However, I reminded myself what my role was, and stayed on track. The last thing I learned was simply more about the College Park community. In planning our lesson, we learned more about the demographics of the school we were going to, the experiences the children may have had and what it would be like at the school. Going to college in a town that is not yours means you need to be aware and respectful of the surrounding community, and part of this can include giving back to the community that gives you a home.

          I have grown in a few ways, most importantly, as a College Park Scholars student. Working on this project gave me the opportunity to strengthen my relationship with my scholars teachers, and to learn about all of the resources and connections scholars has. When beginning our project, I learned about all of the connections that Alison has with nearby schools and other teachers. These are valuable connections for me to remember for any future projects or if I even needed an outside contact for a project in the future. I learned how to get grant money for future scholars projects. We applied for a grant from the Do Good Institute here at UMD, and were granted $300. There are projects that I can see myself working on in the future as a College Park Scholar, so going through the process of applying for an receiving a grant has provided me with a new skill that will assist me in continuing my work as a scholar. I grew as scholar by giving back to the College Park community and ensuring that the next generation is ready to tackle media and to be effective consumers of it. I also grew as a student by working on my professional email skills while conversing with teachers outside of scholars. Evidence of my growth as a scholars student is my new position as an Assistant Coordinator for the scholars Peer Mentor program. I received this position near the end of the semester, and I believe it is a strong indicator of my work as a scholars student. Without my knowledge of working with grant money, scholars staff and my growth as a team member, I would not have gotten the position. My extended involvement in my practicum, as peer mentor captain, and as TA for colloquium have all been extremely valuable experiences for me.

          I can apply my experiences from my practicum to my day-to-day life, the remainder of my time as a student at Maryland, and in my career. Basic skills such as conversing with others over email and planning events are core skills I will be using for the rest of my life. I am also a very firm believer in exposing yourself to diverse groups and learning how to interact with groups of people that you may not be used to interacting with. Though I am experienced in working with middle school age children, the area that I live in, and am a camp counselor in is a predominately middle-class white area. Working with children from different backgrounds was important to me.

As for the rest of my time at The University of Maryland, I already have my assistant coordinator position which will turn into a head coordinator position at the end of my junior year. This will allow me to continue working within scholars beyond the 2-year program requirements, which is also something very important to me. Along with being a resume booster, being part of scholars will give me valuable experiences and connections that I hope to apply to my Medical School application at the end of my time here at UMD and beyond.