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\r\n\r\nGoal-setting is an important skill, as a goal articulates your specific vision of an achievement, condition, or experience in the future.\u00a0 Articulating a goal is the first step toward achieving it; once you identify the goal, you can create an action plan identifying specific steps you can take to achieve that goal.\r\n\r\nHowever, articulating goals is not always easy.\u00a0 You may have a wish that, in five years, you'll be in a position of more importance at work.\u00a0 This is simply a wish; it's\u00a0not\u00a0yet a goal.\u00a0 To be a goal, the statement needs to be SMART:\r\nGoal Setting Tools<\/h3>\r\n\r\n \t- Goal Setting<\/a>\u00a0(from Iowa State University's Academic Success Center)<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t
- Writing Great Specific Goals.<\/a>\u00a0This article from ThoughtCo. provides tips on how to write goals in a way that can help you implement them.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Personal Goal Setting<\/a>. Mindtools.com is a business-oriented website that contains useful information on setting SMART goals<\/li>\r\n \t
- Basic Goals Worksheet<\/a> to help you articulate your academic goals, from Iowa State University's Academic Success Center<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
\r\n \t- More Sophisticated Goals Worksheet<\/a> on SMART goal setting, from Iowa State University's Academic Success Center<\/li>\r\n \t
- Writing Great Specific Goals<\/a> - provides tips on how to write goals in a way that can help you implement them<\/li>\r\n \t
- Personal Goal Setting<\/a> - a business-oriented web page that contains useful information on setting SMART goals<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
\r\n \t- The Edupunk's Guide to a DIY Credential<\/a>. There's good information on goals in these sections: \"How to Write a Personal Learning Plan\" (pgs. 9-12) and \"What do you like? What do you want to be? Where do you want to go?\" (pgs. 21-22).<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n
initial learning activity<\/h3>\r\nIdentify a goal that you'd like to achieve.\u00a0 It can be a goal related to your academic work, professional work, or life circumstance. Make sure that it's a SMART goal (e.g., a goal of \"achieving my degree\" is not necessarily SMART, as it may be too general). Also,\u00a0for the sake of this learning activity, make sure that it's a goal that is achievable within a relatively short time frame (2-3 weeks).\r\n\r\nOnce you identify your SMART goal,\u00a0create an action plan for achieving that goal.\u00a0 Write your steps and timing for each of those steps toward that goal.\u00a0 Also write the criteria you'll be using to measure your achievement of each step and your overall achievement of the goal.\r\n\r\nThen, enact your steps.\r\n\r\nFinally, at the end of your timeframe, write a short reflection (4-5 pages) on your experience of working toward your goal.\u00a0 Did you move through every step as expected?\u00a0 If so, to what do you attribute that?\u00a0 If not, why not?\u00a0 Did you achieve your ultimate goal?\u00a0 What can you do the next time you set a goal to ensure that it's enacted in the way you plan?\r\n\r\nSubmit:<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \t- SMART goal<\/li>\r\n \t
- action plan<\/li>\r\n \t
- reflective essay<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
in-depth learning activity<\/h3>\r\nRead one<\/strong><\/em> of the articles below. Both articles were published in an academic journals, and both are available in full text from ESC's library.\r\n\r\n \t- \"New Directions in Goal-Setting Theory,\"<\/a> an article in Current Directions in Psychological Science<\/em>, provides an overview of goal theory and can provide some interesting concepts to consider, especially in the section on \"Advances in Goal Theory.\"<\/li>\r\n \t
- \"Understanding the Role of Personal Best (PB) Goal Setting in Students' Declining Engagement: A Latent Growth Model,\"<\/a> an article in the Journal of Educational Psychology<\/em>, provides results of research studies on adolescent students who were coached in setting Personal Best goals.\u00a0\u00a0Note that the article offers specific, numeric results.\u00a0\u00a0It's okay if you don't understand these fully; focus on the beginning and the end of the article\u00a0(the Discussion section), which offer main\u00a0concepts.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nWrite a brief essay (4-5 pages) based on the chosen article, using one<\/strong><\/em> of the following options:\r\n\r\nOption 1<\/strong>\r\n
\r\n \t- Summarize the article's main ideas.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Apply a\u00a0concept in the article\u00a0to a real situation in which you were involved, or that you observed, involving goal setting.\u00a0 Explain fully\u00a0how the concept applies to the real situation.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Analyze the concept.\u00a0\u00a0Do you agree or disagree with the concept, based on your experience or observation?\u00a0 Why?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nOption 2<\/strong>\r\n
\r\n \t- Identify the knowledge, skills, and competencies that the author\/s needed to have in order to write the article.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Apply those competencies to your own situation as an academic writer\u00a0and<\/em> as a reader of the article.\u00a0 Which of the competencies are you comfortable with, and which do you think you need to develop?<\/li>\r\n \t
- Analyze how you might further develop one of these competencies.\u00a0 Be specific in your analysis.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nSubmit:<\/strong>\r\n
\r\n \t- essay on one of the options<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
Related college Learning Goals<\/h3>\r\n
Active Learning:<\/strong>\u00a0Assess and build upon previous learning and experiences to pursue new learning, independently and in collaboration with others.<\/p>\r\n \r\n
- \r\n \t
- More Sophisticated Goals Worksheet<\/a> on SMART goal setting, from Iowa State University's Academic Success Center<\/li>\r\n \t
- Writing Great Specific Goals<\/a> - provides tips on how to write goals in a way that can help you implement them<\/li>\r\n \t
- Personal Goal Setting<\/a> - a business-oriented web page that contains useful information on setting SMART goals<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
- \r\n \t
- The Edupunk's Guide to a DIY Credential<\/a>. There's good information on goals in these sections: \"How to Write a Personal Learning Plan\" (pgs. 9-12) and \"What do you like? What do you want to be? Where do you want to go?\" (pgs. 21-22).<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n
initial learning activity<\/h3>\r\nIdentify a goal that you'd like to achieve.\u00a0 It can be a goal related to your academic work, professional work, or life circumstance. Make sure that it's a SMART goal (e.g., a goal of \"achieving my degree\" is not necessarily SMART, as it may be too general). Also,\u00a0for the sake of this learning activity, make sure that it's a goal that is achievable within a relatively short time frame (2-3 weeks).\r\n\r\nOnce you identify your SMART goal,\u00a0create an action plan for achieving that goal.\u00a0 Write your steps and timing for each of those steps toward that goal.\u00a0 Also write the criteria you'll be using to measure your achievement of each step and your overall achievement of the goal.\r\n\r\nThen, enact your steps.\r\n\r\nFinally, at the end of your timeframe, write a short reflection (4-5 pages) on your experience of working toward your goal.\u00a0 Did you move through every step as expected?\u00a0 If so, to what do you attribute that?\u00a0 If not, why not?\u00a0 Did you achieve your ultimate goal?\u00a0 What can you do the next time you set a goal to ensure that it's enacted in the way you plan?\r\n\r\nSubmit:<\/strong>\r\n
- \r\n \t
- SMART goal<\/li>\r\n \t
- action plan<\/li>\r\n \t
- reflective essay<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
in-depth learning activity<\/h3>\r\nRead one<\/strong><\/em> of the articles below. Both articles were published in an academic journals, and both are available in full text from ESC's library.\r\n
- \r\n \t
- \"New Directions in Goal-Setting Theory,\"<\/a> an article in Current Directions in Psychological Science<\/em>, provides an overview of goal theory and can provide some interesting concepts to consider, especially in the section on \"Advances in Goal Theory.\"<\/li>\r\n \t
- \"Understanding the Role of Personal Best (PB) Goal Setting in Students' Declining Engagement: A Latent Growth Model,\"<\/a> an article in the Journal of Educational Psychology<\/em>, provides results of research studies on adolescent students who were coached in setting Personal Best goals.\u00a0\u00a0Note that the article offers specific, numeric results.\u00a0\u00a0It's okay if you don't understand these fully; focus on the beginning and the end of the article\u00a0(the Discussion section), which offer main\u00a0concepts.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nWrite a brief essay (4-5 pages) based on the chosen article, using one<\/strong><\/em> of the following options:\r\n\r\nOption 1<\/strong>\r\n
- \r\n \t
- Summarize the article's main ideas.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Apply a\u00a0concept in the article\u00a0to a real situation in which you were involved, or that you observed, involving goal setting.\u00a0 Explain fully\u00a0how the concept applies to the real situation.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Analyze the concept.\u00a0\u00a0Do you agree or disagree with the concept, based on your experience or observation?\u00a0 Why?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nOption 2<\/strong>\r\n
- \r\n \t
- Identify the knowledge, skills, and competencies that the author\/s needed to have in order to write the article.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Apply those competencies to your own situation as an academic writer\u00a0and<\/em> as a reader of the article.\u00a0 Which of the competencies are you comfortable with, and which do you think you need to develop?<\/li>\r\n \t
- Analyze how you might further develop one of these competencies.\u00a0 Be specific in your analysis.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nSubmit:<\/strong>\r\n
- \r\n \t
- essay on one of the options<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
Related college Learning Goals<\/h3>\r\n
Active Learning:<\/strong>\u00a0Assess and build upon previous learning and experiences to pursue new learning, independently and in collaboration with others.<\/p>\r\n \r\n
- Analyze how you might further develop one of these competencies.\u00a0 Be specific in your analysis.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nSubmit:<\/strong>\r\n
- \"Understanding the Role of Personal Best (PB) Goal Setting in Students' Declining Engagement: A Latent Growth Model,\"<\/a> an article in the Journal of Educational Psychology<\/em>, provides results of research studies on adolescent students who were coached in setting Personal Best goals.\u00a0\u00a0Note that the article offers specific, numeric results.\u00a0\u00a0It's okay if you don't understand these fully; focus on the beginning and the end of the article\u00a0(the Discussion section), which offer main\u00a0concepts.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nWrite a brief essay (4-5 pages) based on the chosen article, using one<\/strong><\/em> of the following options:\r\n\r\nOption 1<\/strong>\r\n
- \"New Directions in Goal-Setting Theory,\"<\/a> an article in Current Directions in Psychological Science<\/em>, provides an overview of goal theory and can provide some interesting concepts to consider, especially in the section on \"Advances in Goal Theory.\"<\/li>\r\n \t
- Writing Great Specific Goals<\/a> - provides tips on how to write goals in a way that can help you implement them<\/li>\r\n \t