Description
Background
Learning to be a scholarly practitioner is a key program component and intended candidate outcome. McClintock (2003) states scholarly practice is grounded in theory and research, includes experimental knowledge, and is driven by personal values, commitment, and ethical conduct. Scholar practitioners also reflect on and assess the impact of their work.
The purpose of this paper is for you to take a journey into your life and analyze your early childhood experiences and success around creativity, your experiences today, and then apply what you have learned in the text as part of your creativity journey. After that you will build an Action Plan that will detail how you will incorporate what you have learned in this class to bring more creativity and innovation to your future work and life. This paper will require research, but it is not a research paper it is a reflection and action plan paper. This paper will analyze your childhood connection to creativity to your future plans with creativity. Remember this paper is BOTH A REFLECTION AND AN ACTION PLAN.
Directions
Individual Assignment #1 Reflection & Action Plan
Due: Week 4
Value: 120
Length: 5 – 7 pages, Double Spaced, Times New Roman, APA Headings, Title Page, References and APA citations. This is an example of an APA sample paper. Long quotes are not to be used in short papers of this nature, thus, all quotes should be from seven to twelve words and of course must use APA citations. This is a personal paper so the writing may use “me, my or I” however good writing uses pronouns very sparingly (less than ten pronouns in the whole paper – with careful writing this is possible). Do not use the third person (“the writer”).
After reading assigned chapters in Isaksen compare and contrast what you thought about creativity and innovation before reading with what you learned in the text. Reflect on what you learned and create an Action Plan where you could more fully engage in creativity and innovation with the knowledge learned in the text. Use APA headings. The reflection portion of the paper is about four to five pages and the action plan is about two pages. Sources (must be current – one year) other than the textbook can include: New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Wired Magazine (all can be found in the Brandman Library). Use the guide below for your paper.
Introduction
This is usually about two to three paragraphs long and gives the details of what will be covered in the paper and also gives some details of what the paper will cover. The introduction is engaging and not just some quote. The introduction directly correlates with the body of the paper. The introduction is written after you have written the Analysis section and Action Plan section below. Students who try to write the introduction first often lose points as they are not using the introduction to introduce their reflection and action plan paper.
Analysis
This normally has three parts and each part has a short five to seven word quote from the text). Remember short papers do not have long quotations. The Analysis section must have APA second level headings such as:
What I grew up thinking about creativity
This is normally about four paragraphs long with at least one short quote from the text. Even though this is a reflection paper try to use “I” sparingly. With thought as you write fewer pronouns can be used. However, please do not write in the third person.
What I learned about creativity that surprised me
This is normally about four paragraphs long with at least one short quote from the text. Under this heading you are to connect your early childhood experience with creativity with what you are studying in the textbook.
What I learned about creativity and how it becomes innovation
This is normally about four paragraphs long with at least one short quote from the text. Give examples of creative problem solving, understanding the challenge (or opportunity), generate ideas and people as creative problem solving. In this section you describe how you can now use creativity in problem solving. Give examples.
Action Plan
Remember this is your action plan to become a more creative and innovation contributor to your personal and/or professional endeavors. This begins with three to four sentences that recaps the Analysis section above and then gives specifics, using SMART goals to set a plan for action for you to bring more creativity and innovation to your future personal or professional endeavors. Be sure to apply creative problem solving. Also apply the steps outlined in the text for an Action Plan. The writer must include in the document submitted (not an attachment or a separate document) a visual representation of their Action Plan. You can use any of the following to create your visual representation (the free versions will work). The visual representation should be no more than one page and no less than a quarter of a page.
Mindmeister https://www.mindmeister.com/
Lucidchart: http://lucidchart.com
Infogram: https://infogram.com/app/#/library
Wisemapping: http://wisemapping.com
References
Using APA Reference page cite the textbook and at least two other sources (nothing Wiki or from People Magazine or of that ilk). We prefer that you use business sources such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Wired Magazine, Fast Company, etc. (Many of these are available in the Brandman Library).