CM 107: Unit 8 Seminar

Welcome to Unit 8The Road Home

AgendaFirst we will go over the Final ProjectThen we will review introductions and

conclusions

Final ProjectAt this point in your writing journey, you have

learned about yourself as a writer by experiencing challenges, recognizing strengths and talents, and emerging with a sense of identity as a writer.

Through this journey, you have also built credibility as someone who understands what it means to experience a life-changing journey by taking advantage of the help available to you and proceeding with determination and courage. These experiences will help you establish a voice as a life coach for an individual who needs help.

Scenario for Final ProjectImagine yourself in this scenarioYou have been hired by a life coaching

business to help a person in trouble begin a hero’s journey that will get him or her back on a purposeful path in life. You may choose any one person to help. This person will be your client. To get the job you want, you’ll need to submit the following for the company’s review.

To get the job you want, you’ll need to submit the following 5 areas for the company’s review.

1. Introduce yourself to your client: you will need to identify a person who needs help—this can be someone from history, fiction (books, television, movies), a celebrity, or someone from your life. Write an introduction to clarify who he or she is and why this person needs to embark on a helpful journey. (Unit 8 Scenario/Discussion)

2. Define the threshold he or she needs to cross. Explain its significance. (Unit 3 Exercise)

3. Create an extended definition of the way the hero’s journey steps in this course can help this person. (Unit 4 Discussion)

4. Indicate the short and long-term benefits of this journey (Unit 6 Exercise)

5. Provide a conclusion that recaps your plan and leaves a positive impression on your potential employer (Unit 8 Scenario and Seminar)

Writing the ReportFor this project, you will write up a plan of

action for your person [mentee] to follow. This plan of action is not an essay, but it is more like a report with separate sections. The details of the sections of the report are as follows:

I. IntroductionII.What Is The Goal?III.Definition:IV.Long Term EffectsV.Conclusion

I. IntroductionIntroduce yourself to the client in an

appropriate way. Write a professional, engaging plan that

will motivate your client to work with you. Introductions

Engage attention, provide background and definition of topic, and state thesis in a single sentence at the

very end of the paragraph

Sample IntroductionYou are a hero! At this moment of your life, you might

not be so convinced, but read further and let me convince you. The American mythologist, writer, and lecturer, Joseph Campbell, wrote extensively about the hero’s journey. While it is typical for most people to dismiss the idea that they are themselves heroes, Campbell argued that living life to one’s full potential is a heroic act in itself. As a hard working college student, I have found the hero within myself and because I also believe you are currently on an important journey into your future, I want to share some valuable advice that can aid you in reaching your full potential. If you follow my advice can you too can take the steps to finding the hero within to make your college experience a successful one.

II. What is the Goal?In this section after the introduction you

willDefine the threshold you think the person

needs to cross.This can be stated in terms of a goal that

you think the person can achieve, and explain why reaching this goal is important to him or her.

How will it benefit him or her? Explain the significance of reaching this

goal.

Sample: What is the Goal?Perhaps the best way to begin is at the beginning. It is vital for you to

achieve the self-assurance you need to succeed. In your case, as a new college student, your sense of confidence may not be as strong as you would like. You are on the brink of a big adventure, so feelings of inadequacy are typical for a beginning hero like you. After all, any hero who begins an important journey will be wary of the dangers that may threaten along the way. Obstacles like doubt and fear of the tasks ahead can get in your way and seem overwhelming.

Because heroes do not start their journeys without equipping themselves properly, you must do the same. As you learn more about the skills required to succeed at your college studies, your belief in what is possible will increase and just as a hero prepares for battle with an enemy, you can arm yourself with the necessary skills to achieve victory over feelings of anxiety and dread. Then you can proceed with determination to overcome whatever difficulties might otherwise prevent your success. In addition, others can learn from your example. Imagine how rewarding it would be for you to inspire confidence in others who believe a college education to be beyond their reach. Being a hero is possible!

III. DefinitionIn your third section you will provide an

extended definition.Create an extended definition for the goal

or “cure” you think is necessary for this person. For instance, if you are offering exercise and nutritional advice, offer an extended definition for health or wellness or even nutrition.

Sample Definition SectionPerhaps your greatest goal is to discover the hero within. Doing so takes

time, of course, and you must truly desire the chance to bring dreams out from the realm of fantasy and into the light of reality. For example, imagine yourself as the professional you hope to be. It is fine to dream big. After all, every great journey has a final decisive destination. Lucky for you the map already exists and the way is clear. Courses and homework, deadlines and commitments, will certainly intimidate you, but heroes gain strength from adventurous travels and from their accomplishments.

Step by step, mile after mile, you will gain the experience of the traveler. Campbell has written of questing, that is, making a journey towards a goal. He also mentions how every hero must be prepared to leave the comforts and safety of familiar circumstances to cross what he calls thresholds, a word that literally means places for beginning new experiences. You must be fearless! Just as a hero gains strength from the conquest of foes, your hero within will increase in power and skill with every lesson and every course you complete. Indeed, the old saying is true that with knowledge comes power.

IV. Long Term EffectsWhat are the long-term effects of this goal

or cure? Think down the road and offer a thorough

explanation of how working toward and achieving this goal is going to help this person out in the future.

Sample Long Term EffectsThe long-term effects of completing your journey are certainly obvious. With

the knowledge you gain from your college studies, you will be able to continue your pursuit of a gratifying professional life that will nourish your spirit for many years ahead. Education presents a challenging but well-travelled road to success, but it is up to you to avoid distracting byways. Doing so makes you a special person indeed. It would be hard to argue that the world has no need for people who put their full effort into their professional lives or who continue to grow emotionally and spiritually with the sense they are contributing their energies and expertise to something really valuable and lasting.

As Campbell points out, giving the riches of one’s experience to the community is the business of a hero. However, besides the obvious advantages that come with reaching your goals, other sustaining rewards are possible as well. For example, a deepening appreciation for how much hard work has benefited others who depend on you to use your knowledge every day can be your most fulfilling accomplishment. Indeed, your determined plans to succeed will one day make a real difference in a world that depends desperately on those with the vision and courage to lead. Like you!

V. ConclusionEnd this action plan with more positive

input and inspiration for this person. Offer some final closing remarks that are

thoughtful and will motivate this person to want to work with you.

You can think in terms of your strengths and what you have to offer or reiterate how this goal will help this person in their life.

Sample Conclusion Perhaps you should consider yourself fortunate to be the sort

of person who builds castles in the air, but who is also sure to build beneath them strong foundations. The American writer, Henry Davis Thoreau, said as much in his writing on the topic of heroic enterprises. Yes, you will encounter the familiar enemies of doubt and the unknown, but boldly crossing the thresholds of new experiences to move with purpose and with courage into your future will demonstrate the fact that you are a hero. Arming yourself with knowledge and a dream will protect you from setbacks and will ultimately serve to help you reach your greatest potential. Now, go for it!

Final ProjectThis Final Project should be about 750-800 words,

in MS Word, double-spaced, with five subheadings for each section of the action plan as shown in these slides.

I. IntroductionII. What is the goal?III. DefinitionIV. Long Term EffectsV. Conclusion

The sample I used in these slides is available in Doc Sharing.

IntroductionsIntroduction: Engage attention, provide background and definition of

topic, and state thesis in a single sentence

at the very end of the paragraph.

Field trip to Writing Centerhttp://kucampus.kaplan.eduhttp//kucampus

.kaplan.edu/DocumentStore/kupDocs/pdf/WritingCenter/process/Introductions_and_Conclusions.pdf

Introduction ExampleExample introduction: Attention engager, topic

background, and thesis.When the world met the first printing press in the

fifteenth century, few people may have realized the power of the printed word. In the twenty-first century, with, for example, over 250 million copies of the Harry Potter books having been sold, one can hardly deny the success of leisure reading (Howell, 2005). However, a new giant looms on the horizon of this popular pastime. Internet publishing has grown from a small-time enterprise to a completely viable form of seeing one’s work in print or online (Johnson, 2006). What has spurred the success of Internet publishers such a Lulu.com and X-Libris.com? Many writers choose to publish virtually because they will be represented by major booksellers, have little or no start-up costs, and have almost no chance of being rejected.

ConclusionConclusions provide a summary of the

entire essay—they are a moment for the reader to reconsider what they read.

Restate thesis (not the same sentence), wrap up major ideas, close the essay while keeping the

reader engaged.

Conclusion ExampleExample conclusion: restate thesis, sum up key points’

importance, and close the circle This lack of rejection, along with economic

concerns and the promise of unparalleled marketing, inspires today’s authors to give Internet publishing a chance. After all, who would not be drawn to a world that promises no more rejection letters? In addition, the challenged finances of most beginning authors make the low cost of virtual publication even more attractive. Finally, writers who dream of seeing their names in the author lists of major-market book vendors often have no problem choosing to abandon the traditional print publishers for more immediate success. Therefore, the Internet-publishing revolution is similar to the fifteenth-century printing revolution. Movable type replaced hand-written books. Now, the computer screen and the print-on-demand order form have changed the world of publication.