Program Investigation-Revised

Angela commented on Group 1 and 2

Program Investigation

Angela Henry

Gigi Brown

EDAC 634

Ball State University

 

Angela:

• Title Page, Introduction
• Research Program #1 and write it up for our Program Investigation
• Include main features and Program #1 in our table along with including features that will be applied to our program.
• Include Application to our program
• Revise and Edit

Gigi:

• Research Program #2 and write it up for our Program Investigation
• Include Program #2 in our table and features we will apply including features that will be applied to our program.
• Include Application to our program
• Revise and Edit

Introduction

This paper explores the learning theories from two different facilities. One is in Lawrence Township and the other is the Spiritual learner behind bars. The school that we looked at was Lawrence North, and the other facility that was observed was a prison. Both programs are designed to enhance a person’s life. The Lawrence township educator teaches students in the classroom that are high school students. They both bring different perspectives to this paper. The paper will focus on their individual’s main programs and the main features of their programs. Both programs are offering students opportunities to go to college and college students to further their career, with spiritual base, but some of the students that they work with are not exactly students who want to further their career, it is very unique how they work with them and connect to their spiritual learning through their goals in the classroom.

The spiritual learner is someone who realizes there is something beyond ourselves that influences and accounts for life events—an intangible that cannot completely be explained. For many this is the work of God; for others it is the work of the “Universe;” and for others it is simply an undefined spiritual experience. A spiritual learner is a person who takes in information from diverse sources, and in terms of religion, he or she is a person who realizes and accepts that all the major religions have made worthwhile contributions. A spiritual learner is an open-minded person who expects to continue to gain wisdom about the human condition throughout life. He or she expects to revise theories and change perspective as new learning takes place. He or she is not wedded to one way of thinking, one psychology or one religious orientation. This is important to living a balanced, healthy, high-achieving life because we are constantly faced with new situations that require that we adapt and change.

First Program Investigation

The first program observed was through Lawrence Township schools in Indianapolis, Indiana.  The program is offered at Lawrence North High School and Lawrence Central High School, however this program is a nationwide program that can found in several states all over the country. The program is called AVID. The program is designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is a national college-readiness system serving over 700 students in Lawrence Township. The AVID program successfully prepares high school students who are “in the middle” for post-secondary education. The program has a 98% high school graduation rate and 95% of AVID graduates pursue post-secondary education.

AVID has a diverse staff dedicated to serving districts, schools, colleges and universities in their efforts to ensure all students are college and career ready. AVID’s leadership is made up of individuals with long careers in education encompassing both classroom and administration, along with community leaders and educational activists

Simply, AVID trains educators to use proven practices in order to prepare students for success in high school, college, and a career, especially students traditionally underrepresented in higher education.

My sorority sister is one of the facilitators for AVID in Lawrence Township. I was able to interview her and get some great information for this paper. She has a very strong spiritual side to her and I knew that somehow she incorporates this into her AVID program that she facilitates. Of course I was right. If you remember in the Spiritual Learner definition it talks about how important it is for living a balanced, healthy, high-achieving life because we are constantly faced with new situations that require that we adapt and change. She uses this theory to get students into the program and successful succeed. She is not allowed to use God in her classroom, but she is allowed to talk about living healthy, being a high achiever and adapting to new change. She uses power quotes but takes the author out of them so that it is anonymous.

The main features I identified in this program are getting the students to understand that they are held to the highest standards, and that the program will provide academic and social support that mirrors a spiritual learner. How do you do this without some type of spiritual connection? She is not forcing anyone to be a spiritual person but to be a higher achiever and prepare them for a new change. Again, she does that by providing guidance and being open minded to gain wisdom. The key points do not differ from what I was thinking, it relates very strongly to being a spiritual educator. She also carries herself in a loving way in front of the students by letting them know that they are loved and cherished. I was able to observe a class to see how it truly relates and what I found was the participants were engaged and appeared to be very in tune with Mrs. Avery, as she always opens up the class with a quote.  Each participant has specific goals that they needed to meet in order to be successful in this program.  The second goal for Mrs. Avery was to make sure the student is a high achiever. The nice thing about her class is that they all have positive attitudes and enjoy her as a teacher.  Once the student truly connects with Mrs. Avery they begin to open up to hear and share their personal stories of being a Christian or their connection to something spiritual.  Once the student relates to Mrs. Avery their experience in AVID becomes meaningful, the student has the desire then to become a high achiever, they begin fulfill a balanced lifestyle, they try and become healthy and make good choices. Although Mrs. Avery does not say, I am a spiritual leader, she is taking the students through a spiritual journey. Her journey for the students is life changing.

Second Program Investigation

            The second program is the Spiritual Learning Beyond Bars. This program offers seminars, workshops, classes and other programs for ex-offenders seeking spiritual healing and cleansing.   SLBBB offer a safe space for the ex-offender to look deeply in to the old tapes, beliefs systems or obstacles that landed them in prison.

The ex-offender is given the opportunity to see where he/she got stuck or disconnected from their true self. We return to that place and time, encouraging them to choose differently, to choose your soul's truth.  The ex-offender receives tools for transforming old belief systems into unconditional love and individual freedom, thereby aligning with their inner wisdom.  This awareness allows the ex-offender to:

•           Become in touch with how you are in your own way

•           Love and accept yourself for who you truly are

•           Trust and Respect yourself fully and completely

•           Realize your true essence of unconditional love and individual freedom

The purpose of Spiritual Learning Beyond the Bars is to help the ex-offender to understand that there is a certain level of spirituality necessary to cut down and/or stop the return rate to prison, and restore yourself to your rightful place in your family and community. This helps fulfill the goal of becoming a productive citizen.

Spiritual Learning Beyond the Bars foster values and practices which are supportive of healthy and positive lifestyles and relationships, especially with families. The program makes every effort to provide opportunity for each inmate to practice spirituality of his or her choice in a fair and equitable way.

Spiritual Learning Beyond the Bars is committed to ensuring that the spiritual needs of ex-offenders   are appropriately met, consistent with necessary confidentiality and safety requirements.

 Spiritual Learning Beyond the Bars helps the participant develop effective leadership, self-sufficient and self- regulating skills crucial for success outside the correctional facility. Offenders determine their best methods for communication and learn to rebuild or build successful relationships after prison.    

The program is design to deepen the participant’s spiritual connection and improve every part of their life.  The program gives participants the opportunity to journey more deeply within through study, prayer with others, and by practicing spiritual principles in their daily lives.

The program is designed for ex-offenders seeking to truly transform their lives while having surprisingly profound creative fun doing it. We provide a direct experience of unique self-healing and spiritual awakening. 

First, the participant must decide that they want to increase their spirituality, the quality of love, positivity, generosity, and gratitude (and many other auspicious qualities) that they will experience and share with others.  In the beginning the participant will have a simple spiritual focus on the following four things.

·       The first week is gratitude

·       The second week is love

·       The third week is positivity

·       The fourth week is generosity

·       The fifth week will focus on all four of these together.

There is more detail and instruction on each spiritual focus.  Throughout the program, there are a few other simple things to practice.

The first session the participant will make some time each day for some kind of spiritual practice, such as prayer or meditation. It doesn't matter how long you spend doing this, though at least ten minutes a day are recommended. To complete this program as it is intended, the participant must choose to make this time for a daily spiritual practice a true priority in their life. This regular, personal ritual issues a continual invitation to the divine to enter into their life more fully.

Another commitment that the participant makes to themselves in this program is to eat and drink more healthfully for the next five weeks. Cut down on refined sugars, caffeine, fried foods, processed foods, and non-organically or unconsciously raised or created foods--while eating more natural foods and drinking a good amount purified or spring water.

Over the next few weeks the participant must choose to read things that spiritually inspire and uplift them.  Below are the four spiritual focuses of this program. These are the spiritual skills that the participant will be mastering. From time to time over the few weeks, it is recommended that the participant read the ideas below.

Session One Spiritual Focus: Gratitude

Abundance is literally an inevitable byproduct of gratitude. As we feel genuine thankfulness for anything in life, the universe truly responds by giving us more things to be grateful for. This is an immutable spiritual law, as real and reliable as the law of gravity. The reverse effect is true for things that we resent or complain about.

For this session spiritual focus, continually practice feeling the greatest gratitude that you possibly can. Find entirely new things to be grateful for, things that you've never even considered. Infuse your entire reality with a vibrant quality of happiness and appreciation for everything around you. It might astound you to discover how dramatically this will affect your life. Just watch the miracles that will begin to unfold like magic. Simply amazing!

Week Two Spiritual Focus: Love

Love is the very truth of our being, and loving others is the fastest, easiest, and surest way to come back home to our true selves. Our greatest shared life lesson and purpose is to learn how to love.

This session spiritual focus is to feel as much love in your heart as you possibly can for everyone that you come across (including yourself!). Even while walking down the street or riding in a car, hold a space of openness and love for everyone that crosses your path. Practice smiling at everyone and thus uplifting everyone you meet in some small way. Keep your heart open and sweet. This will return a flood of warmth back to you from others, showing you a powerful new way of living happily and with much less fear.

Week Three Spiritual Focus: Positivity

Our thoughts create the vibrational quality of our reality, as our outer reality is, more than anything else, the reflection of our inner self. Our thinking acts like a magnet, attracting to us the vibrations we dwell upon.

This session spiritual focus is to monitor your thoughts and introduce new patterns of positive and uplifting thinking. When you notice negative thoughts arise, note them without any harsh judgment. Then deliberately and deeply feel at least two strong positive ideas, so that the net effect of that negative thought becomes a positive one. And throughout the day, create bold, new positive thoughts, surprising yourself with the ideas you conjure up. This practice will create an uplifting surge of energy, confidence, and a renewed appreciation for life.

Week Four Spiritual Focus: Generosity

The more we share, the more we have. This simple truth is magical, and it's ours to play with and enjoy. It's important to be responsible by focusing on our own thoughts and feelings, but the greatest application of our spirituality comes in how much we care about others and go out of our way to uplift them.

This session spiritual focus is to go out of your way to do unto others, as you would have others do unto you. Think up creative ways to be there for other people. You might create some gifts to share with others, send a letter to someone you appreciate, give someone a massage, help someone in need, or pray for others. This will help you to remember who you really are, and to create a wave of love and happiness that will spread and multiply throughout the world, benefitting literally all of creation.

Week Five Spiritual Focus: All Together Now

For the participant’s graduation week, it's time to practice all of the above four spiritual focuses simultaneously. The goal is to feel gratitude and love, to maintain a strong vibration of mental positivity, and to continue to be especially generous to others.

 

Main   Features of the programs		AVID		Spiritual Learning Beyond the Bars (SLBBB)		Features   we will apply to our program
Report back to the program		The Student will report back to the program and provide their experience of the program.		SLBBB participants will summarize what they’ve learned and create personal action plans for how they will use their learnings when they reenter into the general public		By   giving our participants examples of how this can make their lives more   valuable.  They will be more willing   and eager to participate.
Expand to elementary and middle school		They will expand to the elementary and middle school, to offer the benefits as the high school students		SLBBB will be provided mentors and internships at non-profit organizations to enhance their work skills.		The   participants must feel valued and respected.    Our program must recognize the participants are choosing to attend.
Giving Back		The students will give back to the programs; they will volunteer, share their stories, and also provide funding by donations so the program can continue to grow.		SLBBB  will create a platform for  offenders to gain the support,  talents and preparedness they need to turn their lives around..		The   participants will have the opportunity to share in purposeful discussions   that will allow the learners to be empowered.    They must be able to relate to the information being given.

References

About Lawrence Township. (2013). Retrieved October 28, 2014, from Lawrence Township Schools:
https://msdltf.org/index.php/what_we_do/

About Avid. (2013) Retrieved October 28, 2014, from Avid

http://www.avid.org/what-is-avid.ashx

About spiritual learner. (2012) Retrieved October 28, 2014, from spiritual learning:

http://www.balanceyoursuccess.com/what-is-a-spiritual-learner/

UCLA Anderson School of Management. (October 31, 2014). 

http://www.anderson.ucla.edu

Linda Ferguson. Energizing Your Work through your Gifts, Passion and Purpose. (March 8, 2011) http://managementhelp.org

Merriam, S. (2008). Spirituality and Adult Learning: Spirituality in Adult Learning. (3), .27-31.

Services. (2014).  http://www.exodusaftercareministries.com

If You Are Seeking Greater Peace and Spiritual Fulfillment in Your Life. (2014). http://spiritual-growth-program.com