Reflection Journal-Assignment
Instructions
History of Planning
One of the learning outcomes for this course is the ability to analyze lessons learned from planning actions of the past, and apply these lessons to contemporary urban issues. This semester-long assignment challenges you to reflect on these lessons learned, and to develop a journal where you will elaborate your thoughts.
Assignment Background
Over the course of this semester we will examine numerous planning "movements" and influential schools of thought that forever left a mark on US cities, for better and for worse. Your task in this assignment is to reflect on each of these movements and what lessons can be learned from their successes and their failures. In particular, consider the problems we face in contemporary cities, and how these lessons from the past can be applied to today's urban issues. For each movement, here are some possible things to consider when identifying lessons learned:
• What did the movement stand for and believe in (i.e. their values)?
• What were their goals and objectives?
• How did the movement attempt to achieve these goals?
• When they were successful, what contributed to these successes?
• When they failed, what contributed to these failures?
• How were urban issues then similar to today?
• How did the values and goals of the movement back then align with ours today?
• What were the key lessons learned?
• How can we apply these lessons to cities today?
Assignment Steps
Step 1: Create a Google Doc, which will become your journal for the semester, and submit the link to your document via Blackboard (found under the "Reflection Journal" tab).
To create a Google Doc, do the following:
• Create a Google account (if needed)
• Sign in to your Google account and access Docs either through Google Drive, or by clicking on the Google app symbol and navigating to Docs.
• Start a new, blank document:
- In Google Drive, click on the "New" button, and a small notification window will appear from which you can choose Google Docs.
- In Docs, click on the blank document to start working on a new file.
• Rename the document "(YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME) Reflection Journal"
• Obtain a shareable link to the Doc:
- Click the "Share" button (upper right corner)
- Select "Get shareable link" and change the status to "Anyone with the link can comment" - Copy the link and select "Done"
• Paste and submit your link under the "Reflection Journal" tab on Blackboard. (Look for the "Submit Journal Link Here" link.)
Step 2 (After each class): Reflect on the material covered in class and what lessons can be learned and applied to cities today. Select at least two different key concepts or main ideas from each class, and compose a journal entry that discusses how these concepts or ideas can be applied to cities today (such as to Phoenix, or to your own hometown). Compose a journal entry for each class and/or movement that we cover in planning history. (Use headers to better organize your journal by class/movement and date of entry.)