ITT TECHNICAL INSTITUTE
GS2745
Advanced Strategies for the Technical Professional
Onsite Course

GRADED ASSIGNMENTS

Table of Contents Graded Assignments 2 Unit 1 Assignment 1: It Takes Courage 2 Unit 2 Assignment 1: Left in the Lurch 3 Unit 3 Assignment 1: Gratitude Journal 4 Unit 4 Assignment 1: Create a Business Letter 5 Unit 5 Presentation 1: Small Group Presentation: Leadership, Conflict Resolution, and Teamwork 7 Unit 5 Assignment 1: Compare and Contrast Effective and Ineffective Leaders 8 Unit 6 Assignment 1: Create a Long-Term Financial Plan 10 Unit 7 Assignment 1: Calculating Credit Scores 11 Unit 8 Assignment 1: Writing a Prospective Schedule 12 Unit 9 Assignment 1: Using Social Media for Job Searches 14 Unit 10 Assignment 1: Putting the Finishing Touches on Your ePortfolio 15 Laboratory Assignments 17 Unit 1 Lab 1: Personal Persistence Narrative 17 Unit 1 Lab 2: Grit Test 21 Unit 2 Lab 1: Optimism 24 Unit 2 Lab 2: Self-Control 25 Unit 3 Lab 1: Curiosity in Modern Times 27 Unit 3 Lab 2: Integrity Matters 28 Unit 4 Lab 1: Create a Research Summary Memorandum 29 Unit 5 Lab 1: Resolving Systemic Conflict: Scenario Analysis 31 Unit 6 Lab 1: Time Value of Money 32 Unit 6 Lab 2: Budget Exercise 33 Unit 7 Lab 1: Calculating House Cost 35 Unit 7 Lab 2: Delayed Gratification 37 Unit 8 Lab 1: Initiative Reflection 39 Unit 8 Lab 2: Time Management Reflection 40 Unit 9 Lab 1: Creating a Professional Profile 41 Unit 10 Lab 1: Creating a Personal and Professional Development Plan 43

Graded Assignments

Unit 1 Assignment 1: It Takes Courage
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Apply tools for overcoming obstacles and tools of connection to various business and personal scenarios.
Evaluate choices for overcoming obstacles given several sample case studies.

Assignment Requirements
Answer the following questions and submit your answers at the beginning of the next class. * Both of the character qualities you studied in this unit are listed as “Strengths of Courage” in Character Strengths and Virtues by Christopher Peterson and Martin E. P. Seligman. Why does it take courage to possess and display qualities of persistence and enthusiasm?( ½ –1 page, double-spaced) * Go to www.TED.com and find a TED talk describing someone who overcame obstacles or adversity. Then, in your MS Word document, record the following (2 pages, double-spaced): 1. Summarize the video you chose and provide the URL. 2. Referring to the definitions of persistence and enthusiasm, give examples of each from your video. 3. Consider alternatives the person may have chosen.What other options did the person/people have? 4. Evaluate how well the featured people applied the character qualities of persistence and enthusiasm.

Be prepared to share a brief verbal summary of the video you watched at the next class.
Examples of videos (but you may choose any relevant TED talk you’d like) are: * http://www.ted.com/talks/tom_shannon_the_painter_and_the_pendulum.html * http://www.ted.com/talks/bill_strickland_makes_change_with_a_slide_show.html

Required Resources
Computer with MS Word and Internet access and printer

Submission Requirements
Submit an MS Word document of 2 to 3 pages, double-spaced, with appropriate APA references, due in Unit 2.
Unit 2 Assignment 1: Left in the Lurch

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes * Apply tools for overcoming obstacles and tools of connection to various business and personal scenarios. * Define persistence, enthusiasm, optimism and self-control. * Identify common obstacles faced by college students, working adults, and families. * Evaluate choices for overcoming obstacles given several sample case studies.

Assignment Requirements * Consider the following scenario and answer the questions. Type your answers in an MS Word document, double-spaced, and submit at the beginning of the next class. * * Jim showed up at work today and found out that Sara called in sick, but Jim thought he saw Sara at the gas station on his way to work this morning. It was a car like hers, and he’s pretty sure that it was her license plate. Jim and Sara were supposed to give a big presentation to the CEO today, and Sara never sent him her slides for the PowerPoint show. * * What are Jim’s options? * What does he actually know and what does he think he knows? Does it matter? * How could he apply the character qualities you’ve learned about so far (persistence, enthusiasm, optimism, and self-control) in this situation? * What should he do?

Required Resources * Computer with MS Word * Printer

Submission Requirements
Submit your paper at the beginning of the next class period. Your assignment should answer all the questions above, be 1 to 2 pages in length, be double-spaced, and include proper APA formatting.

Unit 3 Assignment 1: Gratitude Journal Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes * Apply the Tools for Overcoming Obstacles and the Tools of Connection to various business and personal scenarios. * Analyze the costs and benefits of being a person of integrity. * Rate your acumen in demonstrating each character quality: persistence, enthusiasm, optimism, self-control, curiosity, social intelligence, gratitude, and integrity.

Assignment Requirements
Every day this week, make a list of at least five or more things for which you’re grateful. At the end of the week, focus in on one of them and write a paragraph explaining why. Write another paragraph explaining what it would mean to you NOT to have that person, place,activity or thing in your life.

Required Resources * A notepad and writing utensil for taking notes * Computer with MS Word * Printer

Submission Requirements
Submit an MS Word double-spaced, 1-2 page document with a list of 35 people, places, activities, and things for which you’re grateful and the two paragraphs described in the assignment requirements above. Submit your paper at the beginning of the next class period.

Unit 4 Assignment 1: Create a Business Letter

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Create written, oral, and visual communication pieces appropriate for a business environment.
Evaluate business communication pieces for effectiveness and professional suitability using peer review techniques.
Apply proper business techniques to create written communications, including a research summary memorandum and PowerPoint presentation.
Evaluate business communication pieces for effectiveness and professional suitability.

Assignment Requirements
A business letter is a formal document that is written to someone outside your company, such as a vendor, another organization, or a customer. Since business letters represent you as well as your company, it is important that they are well written and properly formatted—they not only need to pass along important information, they also need to show the recipient that you and your company are competent, intelligent, professional people.

In order to hone your business letter writing skills, compose a business letter in MS Word following the “Important Tips for Writing Business Documents” from Figure 3.5 and according to the format from Figures 3.6 and 3.7 of Skills for Living a Rich Life.

The pertinent information for this business letter is as follows:
You are the product manager for a drafting firm, Loci Mutati Inc., located at 162 East 4th Street, Suite 331, Cincinnati, OH 45202.
While perusing the pricing manuals for various paper suppliers, you discover that a new company, Portsmouth Paper Supply, is providing the paper your firm uses at a lower price than your current paper supplier, Halcyon Paper.
Your position requires that you get the product at the lowest price available, but you have a long-standing business relationship with Halcyon and you would rather not change suppliers if you can avoid it.
You need to compose a letter to Halcyon explaining the situation, and request that they give you a 5% price reduction for orders over $300, which would make the prices even.
Your sales representative at Halcyon is named Justin Marquis, located at Halcyon’s regional office: 345 W. Vine Street, #202, Lexington, KY 40507.

Required Resources
Skills for Living a Rich Life, Figs. 3.5, 3.6, and 3.7, pp. 60-62
Computer with MS Word
Printer

Submission Requirements
Submit a professional business letter composed in MS Word, due in class for Unit 5.

Unit 5 Presentation 1: Small Group Presentation: Leadership, Conflict Resolution, and Teamwork
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Create written, oral, and visual communication pieces appropriate for a business environment.
Apply public speaking skills to an oral and visual presentation of a relevant topic.
Apply problem solving tools to various business-related and personal teamwork scenarios.
Create a PowerPoint slideshow summarizing a research project.
Give an oral presentation with PowerPoint slides, summarizing a research project.
Compare and contrast effective and ineffective components of sample communication pieces.
Provide professional feedback to peers who have presented summaries of research projects.
Identify potential sources of conflict among team members.
Compare and contrast appropriate strategies for dealing with different potential sources of conflict among team members.
Assignment Requirements
While you may never be required to speak to hundreds of people at one time, you will most likely be required to present information or ideas to your colleagues, managers, or customers. This activity will give you an opportunity to further develop the presentation skills necessary to your career and your final capstone presentations. The more you speak, the better you will get and the more confident you will become.

You will now deliver the presentation your team developed in the lab portion of Unit 4. Make sure you satisfy all of the requirements listed below and included on the lab handout for Unit 4.
Required Resources
Computer workstation with projector
MS PowerPoint
Completed handout(s) from Unit 4 lab

Submission Requirements
To receive full credit, make sure each requirement listed below is met.
Each person in the group must present a portion of the information.
A PowerPoint presentation must be used in the presentation.
Minimum one handout required.
Grades will be penalized for presentations short of or exceeding the five- to seven-minute requirement.
Your PowerPoint presentation, notes, and handout(s) must be submitted at the end of your presentation.

Unit 5 Assignment 1: Compare and Contrast Effective and Ineffective Leaders
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Apply problem solving tools to various business-related and personal teamwork scenarios.
Identify team management skills to resolve conflict.
Identify potential sources of conflict among team members.
Determine strengths and weaknesses of various types of leadership power.
Compare and contrast appropriate strategies for dealing with different potential sources of conflict among team members.

Assignment Requirements
Leadership is the ability to establish a culture where people can make contributions, use their unique talents, and feel that they have been part of something bigger than they are. Organizations cannot function without strong leaders who understand the importance of minimizing, resolving, and eliminating conflict in the workplace.

1. Review Figure 6.1 on p. 112 of Skills for Living a Rich Life and the chart at the end of this assignment. 2. Choose a world leader you think is/was good for their followers and a world leader you think is/was bad for their followers, and analyze that leader. A list of “good” world leaders has been included for your reference, but you may use any leaders you’d like. 3. Using the ITT Tech Virtual Library and any other Web resources, find examples of the manner in which this leader has demonstrated qualities of effective leadership. 4. In an MS Word document, address the following based on your research. Be sure to cite your references in APA format. i. A world leader you think is/was good for their followers ii. One or two of this person’s greatest achievements and why you find these to be so iii. Specific qualities that make this person a great leader (refer to Fig. 6.1 and the chart at the end of this handout) iv. How did this person become a leader? What did he/she do along his/her career path to reach this point? v. What qualities of this person would you want to emulate? Why? vi. A world leader you think is/was bad for their followers Leader chosen and why vii. Qualities that make this person an ineffective or bad leader viii. How does this person exert power over others? (Refer to Fig. 6.3, p. 116) ix. What are this person’s leadership skills that contributed to negative results? x. How did this person’s poor leadership skills contribute to negative results?

Required Resources
Skills for Living a Rich Life, Fig. 6.1, “Qualities of Outstanding Leaders,” p. 112
Skills for Living a Rich Life, Fig. 6.3, “Power From Leaders’ and Followers’ Perspectives,” p. 116
Computer with MS Word and Internet access
Printer

Submission Requirements
Submit your work in an MS Word document, due in Unit 6. Examples of Great World Leaders | Charles deGaulle | Frederick Douglas | Abraham Lincoln | Winston Churchill | Mohandas Gandhi | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Queen Elizabeth II | Margaret Thatcher | Harry S. Truman | Golda Meir | Gen. Douglas MacArthur | Dwight D. Eisenhower | Paul the Apostle | Martin Luther King, Jr. | John F. Kennedy | Nelson Mandela | Grace Murray Hopper | Ronald Reagan | Kofi Annan | Steve Jobs | Pope John Paul II | George Washington | Benjamin Franklin | John D. Rockefeller |

Unit 6 Assignment 1: Create a Long-Term Financial Plan

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Create a long-term financial plan.
Analyze various personal finance scenarios dealing with student loans, personal consumer loans, mortgages, the true cost of bad credit, compound interest, savings, investing in assets, budgeting, and using self-control when spending.
Create a budget.

Assignment Requirements
What are your long-term financial goals: purchase a home, plan for retirement, own a vacation home, invest to result in an improved lifestyle, travel?
Identify at least three long-term financial goals that you would like to achieve. Determine when you would like to achieve them and approximately how much they are likely to cost.
Identify an earnings and savings plan that will allow you to achieve these goals. Remember that you likely will earn more money in the future than you will earn just out of college.
You may use estimates on the financial numbers; they do not need to be precise. They are meant to get you thinking about what you will need to do to achieve your financial goals.

Required Resources * Computer with MS Word and Internet access * Printer

Submission Requirements
Submit your paper at the beginning of the next class period. Your assignment should answer all of the questions above, be two to three pages long, be double-spaced, and include appropriate APA references.

Unit 7 Assignment 1: Calculating Credit Scores

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Identify the factors that determine someone’s credit rating.
Calculate the cost of a loan given various ratings of the borrower.
Analyze various personal finance scenarios dealing with student loans, personal consumer loans, mortgages, the true cost of bad credit, compound interest, savings, investing in assets, budgeting, and using self-control when spending.

Assignment Requirements
A credit score needs to be protected and improved. You need to understand the true value of a credit score by researching the causes of bad credit scores and how to improve them.

Using the Internet and ITT Tech Virtual Library, you will research how the credit score is calculated and what influences the credit score.

Answer the following questions in detail.
How is your credit score (FICO) created?
Who reports your FICO score?
What are the factors in determining the FICO score?
What steps could you take to improve your FICO score?

Required Resources
Skills for Living a Rich Life, Chapter 12
Computer with MS Word and Internet access
ITT Tech Virtual Library
Printer

Submission Requirements
Prepare a two- to three-page typed paper, double-spaced, using 12-point Times New Roman font. Please include appropriate references in APA format. This assignment is due at the beginning of Unit 8.

Unit 8 Assignment 1: Writing a Prospective Schedule
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Apply the tools for overcoming obstacles and the tools of connection to various business and personal scenarios.
Analyze the costs and benefits of being a person of integrity.
Identify professional work habits that may lead to success in the workplace.
Define initiative, responsiveness, resourcefulness, and reliability in a professional context.
Identify the costs and benefits of preparation, goal setting, time management, and organization.
Explain the importance of being prompt and its relationship to integrity.
Assignment Requirements
This activity allows you to analyze how you currently manage your time and to project how you will manage your time once you begin your career. 1. As you go through an “average” work day, take notes on what you do and how long it takes. a. For example, “Get ready for work: 7:30am to 8:15am. Eat breakfast: 8:15am to 8:30am. Transit to work: 8:30am to 8:55am.” 2. Using this information, construct an MS Word table (such as in the example provided) that outlines the schedule for this “average” day, titled “A Day in the Life of <Your Name>.” 3. Review your notes from class and Chapter 17 in Skills for Living a Rich Life. Using the tips and advice, highlight any activities in your schedule that could be cut or condensed using the MS Word highlighter tool. b. For example, did you watch TV? Did you respond to non-work emails? Did you talk/text with a friend on your phone? Could you eat a bagel on your way to work rather than eating a bowl of cereal at home? 4. Create an identical MS Word document titled, “A Day In the Future Life of <Your Name>.” Assuming an average work day—9am to 6pm with an hour lunch break—fill out the rest of the table. Start with things you must do, then move on to things you love to do, and finally insert things you like to do. Remember that class and homework will no longer be there, but your job time requirements will likely increase, so factor in a few hours each day for “homework” related to your job!

Required Resources
A notepad and writing utensil for taking notes
Computer with MS Word
Printer

Submission Requirements
Submit an MS Word document with two completed tables, due at the beginning of Unit 9. A Day In the Life of (Your Name) | Time | Activities | 7am–8am | | 8am–9am | | 9am–10am | | 10am–11am | | 11am–12pm | | 12pm–1pm | | 1pm–2pm | | 2pm–3pm | | 3pm–4pm | | 4pm–5pm | | 5pm–6pm | | 6pm–7pm | | 7pm–8pm | | 8pm–9pm | | 9pm–10pm | | 10pm–11pm | | A Day In the Future Life of (Your Name) | Time | Activities | 7am–8am | | 8am–9am | | 9am–10am | | 10am–11am | | 11am–12pm | | 12pm–1pm | | 1pm–2pm | | 2pm–3pm | | 3pm–4pm | | 4pm–5pm | | 5pm–6pm | | 6pm–7pm | | 7pm–8pm | | 8pm–9pm | | 9pm–10pm | | 10pm–11pm | |

Unit 9 Assignment 1: Using Social Media for Job Searches
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes Compare and contrast various networking strategies for making professional contacts. Identify strategies for avoiding the pitfalls of social networking. Develop strategies for benefitting from social media and networking activities while avoiding the pitfalls. Create an error-free professional résumé and sample cover letter. Create a plan for regularly updating a résumé as skills, ability, and experience change.
Assignment Requirements
One of the particularly useful functions of a professional social media site is its job search application. For this homework assignment, you will take the LinkedIn profiles you created during the lab this week and utilize the “Job Search” function to find a job posting.

Log into your LinkedIn profile (http://www.linkedin.com). 1. Click on the “Jobs” tab. 2. Click "Advanced Search”. 3. Ensure that the country and zip code are where you live or would like to work, then scroll through the “Functions” list and find your career field. Check the box next to this and click on “Search.” 4. Browse through the job postings available and find a position that is appealing to you and for which you satisfy all of the required qualifications. a. Note: if you are having trouble finding a job for which you are qualified, scroll to the bottom of the left column and click on “Experience Level,” then select the experience level which most closely matches your current background. 5. Review Chapter 21 from Skills for Living a Rich Life, particularly noting the tips on developing a professional cover letter. 6. Open a cover letter, either one you composed for previous classes or one you have written for a recent job application, and edit it according to the advice from Chapter 21. Make it directly applicable to this position. Make sure you indicate how you meet both the “Required qualifications” and the “Desired qualifications.” 7. Print out a copy of your cover letter and the job posting. Submit them to your instructor in Unit 10.
Required Resources Skills for Living a Rich Life, Chapter 21 Computer with MS Word and Internet access Printer LinkedIn profile (constructed in lab for Unit 9)
Submission Requirements Submit a printout of the job posting accessed through LinkedIn, due in Unit 10. Submit a printout of the properly formatted cover letter tailored to this job posting due in Unit 10.

Unit 10 Assignment 1: Putting the Finishing Touches on Your ePortfolio

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Analyze the costs and benefits of being a lifelong learner.
Develop a system to use the ITT Tech Virtual Library for researching and pursuing personal and professional growth opportunities.
Define lifelong learning and explain its relationship to the characteristic curiosity.
Use the ITT Tech Virtual Library to research professional publications that are useful for professional development
Research local professional organizations and groups that may facilitate professional lifelong learning.
Identify the costs and benefits of professional growth.

Assignment Requirements
Last week you updated your ePortfolio and shared it with your instructor, who has now provided comments and suggestions on improving it further. Using these comments and suggestions as a guide, edit your ePortfolio to make it an impressive, highly professional, and yet personalized display of your skills and qualifications. Your instructor will take one last look at your ePortfolio and assign a grade.

Particular areas that should be filled out:
Profile Statement * This should function much like the “Career Objectives” section of your résumé.
Skills
Résumé * If you belong to any professional organizations, make sure you include these in your resume under the heading “Professional Organizations.” * Try both options: embed the document in the page and create a link. Use the one that looks better.
Letter(s) of Reference * As with the résumé, try both embedded and linked options and determine which one you like better. * Ideally, you will want to have at least three letters of reference.
Projects
* Any major projects you have worked on at ITT, whether they are visual representations or written-out white papers, should be included in your portfolio.
Design
* Try out the various pre-loaded templates for the overall design of the portfolio and feel free to customize these to make them a highly professional, impressive, yet personalized representation of you and your abilities.

Once you have everything filled in, take one last look at the whole portfolio and make sure it is a professional and impressive representation of your skills and abilities. Remember: Employers will look at this and get an idea of who you are before they even meet you!

Required Resources
Computer with Internet access

Submission Requirements
The submission for this assignment is your ePortfolio, shared privately with your instructor.

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Laboratory Assignments

Unit 1 Lab 1: Personal Persistence Narrative

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Apply tools for overcoming obstacles and tools of connection to various business and personal scenarios.
Define persistence, enthusiasm, optimism and self-control.
Identify common obstacles faced by college students, working adults, and families.
Rate your acumen in applying tools for overcoming obstacles.
Using peer review techniques, evaluate business communication pieces for effectiveness and professional suitability. *
Required Setup and Resources
Computer with MS Word and Internet access ePortfolio Printer

Recommended Procedures and Assignment Requirements
How have you shown persistence? Chances are you have already encountered obstacles and removed barriers in accomplishing as much as you have so far in your life.In this unit, we focus on persistence (grit) and enthusiasm (zest).
Review these two videos: * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1nd4iqXxRY (optional, but a short 2-minute video) * http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/tomorrows-college/grit/angela-duckworth-grit.html (read the article and watch the 18-minute video)
Open a new MS Word document and write a short 1- to 2-page essay describing ways in which you have continued in a course of action in spite of obstacles and maintained your focus for more than a few months. Would you say you’re excellent, average, or needing improvement in persistence? Explain.
Use MS Word and 12 point Times New Roman font, and double-space your paper.

In most jobs, exchanging your work with your peers to have them put an extra set of eyes on it before you give it to your boss is a helpful and valuable activity.Being able to receive and use feedback is a professional skill to develop. Successful people are able to provide feedback that is specific and helpful in the process of achieving a goal. They are also able to receive feedback, even if the feedback is not delivered particularly well, and incorporate that feedback as appropriate to improve the final product.
Print and exchange your paper with at least one other student and proofread for spelling and grammar errors. If you’re not sure whether something is spelled correctly or if the grammar rules are being followed, note your question and let the writer consider and implement your feedback as s/he deems appropriate.
Make notes on the paper where you have questions or didn’t understand what your partner wrote or meant in his/her paper. Note any parts that are exceptionally good, as well.The goal of the peer review is to help your classmate succeed by showcasing his/her work in the best possible light. * * There is a difference between feedback and evaluation. Feedback is when you make factual observations and ask questions to help the writer understand how his/her work is being perceived. Evaluation is when you say something is good or bad. Both are relevant in the business world, but feedback is generally easier to receive than negative evaluation. For example, suppose Jim forgot to include the Works Cited page in his paper and hasn’t properly formatted the APA in-text citation. Consider these two comments below. One might be easier for Jim to receive than the other. Both would be effective in pointing out that a change needs to be considered. * * Feedback: “Jim, I don’t see a Works Cited page in your paper. Did I miss it? Also, I noticed that there are no page numbers in your in-text citations.” * * Evaluation: “You forgot your Works Cited page. That needs to be added if you want it to be a good paper. And your in-text citations are completely wrong since there are no page numbers included.” * * You are responsible for providing your partner with useful feedback. You are not responsible for how s/he uses it. *
Revise your paper after you’ve received comments. If you have extra time, you may ask a different person to review it a second time for you.
When you’re satisfied that you have the best work possible in the limited time you have available to complete this assignment in class, upload your paper to your ePortfolio and “Share” it with your instructor.

Deliverables
Submit a rough draft that includes comments from another student to your instructor before you leave class today.
Submit a 1- to 2-page final paper to your instructor by uploading it to your ePortfolio and using the Share features to share it with your instructor.

Evaluation Criteria Grading Rubric for Unit 1 Lab 1 | Component | % | Required Activities for this component | Full Credit | Half Credit | No Credit | Content | 30 | Write a 1- to2-page essay that includes personal examples of persistence as well as a rating of your overall tendency to persist. | Your paper shows a clear grasp of the definition of persistence and you give compelling and relevant examples of persistence in your life.
30 points | You don’t quite understand the definition of persistence and have provided examples that don’t fit the definition of persistence or that aren’t personal.
15 points | You wrote about something other than how you have persisted in something over time.
0 points | | 20 | In the body of the paper, rate yourself as excellent, average, or needing improvement in persistence and explain the reason(s) you rated yourself the way you did. | You’ve rated yourself as excellent, average, or needing improvement in persistence and explained your reasoning.20 points | You’ve rated yourself but you haven’t explained your reason(s) for the rating.10 points | You haven’t rated yourself in terms of how persistent you are.0 points | Mechanics | 25 | Write clearly and concisely using proper grammar and spelling. | Your paper was easy to understand, not too long or too short, and was free from grammar and spelling errors.25 points | Your paper was not as clear as it could have been in some places (which are noted on the paper).It may have been less than one page or significantly longer than two pages.There may have been errors in grammar and spelling that distracted from the flow of the paper.13 points | Your paper was hard to follow and had several errors in grammar and/or spelling.0 points | Peer Review | 10 | Use the feedback from your peer(s) and make changes that improve the final paper.Explain on the draft what you will change in the final paper to take the feedback into account. (Handwritten notes on the draft are OK.) | Your final paper is different from your rough draft and you have used the feedback from your peer to improve your work.You’ve explained by making notes on the draft paper what you learned from the peer’s comments and how you will change your final paper accordingly.10 pointsYou may receive up to 10 extra credit points here if your feedback to a peer is particularly meaningful or helpful to your classmate.(No assignment grade can be higher than 100, though.)+10 extra credit points possible | Your paper is somewhat different from your draft.Your peer gave you feedback that you haven’t fully considered or incorporated into your final paper but there is evidence that peer review was helpful in improving your final paper.5 points | There is no evidence you sought peer feedback and/or you didn’t use peer feedback in a meaningful way.0 points | Submission Requirements Met | 15 | Submit to your instructor your rough draft with both peer comments and your notes for following up on the feedback.Upload your final paper to your ePortfolio and use the sharing features in your ePortfolio tool to share with your instructor. | You turned in your rough draft by the end of lab and shared your paper in your ePortfolio with your instructor.15 points | You didn’t submit both your rough draft and your final paper to your ePortfolio by the end of the lab.8 points | You did not follow the instructions, nor did you turn your work in on time.0 points | | 100 | | | | |
Total grade: __________

Unit 1 Lab 2: Grit Test
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Apply tools for overcoming obstacles and tools of connection to various business and personal scenarios.
Define persistence, enthusiasm, optimism and self-control.
Identify common obstacles faced by college students, working adults, and families.
Rate your acumen in applying tools for overcoming obstacles.
Research successful character development programs.

Required Setup and Resources
Computer with MS Word and Internet access
Printer

Recommended Procedures
How gritty are you?
Go to the following website and record honest answers to the eight questions on the grit test.Record your score. * https://sasupenn.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_06f6QSOS2pZW9qR * (You may need to go to: https://sasupenn.qualtrics.com/ControlPanel/ and create a student account first, or use the link below to go directly to another version of the Grit test.)
Based on your score and the questions included in the grit test (details here: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~duckwort/images/12-item%20Grit%20Scale.05312011.pdf), make a list of ways you can improve your grit.Research ways to improve your grit by using search terms like “Improve your grit score” or “how to develop grit”, and research character development programs in general.
Consider the following questions when making your list of ways to improve your grit: * What difference does age have in your ability to be persistent? * Does it matter how long your attention span is? * Does labeling something as “fun” and “easy” matter to your perception of how long and well you could persist on a project? * If you take pride in your work, do you think you’d persist longer than if you were self-critical? * What about your ability to delay gratification?How might that impact your ability to be persistent?How is the ability to delay gratification related to maturity?How is it related to self-control?How is persistence different than self-control?
Record the resources you find (three minimum) in an annotated bibliography in APA format.
As a reminder, here is information about what is included in an annotated bibliography. * “An annotated bibliography is an alphabetical listing of all of the sources you might use in your paper, with notes or annotations that explain, describe, or critically evaluate the material. That is, your written assessment accompanies each listing. These can include a summary of the argument and authority of the source; a description of the contents and a brief, critical evaluation; and an interpretation of how you could use the material in your paper.” * (Composition II textbook)

Deliverables
An MS Word document with your “Grit Level,” a list of ways to improve your grit, and an annotated bibliography page (APA format) listing the resources you used with a few sentences describing what information each website or resource contains * Example:
Peterson, C.,& Seligman, M. E. (2004).Character strengths and virtues: A handbook of classification. Oxford: Oxford University Press. In this book, research on twenty-four different character qualities is presented.It is useful as an overview but also includes research details and an extensive 100-page bibliography of references.

Evaluation Criteria Grading Rubric for Unit 1 Lab 2 | Component | % | Required Activities for this component | Full Credit | Half Credit | No Credit | Content | 60 | Take the online grit test, research grit and character development programs, and make a list of ways in which you could improve your grit. | You took the online grit test, received your score, then researched both ways to develop grit and your character in general as evidenced by your completed list and references.60 points | You took the online grit test and received your score but your list and references don’t demonstrate that you’ve applied your research in making your list.
30 points | There is no evidence you took the grit test or did extra research about character development programs.You haven’t included research.0 points | Mechanics | 20 | Include at least three APA references with annotation.Check your spelling and grammar and have a classmate proofread for you. | You have included at least three high quality APA references (at least one from the ITT Tech Virtual Library) and have included an annotation explaining why each resource is useful and how it can be used.Your list and references are free of spelling and grammar errors.20 points | You have included three research references but they are not of high enough quality and may not all include adequate annotation.Your list and references have only slight spelling and grammar errors.10 points | You haven’t included references or haven’t included annotations.Your list and references have several spelling and grammar errors.0 points | Submission Requirements Met | 20 | Submit your typed list and references to your instructor at the beginning of the next class. | You turned in your completed and proofread list and references before or at the beginning of the next class.20 points | Your assignment was late, but you informed your instructor at least 48 hours in advance that you would not be able to complete the work and offered a legitimate explanation for your late work.(Your instructor is the sole judge of what constitutes a legitimate explanation.)10 points | You did not turn in your assignment at the beginning of the class after the assignment was due.(You were later than one week late.)0 points | | 100 | | | | |

Total grade: ___________

Unit 2 Lab 1: Optimism
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes * Apply tools for overcoming obstacles and tools of connection to various business and personal scenarios. * Define persistence, enthusiasm, optimism and self-control. * Identify common obstacles faced by college students, working adults, and families. * Evaluate choices for overcoming obstacles given several sample case studies.
Required Setup and Resources * Computer with MS Word and Internet access and printer
Recommended Procedures and Assignment Requirements * Watch the following YouTube video clip: * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUJgpFXidiM * This unit focuses on the character qualities of optimism and self-control. Both are tools for overcoming obstacles, like persistence and enthusiasm are. * Optimists find opportunities in failures and obstacles. For example, if I failed to take my grocery list to the store and can’t remember what I wanted to buy, I could see it as an opportunity to explore the store and find a new product to try. Consider the following scenarios and list three opportunities or possible positive responses to each one. 1. My girlfriend left me. 2. I was late with my rent and may lose my apartment. 3. My car needs to be repaired. 4. My hours got cut at work. * Exchange your paper with another student and provide comments, and feedback, and make corrections as you did in Unit 1. * Correct your own paper and enhance it using the feedback you received from your peer(s), and turn in your work by the end of this class period.

Deliverables
Submit your typed list of three positive responses to each of the four scenarios above together with the rough draft that another student reviewed for you. Make sure that your final paper reflects a response to the feedback.
Evaluation Criteria
Your instructor will look for evidence that you’ve provided at least three opportunities for each scenario, that your grammar and mechanics are correct, and that you’ve provided and used quality peer feedback.

Unit 2 Lab 2: Self-Control

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes * Apply tools for overcoming obstacles and tools of connection to various business and personal scenarios. * Rate your acumen in demonstrating each character quality: persistence, enthusiasm, optimism, self-control, curiosity, social intelligence, gratitude and integrity. * Define persistence, enthusiasm, optimism and self-control. * Identify common obstacles faced by college students, working adults, and families.

Required Setup and Resources * Computer with MS Word and Internet access * Printer

Recommended Procedures * Read the following article: * http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100113172359.htm * Watch either of the following videos about self-control featuring behavioral economist, Dan Ariely: * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPQhj6ktYSo * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX-iXR_0uEU * Get in a group with two or three other students. In an MS Word document, create a table for the group with ten temptations you may face in personal and professional life in a column down the left side. Think of creative ways to exhibit self-control through commitment devices and substitutionary rewards. Describe each mechanism in the corresponding cells of the table. * Often weight loss and smoking cessation programs build communities of people trying to resist the same temptations. Consider the reading and create some strategies in your table that include other people as part of the solution.

Example: Temptation | What will I do if I yield to temptation? | What will I do if I behave how I want myself to behave? | Not writing my paper | I'll pay $5 to charity if I skip writing today. | I will celebrate with my wife and buy an add-on to a video game. | Not taking my medication | If I don't show up at my doctor's office for the injection, I will pay the cancellation fee they charge me. | After I get my injection, I'll go to a movie with a friend. |

Deliverables
Print and submit your document to your instructor by the end of class. Be sure to include the names of all your group members. Check for grammar and mechanics errors and correct them before submitting.

Evaluation Criteria
Your instructor will look for evidence that you’ve worked with your group to include creative and potentially valuable commitment tools to apply self-control in the midst of temptation. S/he will deduct up to 10 points for any grammar or spelling errors. Your paper must be completed by the end of the class period to receive full credit. All group members will receive the same grade for this assignment.

Unit 3 Lab 1: Curiosity in Modern Times
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes * Apply the tools for overcoming obstacles and the tools of connection to variousbusiness and personal scenarios. * Rate your acumen in demonstrating each character quality: persistence, enthusiasm, optimism, self-control, curiosity, social intelligence, gratitude and integrity.

Required Setup and Resources * Computer with MS Word and Internet access * Printer

Recommended Procedures * Watch one of the following TED Talks: 1. http://www.ted.com/talks/what_we_learned_from_5_million_books.html
(Google books nGram Viewer: http://books.google.com/ngrams) 2. http://www.ted.com/talks/markham_nolan_how_to_separate_fact_and_fiction_online.html
(Warning: This video includes an expletive. You are not required to watch it.) 3. http://www.ted.com/talks/mina_bissell_experiments_that_point_to_a_new_understanding_of_cancer.html?quote=1777 * After watching the video, answer these two questions: * How did the person(s) find success through curiosity? * How did it positively impact other people? * Briefly summarize the video and answer the questions. * Write a 1- to 2-page paper that includes your summary and the answers. Trade papers with another student who has watched a different video than you and give him/her feedback about the summary. Do you understand what the video is about from only reading the summary? Also, check for grammar, spelling, and mechanics. * Revise your summary and answers based on feedback from your peer.

Deliverables
Submit a 1- to 2-page MS Word document analyzing one of the TED Talks videos.

Unit 3 Lab 2: Integrity Matters
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes * Apply the tools for overcoming obstacles and the tools of connection to various business and personal scenarios. * Analyze the costs and benefits of being a person of integrity.

Required Setup and Resources * Computer with MS Word and Internet access * Printer

Recommended Procedures
Consider the following scenarios and extend the timeline. What’s the worst possible thing that could happen? What would be the steps in getting there? 1. You notice that no one notices when you take longer and longer lunch breaks at work so you don’t pay attention to the start and finish of your lunch hour. 2. You’re not late every day to work but once a week you show up a few minutes after the start of business. 3. You tell a client that you’ll finish work but never seem to quite meet the deadline. 4. You complain about your boss in the lunch room and you complain about your job on Facebook, but it’s OK because no one hears you at lunch and you don’t have any work friends on your Facebook. (Read this article: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/29796962/) 5. You skip your children’s concerts because you’re not that into choral music. You’d rather watch your favorite TV show and see them when they get home.

* Write one paragraph for each scenario detailing the worst possible scenario. Use your imagination but make your account as realistic as you possibly can. For example, it’s not likely that a coworker has a listening device planted in the salt shaker at the table where you’re sitting. But, it is plausible that you’re talking loudly enough for someone to catch a bit of your conversation as he passes by your table. * Trade papers with another student and do the same peer editing you’ve done in previous classes. * Revise and submit your work before leaving class today.

Deliverables
Submit an MS Word document with at least four paragraphs analyzing the scenarios above. This document is due by the end of lab today.

Unit 4 Lab 1: Create a Research Summary Memorandum

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Create written, oral, and visual communication pieces appropriate for a business environment.
Using peer review techniques, evaluate business communication pieces for effectiveness and professional suitability.
Apply proper business techniques to create written communications, including a research summary memorandum and PowerPoint presentation.
Evaluate business communication pieces for effectiveness and professional suitability.

Required Setup and Resources
Skills for Living a Rich Life,pp. 63-64
Computer with MS Word

Recommended Procedures
Now that you have finished putting together your group presentation, each individual team member will create a research summary memorandum—a one-page summary outlining the information gathered and it’s utility for your presentation. Although you will need to compose this memorandum yourself in MS Word, a template of what this might look like and the necessary information to be covered is provided with this handout.

Deliverables
Submit your responses as a typed document using Arial or Times New Roman 12-point font, double-spaced.

-------------------------------------------------
Memorandum

To: <Your instructor’s name and job title>
From: <Your name and course number>
Date: <Today’s date>
Subject: <Your team’s topic>
-------------------------------------------------

Research Details: * What sources did you use? List them in APA format. * How did you find these sources? * How do you know these sources are credible?

Research Summary: * Categorize and summarize the information you drew from these sources.

Conclusion: * Briefly explain how this information is useful or important for being a professional person or building your personal level of professionalism.

Conclusion: * Thank the reader for his/her time.

Unit 5 Lab 1: Resolving Systemic Conflict: Scenario Analysis

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Apply problem solving tools to various business-related and personal teamwork scenarios.
Identify team management skills to resolve conflict.
Determine strengths and weaknesses of various types of leadership power.
Identify potential sources of conflict among team members.
Compare and contrast appropriate strategies for dealing with different potential sources of conflict among team members.

Required Setup and Resources
Skills for Living a Rich Life, p. 133
Computer with MS Word
Printer

Recommended Procedures
This activity is designed to help you generate solutions to a systemic problem. Refer to the scenarios on p. 133 of Skills for Living a Rich Life. You and your team members will select one of the systemic problems listed there. After selecting a scenario, your group will identify the key issues surrounding the systemic problem and generate workable solutions to the problem. 1. Select one of the scenarios from p. 133. 2. Discussing this with your group, analyze the systemic problem. 3. Develop potential ways of solving or mitigating the problem (at least six). a. Be specific! Do not say, “Communicate better.” Instead, say, “Develop a system that requires a specific person to deliver daily memos at a given time, outlining all the company news from the previous 24 hours which employees may want to know.” 4. In an MS Word document, record the following information: b. Names of everyone in your group c. Scenario selected d. Solutions to the problem (at least six) 5. If your group finishes early, you may do an additional scenario.

Deliverables
Submit an MS Word document to your instructor by the end of the lab.

Unit 6 Lab 1: Time Value of Money Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Analyze various personal finance scenarios dealing with student loans, personal consumer loans, mortgages, the true cost of bad credit, compound interest, savings, investing in assets, budgeting, and using self-control when spending.
Create a long-term financial plan.
Solve time-value-of-money problems using online financial calculators.
Create a budget.
Required Setup and Resources
Computer with MS Word and Internet access
Printer
ePortfolio
Recommended Procedures
Explore the effect of the time value of money (TVM) on spending and savings. Using online financial calculators, calculate how savings grow, how amortization works, and what impacts the overall cost of large-ticket items.
Calculate an initial investment of $100 at 4% interest (compounded monthly) for 5 years. What is the value of that investment?
Calculate that same investment for ten years. What is the value of that investment?
Find a mortgage calculator online and determine the true cost of a home that costs $200,000 at 3.9% over 30 years. What is the monthly payment? How much would you spend at the end of 30 years? How much of that is interest payments?
Open a new Word document and write a short one- to two-page essay describing what you have discovered.
Use 12-point Times New Roman font, and double-space your paper.
Print your paper, exchange it with at least one other student, and have it proofread for spelling and grammar errors.
Revise your paper after you’ve received comments. Upload your paper to your ePortfolio and share it with your instructor.

Deliverables
Submit your rough draft, including comments from another student, to your instructor before you leave class today.
Submit your one- to two-page final paper to your instructor by uploading it to your ePortfolio and using the Share feature to share it with your instructor by the beginning of the next class.

Unit 6 Lab 2: Budget Exercise Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes * Analyze various personal finance scenarios dealing with student loans, personal consumer loans, mortgages, the true cost of bad credit, compound interest, savings, investing in assets, budgeting, and using self-control when spending. * Create a long-term financial plan. * Solve time-value-of-money problems using online financial calculators. * Create a budget.

Required Setup and Resources * Computer with MS Word and Internet access * Printer * ePortfolio

Recommended Procedures
Complete the problems in the following budget exercise: 1. Estimating Disposable Income
Angela earns $2,170 per month before taxes in her full-time job and $900 before taxes in her part-time job. About $650 per month is needed to pay taxes. What is Angela’s disposable income? 2. Estimating Net Cash Flow
Angela inspects her checkbook and her credit card bills and determines that she has the following monthly expenses: Rent $500 Cable TV 30 Electricity 100 Water 25 Telephone 40 Groceries 400 Car expenses 350 Health insurance 200 Clothing and personal items 175 Recreation 300 3. Impact on Net Cash Flow
Angela sets up a budget based on her personal cash flow statement. In two months, she must pay $375 for license tags and taxes on her car. How will this payment affect her net cash flow for that month? Suggest ways that Angela might handle this situation. 4. Estimating Savings
From the information in Problems 1 through 3, how much can Angela expect to save in the next 12 months? 5. Change in Savings
Angela analyzes her personal budget and decides that she can reduce her recreational spending by $50 per month. How much will that increase her annual savings? What will her annual savings be now?

Once you have completed the exercise, print out a draft and trade with another student for a peer edit. Make a copy of this edited document and submit it to your instructor. You will revise the document based on your peer’s comments, upload it to your ePortfolio, and share this with your instructor for credit by the beginning of class next week.

Deliverables * Submit your rough draft, including comments from another student, to your instructor before you leave class today. * Submit your one- to two-page final assignment to your instructor by uploading it to your ePortfolio and using the Share feature to share it with your instructor by the beginning of the next class.

Unit 7 Lab 1: Calculating House Cost
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Create a long-term financial plan.
Solve time-value-of-money problems using online financial calculators.
Applying the principles of compound interest, calculate expenditures on loans given different interest rates, payments, finance charges, and loan maturities.
Compare and contrast sample personal debt management scenarios to determine the true cost of bad debt. *
Analyze various personal finance scenarios dealing with student loans, personal consumer loans, mortgages, the true cost of bad credit, compound interest, savings, investing in assets, budgeting, and using self-control when spending.

Required Setup and Resources
Skills for Living a Rich Life, Chapter 15
Computer with MS Word and Internet access
ITT Tech Virtual Library
Printer

Recommended Procedures
In this activity, you will develop a potential home purchase plan. Using the Internet, textbook, and the ITT Tech Virtual Library, complete the following: 1. The Davis family wants to buy a home. Jim works as an IT network engineer bringing home $1,471 every two weeks. Lasonya works as a nurse and gets paid on the first day of the month and on the 15th day. Her take-home pay is $1,700 each check. What is their combined monthly income? 2. Below is a list of their monthly expenses. Rent | $1,100 | Cable TV | 80 | Electricity and water | 90 | Telephone | 70 | Groceries | 500 | Health care insurance and expenses | 150 | Clothing | 200 | Car (insurance, maintenance, gas) | 280 | School expenses | 100 | Credit card payments | 50 | Recreation | 400 | Total | $3,020 | 3. Using common formulas, calculate how much the Davis family is recommended to spend on a house. Remember, this formula is in two parts. The price of the house should be no more than two times their gross annual income. The monthly debt payments, including mortgage, should not exceed 40% of their monthly income. 4. How much can they spend on a house? At 3.99% interest rate, what will their monthly house payment be? Can they achieve the limit of 40% of monthly debt? If not, where can they make changes in their expenses?

Deliverables
Develop a one- to two-page typed paper, double-spaced, using 12-point Times New Roman font to answer the questions above. Create the list of incomes and expenses and include all calculations for home costs and expense percentages. This assignment is due by the end of the lab this week.

Unit 7 Lab 2: Delayed Gratification
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Solve time-value-of-money problems using online financial calculators. Explain how the character qualities of self-control and persistence are associated with avoiding and overcoming financial difficulty.
Calculate the cost of a loan given various ratings of the borrower.
Analyze various personal finance scenarios dealing with student loans, personal consumer loans, mortgages, the true cost of bad credit, compound interest, savings, investing in assets, budgeting, and using self-control when spending.

Required Setup and Resources
Skills for Living a Rich Life, Chapter 12
Computer with MS Word and Internet access
Information located at: http://finance.yahoo.com/calculator/index/
Printer

Recommended Procedures
The purpose of this activity is to help you recognize the value of waiting until you can pay for a new item versus buying it on credit and paying for it over time. Determine what the difference is between delaying a purchase until you have saved the money to make a purchase versus using credit to make a purchase immediately.

Identify three major personal household assets that you might like to purchase and determine the cost for them. Calculate what the financial impact is between saving the money first or financing to purchase now.

Use the following websiteto find calculators to determine how much savings you will need for each item and for how long:http://finance.yahoo.com/calculator/index/. Use the same length of time for saving as you would be willing to make payments for the purchase on credit. In other words, if you are willing to pay three years for the new home theater system, then calculate the savings over a three year period.

For example, say you wanted to buy a $5,000 home theatre system. You could finance it over three years or save enough money so that you had $5,000 in three years to pay cash for it. You will need to calculate how much you would spend financing it for three years and how much you must save each month to have $5,000 in three years. What is the difference?

Deliverables
Produce a one- to two-page report that lists the items you would purchase as well as the cost and the money you would make on the savings. Include what it will cost if you finance each item. Produce a chart for each purchase.
Your paper should be double-spaced using 12-point Times New Roman font.
This assignment is due by the end of the lab this week.

Unit 8 Lab 1: Initiative Reflection
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Apply the tools for overcoming obstacles and the tools of connection to various business and personal scenarios.
Analyze the costs and benefits of being a person of integrity.
Identify professional work habits that may lead to success in the workplace.
Define initiative, responsiveness, resourcefulness, and reliability in a professional context.
Identify the costs and benefits of preparation, goal setting, time management, and organization.
Explain the importance of being prompt and its relationship to integrity.

Required Setup and Resources
Computer with MS Word and Internet access
Printer

Recommended Procedures
Review the following:
ITT Tech Virtual Library assessment results from “How Proactive Am I?”
Notes from reading the article “Taking Initiative: Making Things Happen in the Workplace.”
Notes from your “Pair and Share” discussion in class.

Write a reflection paper addressing the following questions:
What is initiative?
How does my self-estimate compare to the assessment results?
How do these results compare to other personality assessments I’ve taken?
Have I experienced negative and positive results from taking initiative in my life? Give examples.
What are some strategies I could use to become more proactive in my life?

Deliverables
Your reflection paper should answer all the questions above. Submit your 1- to 2-page paper, double-spaced, using standard APA formatting and references. Attach the assessment results behind your paper. Submit your paper at the end of lab for grading.

Unit 8 Lab 2: Time Management Reflection
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Apply the tools for overcoming obstacles and the tools of connection to various business and personal scenarios.
Analyze the costs and benefits of being a person of integrity.
Identify professional work habits that may lead to success in the workplace.
Define initiative, responsiveness, resourcefulness, and reliability in a professional context.
Identify the costs and benefits of preparation, goal setting, time management, and organization.
Explain the importance of being prompt and its relationship to integrity.

Required Setup and Resources
Skills for Living a Rich Life, Fig. 17.5, “Time Management Assessment,” p. 384
Skills for Living a Rich Life, Fig. 17.8, “Common Distractions,” p. 389
Class notes
Computer with MS Word
Printer

Recommended Procedures
Review the following:
Assessment results from Figure 17.5, Time Management Assessment.
Notes from Figure 17.8,Plan to Overcome Distraction.
Notes from “Pair and Share” discussion in class. Write 2–3 paragraphs responding to the following questions:
Have my time management skills improved? If so, how?
Where do I still need improvement?
How can I make adjustments to my schedule that align with my values and goals?
What are the most common distractions I currently encounter? What is my plan to overcome these distractions?
After graduation I will face new challenges to my time. How will I prepare to align my values and goals to my new schedule?

Deliverables
Your reflection paper should answer all the questions above. Submit your 2- to 3-paragraph paper, double-spaced, using standard APA formatting and references. Submit your paper at the end of lab for grading.

Unit 9 Lab 1: Creating a Professional Profile
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Compare and contrast various networking strategies for making professional contacts.
Identify strategies for avoiding the pitfalls of social networking.
Develop strategies for benefitting from social media and networking activities while avoiding the pitfalls.
Create a plan for regularly updating a résumé as skills, ability, and experience change.
Create an error-free professional résumé and sample cover letter.

Required Setup and Resources
Skills for Living a Rich Life, Chapters 21 and 24
Computer with Internet access
Printer

Recommended Procedures
Unlike many other social media websites (Facebook, MySpace, message boards, etc.), LinkedIn is primarily a professional networking and job search tool. As a future professional in your career field, it will be highly beneficial for you to have a professional profile that future employers can search for, see, and use to vet you for potential employment.

Additionally, ITT Technical Institute provides a service through ePortfolio that you can use in a similar manner. 1. Go to LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com) and create a professional social media profile. 2. Read through and then follow the tips for “Connecting with Business Colleagues through LinkedIn” on pp. 538-539 of Skills for Living a Rich Life. 3. The final product should look very similar to a résumé and should include at least the following information: * Career objective or personal statement * Area of residence (at least city/state) * Current and previous employment (at least the last three jobs) * Relevant duties performed in each position * Education * Educational accolades * Specific skills related to this prospective career 4. Make sure you add connections with as many family, friends, colleagues, and professional acquaintances as you can to start building your social network. 5. Print your profile and submit it to your instructor. 6. Open up the résumé you composed in previous courses, and using the tips from Chapter 21 of the textbook as a guide, polish it into a highly impressive, professional-looking document. 7. Open up your ePortfolio, accessible through the “Portfolio” tab on the Student Portal (https://myportal.itt-tech.edu) and upload this polished résumé and any other supporting documentation. 8. Share your ePortfolio privately with your instructor.

Deliverables
Printed LinkedIn profile, submitted to your instructor by the end of the lab
Updated ePortfolio, privately shared with your instructor by the end of the lab

Unit 10 Lab 1: Creating a Personal and Professional Development Plan
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Analyze the costs and benefits of being a lifelong learner.
Develop a system to use the ITT Tech Virtual Library for researching and pursuing personal and professional growth opportunities.
Use the ITT Tech Virtual Library to research professional publications that are useful for professional development.
Research local professional organizations and groups that may facilitate professional lifelong learning.
Identify the costs and benefits of both personal and professional growth.

Required Setup and Resources
Computer with MS Word and Internet access
Printer

Recommended Procedures
We will now explore the personal and professional development opportunities available through the ITT Tech Virtual Library, determine which opportunities are most useful to you, and compile them into a professional development plan in MS Word.

Professional Organizations 1. Open up MS Word and create a header that says “Personal and Professional Development. 2. Create a bolded sub-heading titled “Professional Organizations.” 3. Log in to the ITT Tech Virtual Library. 4. Hover the cursor over the “School of Study” tab. 5. Click on your school of study from the drop-down menu. 6. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the “Professional Organizations” link. 7. Find three (3) professional organizations that sound like they would be interesting and useful for you to join. 8. In the MS Word document, record the following information in a bullet list or outline in the following format for each organization: a. Name of the organization i. Specific field or area of focus ii. Location(s) of the headquarters iii. Price of membership iv. A conference, workshop, or seminar the organization sponsors v. Does the organization have a mailing list, eNewsletter, or message board? vi. Does the organization have a job postings page? vii. Value judgment: Is this organization worth the cost of membership? Would you be interested in joining this organization? Why or why not?

Personal Interests Organizations 1. In your same MS Word document, create a bolded sub-heading titled “Personal Organizations.” 2. Log in to the ITT Tech Virtual Library and use the 360 Search or the Discovery Search to find organizations related to your personal interests. These can be charities, hobbies or pastimes you currently work with or some about which you’re curious. 3. Find three (3) different personal interest organizations that sound like they would be interesting and useful for you to join. 4. In the MS Word document, record the following information in a bullet list or outline in the following format for each organization: a. Name of the organization i. Specific area of focus ii. Location(s) of the headquarters iii. Price of membership iv. A conference, workshop, or seminar the organization sponsors v. Does the organization have a mailing list, eNewsletter, or message board? vi. Does the organization have a job postings page? vii. Value judgment: Is this organization worth the cost of membership? Would you be interested in joining this organization? Why or why not?

Professional Events: Conferences, Workshops, and Seminars 1. In your MS Word document, create a new bolded heading titled “Conferences, Workshops, and Seminars.” 2. Using the home pages for the organizations you chose above or for others accessible through the ITT Tech Virtual Library, access the home pages of the conferences, workshops, or seminars those organizations sponsor. 3. Find four (4) conferences, workshops, or seminars you think you would be most likely to attend, or which interest you the most, and record the following information in the MS Word document. Use a bullet list or outline in the following format for each conference, workshop, or seminar: a. Name of the conference, workshop, or seminar i. Name of the sponsoring organization ii. Summary of the event’s focus iii. Location of the event iv. Price of attendance (keeping travel and lodging costs in mind) v. Cost/benefit analysis: Is attending this event worth the time and money required? Why or why not?

Professional Trade Publications 1. In your MS Word document, create a new bolded heading titled “Trade Publications.” 2. Return to your “School of Study” page on the ITT Tech Virtual Library. 3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the “Recommended Links” link. 4. Scroll down to the section labeled “Online Magazines and Journals.” 5. Browse through these resources and find four (4) articles that are interesting, easy to understand, and pertinent to your career path. 6. Record the following information in the MS Word document. Use a bullet list or outline in the following format for each publication: a. Bibliography entry for the article (APA format). i. Brief summary (two to five sentences) explaining what the article discusses. ii. How is this article relevant to your career path? iii. How likely would you be to read similar articles in this publication on a weekly or bi-weekly basis?
Professional Development Plan 1. In your MS Word document, create a new bolded heading titled “Development Plan.” 2. Create four tables, one for each of the sections listed above. Samples of what these tables should look like and what information should be included are at the end of this document. 3. Using the information you have collected in your MS Word document, evaluate the following: a. Which professional organization do you find the most beneficial for its cost? Which one would you consider joining? i. Enter the following information into the first table: 1. Name of the organization 2. Area of focus 3. Location(s) of the headquarters 4. Cost of membership 5. Conferences, workshops, or seminars the organization hosts within the next year 6. Whether the organization offers a newsletter, mailing list, or discussion board b. Which personal organization do you find the most beneficial for its cost? Which one would you consider joining? ii. Enter the following information into the second table: 7. Name of the organization 8. Area of focus 9. Location(s) of the headquarters 10. Cost of membership 11. Conferences, workshops, or seminars the organization hosts within the next year 12. Whether the organization offers a newsletter, mailing list, or discussion board c. Which two (2) workshops, conferences, or seminars do you find the most beneficial for their costs? Which two (2) workshops would you consider attending? iii. Enter the following information into the third table: 13. Name of the event 14. Sponsoring organization 15. Cost of attendance 16. Location 17. Date(s) d. Which two (2) trade publications do you find the most interesting, easy to read, and applicable to your career field? Which two (2) would you consider reading on a weekly or bi-weekly basis? iv. Enter the following information into the fourth table: 18. Title of the publication 19. Area of focus 20. How reading articles in this publication will help you 21. Days of the week you can dedicate time to reading this publication 22. How much time you can dedicate to reading on these days

Deliverables
Save this document, print it out, and submit it to your instructor.
Your MS Word document should include: * Four research sections, with appropriate headings * Four tables outlining your personal and professional development plan

Professional Organization Name | Area of Focus | Location | Cost of Membership | Conferences, Workshops, or Seminars Hosted This Year | Mailing List, Newsletter, or Discussion Board | | | | | | |

Personal Interest Organization Name | Area of Focus | Location | Cost of Membership | Conferences, Workshops, or Seminars Hosted This Year | Mailing List, Newsletter, or Discussion Board | | | | | | |

Professional Events Name | Sponsoring Organization | Cost of Attendance | Location | Date(s) | | | | | | | | | | |

Professional Trade Publications Title | Area of Focus | How Reading Will Help You | Days of the Week You Will Read | Time Dedicated to Reading | | | | | | | | | | |