HP275-Honors
Internships
Smithsonian,
Library of Congress, &
Journal
Description/Requirements
Spring
2009
Due Dates:
·
March
26, 2009 (turn in during class)
·
Final
submission, May 15, 2009 (turn in during our final class meeting)*
Technical Requirements:
·
A
bound journal may be helpful to carry with you to take notes during the day
about your experiences and to help prompt and inspire your future journal
entries
·
Final
journal submissions must be in electronic form with a print version turned in
as well (bound in a clear-fronted report folder)
·
You
must complete a journal entry for EVERY day you work at your internship (so
twice per week for 15 weeks is at least 30 entries)
·
Entries
should be a minimum of 150 words each, but no more than 250 words. (I’m looking
for 1-2 substantive paragraphs per entry).
Getting started:
Before
you begin, be sure to read the section entitled “Observation &
Description”, on pages 3 & 4, in your copy of The MC Student’s Guide to Good Writing in the Social Sciences.
Purposes for keeping a
journal:
Journal
writing is often used to document involvement and become a written record of
activities, observations, and thoughts during a project or activity in which we
are observing, evaluating, or participating for a specific purpose (such as an
internship). It is a valuable tool for:
·
Keeping
track of your involvement in a project
·
Providing
a database of observations about the institution, unit, or project on which you
are working so that you can refer to it later when writing your final paper
·
Helping
to understand your own intellectual, emotional, and critical thinking (and be
observant of your own growth) during a project
Journaling tips:
·
Good
journaling requires discipline
·
The
longer you wait to write, the more you will forget
·
Write
regularly (you should have an entry for each day you work)
·
On
site notes from your bound journal will be helpful in crafting your entries
·
Write
the information as soon as you can after you complete your day at the
internship so that you can remember what you’ve done and record as accurately
as possible. (Unless your mentor gives you specific permission, please try not
to do it during your work day.)
·
Pay
attention to the particulars such as: Who was present? What activities took
place? What interactions took place (and with whom)? How did you feel?, so that
you are able to answer the following questions:
1.
How
does the project you are working on contribute to the institution’s mission?
2.
Describe
how your work made good use of your skills and talents.
3.
What
need(s) did your role as an intern meet for your unit today?
4.
What
did you learn about the institution?
5.
Describe
any insights, challenges, or other growth experiences where you learned
something about yourself.