Core competencies are the level of ability to get things done successfully relating to academic programs or jobs. Core competencies are necessary skills to have for lifelong learning. It is important that individuals have these core competencies for personal and professional development. Core competencies help individuals identify their strengths and thus give themselves a competitive advantage over those who do not have the core competencies they have. Core competencies allow individuals to keep growing and learning as they continue their professional careers and move their lives forward.
Through my participation in a social and ecological justice training, a social and ecological justice class at California State University Monterey Bay, as well as my work with diverse youth at a high school in Sacramento, I attained the core competency of intercultural knowledge and competence. The Association of American Colleges and Universities defines intercultural knowledge and competence as, “a set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts.” The social justice training I participated in was in Puerto Rico and it let me initiate and develop interactions with people different than myself. This let me gain awareness and knowledge on the social and political issues Puerto Ricans face. It also allowed me to articulate insights into my own Mexican culture to talk about the differences and similarities our cultures shared. Working at a high school in Sacramento showed me how to be supportive and empathetic of students who were of very different backgrounds such as Hmong, Laos, African American, White, and Vietnamese. My openness, curiosity, and ability to interact with other cultures will prepare me to be a better educator for diverse groups of students in formal and informal educational settings.
https://www.aacu.org/sites/default/files/files/VALUE/InterculturalKnowledge.pdf
By completing an English 302 class at Sacramento City College I was able to add inquiry and analysis to my list of core competencies. The Association of American Colleges and Universities defines inquiry and analysis to be "a systematic process of exploring issues, objects or works through the collection and analysis of evidence that results in informed conclusions or judgments [and] analysis is the process of breaking complex topics or issues into parts to gain a better understanding of them." The English 302 class required students to analyze films, written articles, and podcasts. We had to analyze every detail and then effectively communicate why that detail was important and why it was included in the film, article, or podcast. We analyzed everything from certain lines of dialogue characters said and why they said them to the way they said that dialogue. We analyzed why characters did certain things at certain moments and why they didn’t do them at other moments. In that class I was allowed to explore the issues that are not too often talked about in society which allowed me to broaden my views on many topics. Being able to think critically, analyze issues, and communicate what I think has allowed me to not only be able to analyze films and articles but also analyze the world around me.
https://enstu300400csumb.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/inquiry_analysis.pdf
My group and I are still working on our capstone project so there is still a lot to learn; however, these past few months at Los Arboles Middle School and the Capstone Class have let me further develop my core competency of creative thinking. The Association of American Colleges and Universities defines creative thinking as being, "both the capacity to combine or synthesize existing ideas, images, or expertise in original ways and the experience of thinking, reacting, and working in an imaginative was characterized by a high degree of innovation, divergent thinking, and risk taking." As a group we came up with the idea of using old garden beds that weren’t being used as our vermicompost bin. Once we started building the bin we ran into a few problems such as not having the right drill, our wood rotting, and screws being stuck. My group and I pitch different ideas on a day-to-day basis to see which ones will work best to solve the problems that arise. We needed to find the middle of our sheet of plywood so I suggested to measure diagonally and form an X. The middle of the X would be the middle of the plywood. One of the middle school students understood what I meant and went right for it. Also, I made a worksheet that the students filled out during their spring break to write at least 6 items that can and can’t be composted. I didn’t want students to just name them when we asked, I actually wanted them to go out and look for the answers and understand why they can and can’t be composted. Another CSUMB student told students they could also draw their answers which was a really cool idea for artistic students.
https://enstu300400csumb.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/creative_thinking.pdf