Fieldwork Reflection (SWOT)

Core Academy is an afterschool and summer program that intends to help

supplement the learning that takes place during the average school day through the new
common core standards. This site had a diverse array of students, highly qualified staff,
and academia based activities for students to participate in. Although, Core Academy
offers a great afterschool and summer program, there site faces a threat of losing their
students interest and initiative in their own learning. The assignments offered by this site
dont fully engage their students and often even alienate some students from wanting to
learn and participate all together.
Organized activities can be powerful settings in which school-aged children and
adolescents develop self-direction, initiative, teamwork, emotional skills, and a fuller
sense of their place in the world (Vandell et. al, 306). Afterschool programs are the most
beneficial to students when the programs offered are of high quality standards and
encourage students to actively partake in their own learning. According to the Learning in
Afterschool and Summer Principles tool it is essential for activities to be active,
meaningful, collaborative, expand horizons, and support mastery. Learning of new
knowledge is strengthened by using many of our senses and is also enhanced by
activities that involve young people in doing. (LIAS Self-Assessment Tool 4). Programs
of high quality are ones that are able to align to the school day, provide time for students
to study, learn and practice; includes motivational activities, frequently uses technology,
science and the arts to support youth development, student learning, and engagement
(Huang and Dietel 2).
Core academy teaches in a way that resembles the typical school day. The
students enter the classroom, listen to a structured lecture, and then are given an
assignment or assignments to complete that go along with the previously taught lecture.
Their day consists of lectures, followed by individual or collaborative work time, and
periodic breaks through out the day. Although, some features of the academy do align
with what is considered to be a high quality afterschool or summer program, it still faces
the threat of losing students to a lack of engagement and interest. The programs activities
must work to align better with students interests and abilities in order to ensure that
students are participating to the fullest and are willing to accept and take on the challenge
of various assignments.
Students must see the value in their participating in order to must their utmost
effort and abilities into completing an assignment. In accordance with the LIAS selfassessment tool, young people are personally motivated when they find the topic
meaningful. Students will begin to take initiative in their own learning and the knowledge
they get from particular activities when they find that it is beneficial for them to gain in
these areas in the long run. Participants must feel that assignments are relative to them,
their abilities, and aspects of their lives in order to see the need in working to their full
potential. Larson states that being able to take initiative consists of the ability to be
motivated from within and to direct attention and effort toward a challenging goal
(Larson 170). Programs must work to incorporate intrinsic motivation and concentration
in order for students to be meaningfully challenged and not feel bored and alienated by
the things theyre learning.

The most detrimental threat for Core Academy to address in relation to their
program activities is the tendency for certain assignments to discourage students from
participating at all. According to the Expectancy Value Theory, it is predicted that people
select those activities for which they feel most efficacious (or for which they have the
highest expectations for success). In working at Core Academy, it was apparent that some
students felt bored by certain activities and they werent able to focus their attention on
the tasks at hand. On the other hand, students seemed overwhelmed by certain
assignments if they didnt feel their abilities were good enough to allow them to succeed.
There has to be an awareness for which activities foster engagement and initiative from
students by challenging them to think critically, while also ensuring students feel they are
equipped with the tools and skills necessary to complete assignments. Eccles believed
that because experienced pleasure is likely to be the highest for those activities that
provide both a challenge and the opportunity to achieve master, success at moderately
difficult but achievable tasks is likely to lead to the greatest increase in expectancy
related self concepts and subjective task value (Eccles 85). All in all, assignments that
challenge students, but still allow for success give students more confidence to take on
assignments in the future that are of varying levels of difficulty.
Core Academy should come up with different assignments to ensure their students
are fully engaged and being challenged by the work theyre given. Otherwise, the site
faces the threat of alienating students from continuing with their learning all together.
Students must feel supported in their environment and that they have the tools they need
to succeed in the academic career and beyond. Participants will continue to take an active
role in their own learning if assignments have a sense of meaning and importance for
them. Core Academy should look into diversifying their assignments and activities to
broaden the horizon for students and ensure all students are fully engaged in the learning
process.

References
Eccles, J. (2009). Who am I and what am I going to do with my life? Personal and
collective identities as motivators of action. Educational Psychologist, 44(2), 7889.
Huang, D. & Dietel, R. (2011). Making afterschool programs better. National
Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing (CRESST),
UCLA.
Larson, R. W. (2000). Towards a psychology of positive youth development.
American Psychologist, 55,170-183.
LIAS assessment tool
Vandell, L. D., Larson, W. R., Mahoney, L. J., Watts, W. T. (2014). Childrens
organized activities. Handbook of Child Psychology and Developmental Science,
7, 305-344.