Assignment: Gender Diversity or Diversity of Sexual Orientation

For this assignment, you will begin by selecting ONE of the following two topics for your essay: (a) gender diversity or (b) diversity of sexual orientation. Based on the topic you chose, select one of the videos listed below, which will serve as the basis for your reflection paper. These videos can be found in the Films on Demand database located in an Online Library (If the video you selected is not currently available, please select another from the list.)

Topic Option #1: Gender Diversity

Choose one of the following videos to serve as the basis of your reflection paper.

· "TEDTalks: Sheryl Sandberg-Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders"

· "She Says: Women in the News"

· "TEDTalks: Courtney Martin-Reinventing Feminism"

Topic Option #2: Diversity of Sexual Orientation

Choose one of the following videos to serve as the basis of your reflection paper.

· "Being Gay: Coming Out in the 21st Century"

· "Transcending Gender: Portraits from the Community"

· "Rocking the Cradle: Gay Parenting"

Assignment Criteria:

Immediate Reactions to Video

As you watch the videos, keep a pen and a pad of paper handy, and jot down notes on the following: What are your immediate reactions and thoughts about the people featured in the video? Make sure to write down these notes as you are watching the video, in order to capture your immediate reactions and thoughts. Also, make sure not to self-censor, or to sugarcoat your reactions and thoughts, based on political or cultural expectations.

Written Reflection

After watching the video, look at the notes you took on your immediate reactions and thoughts about the people featured in the video. Now, write a minimum 750-word paper on your reflection. Include the following elements in your reflection paper, and use headings in your paper to correspond to each of these elements:

1. Title: Title your paper as a reflection paper on either gender diversity or diversity of sexual orientation, and list the title of the video you chose to watch for this assignment.

2. Introduction: Introduce the topic of your reflection paper (i.e., gender diversity or diversity of sexual orientation), and provide a synopsis of the video.

3. What I Learned about the People Featured in the Video: Use the notes you jotted down while watching the video to describe your immediate reactions to the people featured in the video. What did you learn about them? What did you learn about the demographic featured in the video, and what did you learn about the individuals featured in the video? (Be sure not to self-censor. Be honest as you describe your reactions.)

4. What I Learned about Myself: Now, take a second look at the notes you jotted down while watching the video. What did you learn about yourself, as you reflect on the immediate reactions you had to the people featured in the video? How did this video challenge you, or prompt you to test any of your own assumptions or biases? (Again, be careful not to self-censor Be honest.)

5. Applying this Learning to My Leadership: How does what you learned about the people featured in the video impact your own approach as a current or aspiring leader? How does what you learned about yourself impact your role as a leader? In other words, how will you incorporate what you learned-about the people in the video and about yourself-into your leadership approach?

6. Conclusion: Summarize the points you made in your reflection paper, and offer any concluding remarks.

Your paper should be in APA style, be sure to cite all your source.