When I read the syllabus for the IDS Cornerstone Seminar class, there was something that stuck out to me about a quarter of the way down the page: the definition, according to Dictionary.com, for ‘cornerstone,’ which is “something that is essential, indispensable” and “the chief foundation on which something is constructed or developed.” This made me view this class as more than an introductory course. The Cornerstone Seminar was a building block for the rest of my educational career and my life and the learning experiences that I will have. Each unit and the lessons I have learned are continual building blocks that will benefit me as I continue my degree program. I am grateful to have taken the Cornerstone Seminar as it has given me the confidence to be able to continue my education. Most of the students in this college are “non-traditional,” which I think adds more depth to class discussions and makes for a more interesting student body. What this class and experience have taught me is that it is never too late to start over. As long as students start over and can find the right foundation, everything else will fall into place.
Self-Reflection Essay
The first assignment that I included in my digital portfolio is my self-reflection essay from the first week of classes. As this was the beginning of the course, and an online course, I had to learn to become proficient in digital literacy, which means understanding how to optimize the use of technology like my computer for communication and most of all, to complete homework assignments. Digital literacy, like I’m sure that all other lessons part of this class is, is an essential and in-demand skill for employers. Technology has been an ever-growing force in this world and as the way that people get their information changes, everyone else young and old will have to catch up. Through the course, I learned how to find my digital voice and write for things such as the discussion boards, to make sure that it was optimized for a digital platform. Online schools rely heavily on online communication and thankfully, professors emphasize the consistency of connectivity. Though my self-reflection essay did not require much of me digitally except for submitting the assignment, learning to navigate the classroom’s online presence surely helped. Digital literacy is entirely necessary to be able to succeed inside the classroom and out. Possessing that skill will allow myself and the students of this course to navigate the ever-changing digital landscape. A digitally literate individual possesses an entirely new language that they have learned and can go on to create digital content that all people can use with their own skills or learn how to be digitally literate from said content.

Critical Analysis
The second assignment I included in my portfolio is the critical analysis assignment from the second week of class. This week’s unit was about finding our digital voices and understanding how to write digitally and create arguments. For this assignment, we had to critically analyze another of Malcolm Gladwell’s works, “The Trouble with Geniuses.” I had discovered in the beginning of the course that Gladwell’s philosophies are ones with which I much agreed. “Geniuses” spoke of how a person’s environment is pivotal to their success. As for my own personal experience, I believe, like Gladwell, that everyone is a product of their environment with some slight deviation of course. This assignment showed me how to be a better critical thinker as I completed it. Instead of relying only on my own personal experience, I analyzed an issue like that Gladwell presented objectively and then formed my judgment. I know that I had neither a rich nor poor upbringing, so my personal experiences cannot speak to those of the two men that Gladwell writes of. Critical thinking is such an in-demand asset for both the classroom and employment on the outside, so it is best that I carry each lesson I learn throughout my career. In doing this assignment, it showed me that life is not as black and white as it may seem and in both assignments and “real life.” I cannot take everything at face value, but instead think about situations deeper. For that, I am very thankful for this assignment that allowed me to do more introspection beyond a self-reflection essay assignment and learn how to see situations and other people’s lives from an objective standpoint and not just from my own life experiences.

Research Report
The final assignment that I am including in my digital portfolio is week 7’s research report, which was the culmination of the class’s research writing process over the course of the semester. My research topic was parental pressure in youth sports. Being that I am a father of children that are active and quite successful in sports, this paper’s topic is one to which I can heavily relate. Before beginning to write, I had to learn the aspects of writing which meant that I had to recall information from weeks pasts about the writing process. I had to develop a research plan that included finding sources that were scholarly, trustworthy, and most of all, unbiased. I was also aware throughout the process that my own bias as a parent had to be checked so that I did not look for sources that affirmed my bias in thinking that parents only want the best for their children and that pressure is no big deal. I learned that the writing process involves research, creating a thesis, drafting and editing the paper, ensuring that I summarize and paraphrase and not plagiarize, and of course writing the paper. Thankfully none of the students had to go through the writing process alone thanks to the peer review process included as a discussion board assignment. I found it helpful to take my eyes off of my paper for a moment and take a look at the unique topics that the rest of the class wrote about. The research process, I learned, was an intricate one, consisting of many steps. I also learned of the several citation styles that are used as a part of the writing process; I had to recall some from my days in high school as well as learning about new ones. The readings that were presented throughout the class, like The Craft of Research and A Rulebook for Arguments, were very helpful as well. This assignment is another building block that will take me through the rest of my academic career and will undoubtedly help in my profession, should the need arise to engage in research and write of my findings.