Emily Shaffer

College Knowledge Product Proposal

Form:
2 to 4 page Paper including each section and sources
Introduction ( How I learn effectively)
(
https://connection.naviance.com/family-connection/main/cite/report
?,
http://neuroscience.uth.tmc.edu/s2/chapter15.html
)
:
visually- visual numerical, auditory-visual-kinesthetic combination- very good and
helpful to work with hands, can express thoughts and feelings through visual
representation, remembers better through seeing, many components taken into
account- size, shape, color, brightness
color, brightness contrast, movement, are
kept segregated in separate information channels and processed in parallel by
different cells at all levels of the visual system, info is coded, take lots into
consideration to make whole piece, this plasticity allows visual cortex to construct
an accurate picture of the world that can rapidly adapt to match the changes in the
environment.
writing expression- I can express myself through words really well and articulate my
feelings, emotions and thoughts through writing, it helps me remember what I learn,
I also visualize past writings that help me remember
Career, Lifestyle and/or Pursuit (brain training and habits needed):
youth ministry- work with youth (specifically high school), impact their lives and
help them through life
habits needed:
listening skills- theyre not always my strongest, but its really important that I
focus on what Im doing and who Im with to best support them
relational/social skills- I need to know how to best interact with others and
be effective in how I communicate, I need to make people feel comfortable in
a group and individually, I need to know how to best support/encourage
others, understand the lives and minds/thinking of those Im interacting
with
leadership skills/wisdom- know how to teach in different settings, be
knowledge and give good wisdom, know how to lead students in
relationships and youth group as a whole
working with others- I will have many co-workers on same level and above
me, need to respect, love and appreciate them and communicate/interact well
Major and other Activities to get there (3 factors and sources):
major: youth ministry

 activities:
being a leader of Open to Faith Club on campus- lead/facilitate and
encourage those around me, share my thoughts on God and life, create space
for fellowship
actively involved in my church- I go on Sunday mornings, Wednesday
evenings and serve food at Sunday evening service, have amazing time of
fellowship with those around me, amazing environment- support, encourage
and hold accountable, spend time with a variety of people
pursuing my own relationship with God- I want to push and encourage
others in their relationship with God, I need to have a strong dependence
and relationship with God to lead and set example,
3 factors:
leadership- know how to effectively lead students, be a someone they want to
hear from and be lead by, facilitate and ask questions to push them to think
fellowship/encouragement- know how to support others and have them feel
comfortable
disciplining self, setting example, spend time with God and for guidance- I
need to live in a godly way to set example (not trying to be perfect though),
continually learn to trust God with what He has for me
College suiting learning, needed skills and endeavors (3 factors and sources):
3 factors:
good environment (physical)- nature, beach or forest very near
good community- small, close with people, encouraged, strong relationships
provides the education I need
Statement of:
- Knowledge going into project:
above all else, I want to pursue something I love and is my biggest passion
I really think I want to pursue working in youth ministry with high schoolers
I need a strong Christian ministry and education background
I think that I am gifted in youth ministry
there is lots of pressure to go to college and its best to pursue that
theres so many options for paths
there isnt a right and wrong or good and bad path
- What I need to learn more about in college journey and plan for getting there:
what are the requirements for the career I want to pursue
what really is the best physical environment for me and the path I want to take
how does studying abroad work
Goal for 15/1/15: put all thoughts and info so far into sentences and paragraph

Our brain has a certain cycle of how we learn information. We first gather
information through our senses such as seeing and hearing, which occurs in the back of the
brain or the occipital lobe through our sensory cortices. Reflection is the next part in this
process, happening in the temporal lobe. Here the brain digests all the sensory input and
draws connections of the information. It is also very beneficial for the brain to pause and
take a break from absorbing information. Next, the brain starts to create ideas, plans and
concepts (Hendel-Giller, 2010) using the prefrontal cortex. Data is organized into new
arrangements and that data is attached to the networks that represent prior knowledge
(Hendel-Giller, 2010). Once we have this information down, we must continually imbed it
into our brains so we wont lose or forget it. This happens through testing ourselves
through the motor cortex by taking the ideas and putting them into action. I learn by best
through the sense of vision.
For our brain to process what we see into data, there first exists
a flattened sheet of photoreceptor cells lying on the inner surface of the retina that the
picture is projected onto. Next, compiled by millions of receptor cells, the information is
projected onto millions of bipolar cells. This then sends projects to retinal ganglion cells
which encode all aspects of the visual stimulus that carry separate information about size,
color and movement. This is all given to the visual thalamus. Another sense to get
information through, that I will most definitely use in the future is through hearing.
Information goes from the organ of corti, to spiral ganglion cell and the 8th nerve afferents
in the ear, which then goes to the cochlear nuclei. It then crosses over to the superior olive
in the brain stem. All the ascending fibers halt in the inferior colliculus in the midbrain and
the medial geniculate body in the thalamus, before reaching the cortex in the superior
temporal gyrus
(Hendel-Giller, 2010).
For me to gain the skills I need for this career, I will

need to learn and absorb a lot of information about certain skills. I will learn them through
listening (auditory learning) and reading (visual learning) and through experiences.
I have always had a this pursuit of life, ever since I was little, that I wanted to change
the world somehow, someway. Thats an incredibly broad topic. Ive always cared very
deeply about the hearts, minds and wellbeing of others. Whether that be those close to me
or anyone around the world. Peoples hearts were and are the most important thing to me. I
have spent a lot of time thinking about what job would encompass the goal of changing the
world and influencing the hearts of those around me. Over the years the idea of pursuing a
career in youth ministry has continually come back to me. My desire is to build
relationships with the youth, preferably high school students, and encourage and support
them in this crazy, messy and constantly changing point in their lives.
What a job in youth ministry would look like is building lasting relationships with
the students and staff I will interact with. I will encourage and support the students
through the Bible and Christian concepts that I and the church I will work at live by. I will
relate and concept to the youth and share what I have gone through and learned so they
face the challenges of life. I will help them learn the Bible and teach them from it. For the

career that I want to pursue of youth ministry I will need to develop certain skill sets. This
job will require many social skills and relationships building skills, as most of this job is
focused on relationships. Its important that I have strong listening and focusing skills. It is
crucial that I focus on what Im doing and can give my full attention to who Im with to
best support and push them. As I mentioned, relational/social skills one of the biggest
components of this career. Its crucial that I create nurturing and dependable
relationships (Marchel)
in this career. I need to know how to best interact with others and be effective in how I
communicate. Making people feel comfortable in a group and individually, to share and
open up about life is very important. I need to know how to best support/encourage others,
and understand the lives and minds/thinking of those Im interacting with. Another major
skill for this job is leadership skills/wisdom, knowing how to lead students in relationships
and youth group as a whole. That is knowing how to teach in different settings, being
knowledgeable and give good wisdom. I will take what I know from the Bible and my own
life and guide students with that. This job with require me to work with others. I will have
many co-workers on same job level as me and above me. I need to respect, love and
appreciate them and communicate/interact well with all of them for the effectiveness and
whats best for our youth group.
Having the desire to pursue a job in the field of youth ministry and going to college
is not enough to get me there. There are activities I can pursue now to better prepare me to
work in this field. Leadership is a huge aspect of this job. Gaining the skills for that
component now would greatly benefit my future. I am currently a co-leader of Open to
Faith Club on campus. We lead, facilitate and encourage those that come to our meetings
by having open discussions about life and faith. I am able to share my thoughts on God and
life, as well as create space and time growth and fellowship. I see our club as a sort of mini
version of a youth group. Being apart of this club as well as a leader has taught me lot about
relationships, high school students and leadership. It has prepared me to be flexible,
comfortable with awkwardness, on top of trusting myself, God and others. This is what I
want to do for my career and I dont see a better opportunity to get a head start on what I
love to do and will do the rest of my life. Another activity that is really valuable is to be
actively involved in my church. This gives me a really good look at youth ministry todaythe good and the bad. I see the value and importance of church and what it can do for a
person. I have amazing time of fellowship with those around me. My church is an amazing
environment filled with support, encouragement and accountability. I am able to
encourage and pour into others and vice versa. I am also involved in serving at my church
with my friends. I find it really important to give back to your church and be apart of it in
that way. Lastly, the most important activity I need to pursue for this job is pursuing my
own relationship with God. I want to push and encourage others in their relationship with

God. I need to have a strong dependence and relationship with God to lead. And lead by
example.
These activities will help me get where I want to go in life and for my career. The
activities encompass 3 major factors. One of which is leadership (
Franklin)
- knowing how
to effectively lead students and being someone students want to hear from and are willing
to lead by. And also facilitating and asking questions to push them to think. The next
factor is fellowship/encouragement (Mueller) - knowing how to support others and have
them feel comfortable in the environment I help create. The last factor is disciplining
myself through striving to setting an example (Jackson). I need to spend time with God for
my own self and for guidance.
One college that I am currently looking into is Biola University. It is a Christian
college that teaches a wide variety of majors, through a Biblical lense. There are a few main
components of a college that is important for me to evaluate before I choose if I am
genuinely interested in attending. Something that is crucial for me to look into is the
physical environment of the school. Nature has always been a major part of my life. Its
important to me that my learning environment would be aesthetically pleasing: lots of
plants, grass, trees, places for me to still quietly. Ideally I would love for it to be in a nature
setting, such as in a forest as opposed to a city. I need that open and free space for creativity
and for me to be still with myself and God. The opportunity to go and study abroad is
something very important to me also (Darling, 2012). A strong community is crucial for me
as well. I would prefer a small student body that I may be close with the people around me
and have a close group of friends
(http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/biola-university-1122). I
want to be encouraged, and build strong relationships with the students and staff. Its
important to be that I am in an encouraging and thought provoking Christian
environment, so it is most effective for the career I want to pursue
(http://www.biola.edu/about/mission). This goes along side with my last factor that the
college I attend will provides the education I need to achieve working in youth ministry.
That I may be equipped and prepared for my job and effectively do it.
Before I embarked on this journey of looking into the specifics of the path for career
I had a good understanding about college and what I wanted to do for a living: Above all
else, I want to pursue something I love and is my biggest passion. I really think I want to
pursue working in youth ministry with high schoolers. I need a strong Christian ministry
and education background. I think that I am gifted in youth ministry. There is lots of
pressure to go to college and its best to pursue a college education. There are so many
options for paths to take for a career and in life. There isnt a right and wrong or
good and bad path. There is some knowledge I still need to acquire for my path: What
are the requirements for the career I want to pursue? What really is the best physical
environment for me and the path I want to take? How does studying abroad work?

Healthy early development depends on nurturing and dependable relationships

Experiences create expectations which alter perceptions
Refers to moderate, short-lived stress responses, such as brief increases in heart rate or mild
changes in stress hormone levels. Learning to adjust to it is an essential feature of healthy
development. Examples: meeting new people, getting an immunization, entering child care.
Events that provoke positive stress tend to be those that a child can learn to control and
manage well with the support of caring adults and which occur against the backdrop of
generally safe, warm, and positive relationships.
Refers to stress responses that could disrupt brain
architecture, but generally occur within a

time-limited period and are buffered by supportive relationships that facilitate adaptive
coping. These conditions usually give the brain an opportunity to recover from potentially
damaging effects.
Examples of stressors include death, a serious illness of a loved one, a frightening injury,
divorce.
Refers to strong and prolonged activation of the bodys stress management systems in the
absence of the buffering protection of adult support, disrupts brain architecture and leads
to stress management systems that respond at relatively lower thresholds, and increases the
risk of stress-related physical and mental illness.
Examples of stressors include extreme poverty, physical or emotional abuse, chronic and
serious neglect, enduring maternal depression, family violence.
Forebrain-Abstract Thought
Logic
Reasoning
Midbrain- Attachment
Context Memory
Sexual Behavior
Emotion Reactivity
Appetite/Satiety
Blood Pressure
Body Temperature

Hindbrain- Motor Regulation

Balance
Heart Rate
Breathing
An awareness of the role of relationship in brain development as well as the role of the
environment
An awareness of the effects of environmental stress on brain development
An important and necessary aspect of healthy development, especially when it occurs in
the context of stable and supportive relationships.
Disrupts brain architecture and leads to stress management systems that respond at
relatively lower thresholds, thereby increasing the risk of stress-related physical and mental
illness.
Supportive early relationships offer protection from the effects of stress, and the absence of
such relationships can imperil the brains capacities for managing stress and/or its recovery
Investing in early childhood development is warranted by preventing later difficulty as well
as enhancing developing potential
The young brain develops rapidly, with the potential for remarkable growth but also
vulnerability to harm and stress
Early learning involves the mind, the emotions, and social capacities in an integrated
fashion
Relationships provide the central catalysts to healthy cognitive and socio-emotional
growth
Programs and policies for infants and toddlers must better incorporate our expanding
knowledge of early childhood development

As later summarized by Finkelstein and Hambrick (1996), managers with dominant left
hemispheres (i.e., in which the focus is largely logic and rational thinking) may make good
plan- ners. In contrast, they suggested that managers with dominant right hemispheres (i.e.,
in which the focus is largely imagination, creativity, visual

imagery, and emotional response) may make good managers or leaders.

For example, the presence of high coherence in the right hemisphere could suggest greater
emotional balance and under- standing through integration in the processes that manage
emotional thought, including an under- standing of ones own emotions as well as the
emotions of others (Thatcher, Krause, & Hrybyk, 1986; Thatcher, North, & Biver, 2007). It
might also reflect a greater cognitive understanding of

2011 Waldman, Balthazard, and Peterson 63

the larger picture when reasoning and making decisions (Thatcher et al., 2007).1

Regarding the former, various authors have stressed the importance of the affective or
emo- tional component of visionary communication, which makes a direct appeal to the
personal val- ues, beliefs, and needs of followers and attempts to get them excited and
optimistic about the future (e.g., Boal & Hooijberg, 2001; Shamir et al., 1993). As such, the
affective component underlies the leaders ability to generate the motivation and
commitment necessary for followers to carry out the vision. Indeed, emotions are
important in terms of the emotions leaders themselves experi- ence and share, as well as the
emotions followers experience toward the leader and his or her vision (Barsade & Gibson,
2007; George, 2000)

Goleman et al. (2001) noted that emo- tional intelligence has a basis in brain circuitry and
further suggested that it derives from how cortical regions of the brain interpret and
manage neurotransmitter signals from the brains limbic system. Morse (2006) suggested
that a leaders use of emotions and reasoning for the purpose of for- mulating and
espousing a vision has a basis in the limbic system. Naqvi, Shiv, and Bechara (2006) further
suggested that parts of the brain, such as the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, may help a
person to balance emotions in decision making, especially in situations in which outcomes
are ambiguous or uncertain. There is also recent re- search showing that regions of the
cortex may help to assess risk and guide behaviors in antici- pation of emotional
consequences, including such negative consequences as fear and despair (Paulus, Rogalsky,
Simmons, Feinstein, & Stein. 2003; Sanfey et al., 2003).

Beyond emphasizing the different hemispheres of the brain (left and right), it seems logical
to focus on the frontal regions of the brain (as op- posed to the distal or posterior regions).
This is because the front part of the brain may be espe- cially involved in the regulation and
expression of emotions, as well as higher cognitive functioning such as goal-directed or
visionary behavior (Hag- mann, Cammoun, Gigandet, Meuli, & Honey, 2008). For

instance, Heisel and Beatty (2006) found the right frontal part of the brain to be essential
for effective interpersonal communica- tion and social relationships. Moreover, it has been
shown that right frontal dysfunction gives rise to antisocial behavior and an inability to
understand relationships with other people (i.e., social skills, mood control, and awareness
of self; see Salloway, Malloy, & Duffy, 2001) and difficul- ties balancing emotions in
decision making under conditions of uncertainty (Naqvi et al., 2006). In sum, the
social/emotional skills or abilities associ- ated with right frontal activity might also be
relevant to behaviors involved in inspirational leadership, especially the espousal of
socialized visionary communication. In addition, in line

64 Academy of Management Perspectives February

with the assessment of neuronal coherence, recent work would suggest that emotional
regulation in- volves multiple regions of the brain working in conjunction (Cacioppo et al.,
2008). Thus, our primary focus in this research is on right-brain coherence, especially in the
frontal regions (Thatcher et al., 1986; 2007).

In sum, it is possible that not only will right frontal activity be heightened for inspirational
leaders, but we may also witness greater coherence between areas in this portion of the
brain.

recent work would suggest that emotional regulation in- volves multiple regions of the
brain working in conjunction (Cacioppo et al., 2008). Thus, our primary focus in this
research is on right-brain coherence, especially in the frontal regions (Thatcher et al., 1986;
2007).

In line with our above argu- ments, we posit that individuals with enhanced right frontal
coherence may be able to both con- ceptualize the balancing of concerns of multiple
constituent groups in the formation of a more socialized vision and deal with potential
emo- tional strains, moral issues, and uncertainties. They may further recognize that the
positive emo- tions of others can be enhanced through visions that emphasize more
socialized, as opposed to per- sonalized, content (Carmeli, Gilat, & Waldman, 2007).

First, as predicted, right frontal coherence was associated with participants who were coded
as high on socialized visionary communication (
r .36,
p .05).4 Second, socialized vision
was cor- related with follower perceptions of inspirational/ charismatic leadership (
r .39,
p
.01). Third, right frontal coherence was only marginally asso- ciated with follower
perceptions of inspirational/ charismatic leadership (
r .26,
p .10). In short, these findings
suggest that right frontal coherence may help to form the basis of socialized visionary
communication, which in turn helps to build fol- lower perceptions of the leader in
inspirational or charismatic terms. That is, right frontal coherence

4 To explore the robustness of our findings we examined the relation- ship between
socialized vision communication and coherence in several other regions in the brain (e.g.,
left frontal coherence). The purpose of these analyses was to eliminate the possibility that
coherence in general (i.e., in any region of the brain) might be related to socialized vision
communication. In none of these instances did we find a significant relationship between
coherence and socialized vision communication.

(i.e., our neurological indicator) was more strongly related to our direct coding of socialized
visionary behavior, rather than the more indirect or generalized behavioral measure
involving per- ceptions of inspirational/charismatic leadership on the part of followers.