Abdul Hadi Syed- Assignment# 2 Blog 2

                                                                        BLOG 2

My classmates and I were split up into four groups for a recent class project that required us to conduct research and give presentations on a variety of election-related subjects. Through this effort, we were able to investigate important topics that frequently affect voters' choices, giving us a comprehensive grasp of the policies that the main political parties advocate. Every group addressed a significant topic, ranging from immigration, gender equality, education policy, and the electoral process itself. As I thought back on each presentation, I understood the value of preparation and good communication in addition to the relevance of these subjects. The initiative demonstrated the need to be knowledgeable about political issues and was both enlightening and educational.

First I want to talk about how our group decided on the topics we are going to cover we first chose the main topic of  Educational Policies. After this, my group members spent some time picking sub-topics and initially, we were doing it on how educational Policies are different in the US vs the rest of the World. After we decided we made an agenda of who is going to do what so it would be easier for our professor to have everything organized and know a brief overview of the topics. But when we were showing it to her she corrected our mistake of that we have to make sure that our presentation encompasses how elections matter and not only just how educational policies are different across the world. So then we changed our presentation to be more focused on different aspects of educational policies and how different in different states depending if they are red or blue states.



While this was the general topic my subtopic which I was assigned was on early childhood education.  And I believe it to be one of the most important things in education. The reason is that if the foundation of the child is strong then the rest will be easier but if the foundation is weak the rest of the educational career will be difficult. And during researching this topic I came to find many different things about early childhood education and different programs that are actually provided for children to have a good education. Half of my early childhood education to middle school I was actually living in India so I didn't get to experience it in the USA.  But knowing that my children will have better education and opportunities living and studying here than what I have experienced is a good thing to know.

I was also tasked to conduct 2 interviews. For the person to interview I chose my own professor, The reason is that she has been longer in the educational system and teaching than I have been alive... And I was really happy that she accepted it and let me conduct it because I got to learn so much about different educational policies at the college level and how different issues are going on right now such as African American studies being removed from certain colleges. For the second one, I wanted to do my mom's principle. The reason is that she is a principal in a school and I would be able to learn so much about early childhood policies and how education is for k-12. But sadly I was really sick and couldn't attend it.



I then had to start making the presentation which I finished a day before the presentation. The reason is that I was really sick and I couldn't get any work done for any of my classes. I pushed through and worked on it in the bed. During the presentation, I learned a few more things in designing and learned that Democrats and Republicans have their own symbols and that was something cool to learn about.


Then it was presenting day, my presentation was the second to last presentation and I was nervous on how I was going to sound because I had a throat infection during that day and presentation. My group members told be to screen-share the presentation and it affected me a little because I didn't have more time to go over my presentation and prepare but I believe I did fine. One thing that really annoyed me was how one of my group members messaged us that we had to cover for as soon as its her time to present because apparently, she was at work even though she had a whole month to call to take a 15-minute break to present. And this was her second time doing it as well which really annoyed me. Because she didn't inform us beforehand I had to cover for her last minute and do her presentation for her. After the whole presentation, I had to cover for 2 of my classmates and also had to present the Brochure we made to promote voting I was really drained and sick. But that is alright because I was able to get my point across on why I think voting is important,

As I think back on this experience, I'm thankful for the chance to study these subjects in-depth and gain knowledge from my peers. It took a lot of planning, study, and commitment to prepare our presentation, but the work was worthwhile. Giving a presentation on education policy was very significant because it gave me a better understanding of how policies impact educational opportunities and resources. I really appreciated how committed and perceptive each group was about their subjects, particularly because they all addressed problems that have a significant influence on our society.

Understanding the positions of other political parties on topics is one of the most important skills I learned from this endeavor. Voters who are well-informed are better able to make choices that reflect their values and the needs of their communities. Seeing presentations that were both well done and difficult provided insightful information on the value of planning, collaboration, and flexibility. I learned from this research that even though politics might be complicated, we can still actively engage in our democracy by educating oneself about party platforms and policies.


To sum up, the project was a fantastic educational opportunity. Every group contributed something different, and the knowledge we acquired will be useful long after we leave the classroom. Maintaining current knowledge of political issues is crucial, particularly when we get ready to fulfill civic duties like voting. I am appreciative of this opportunity and eager to use the knowledge I have gained in my next coursework and, ideally, in improving my neighborhood.