Monday, March 22, 2010

Vision of School for the Future

A vision of school, to me, is defined as the plans, wants, and desires that you attain in making schools better for the future. Throughout the years, technology has exceedingly advanced; therefore, I think that technology will be a major benefactor in school years from now. My specific vision of school for the future would be as followed: Electronics, technology etc. will be used throughout the classrooms. No longer will students have to worry about pens running out of ink, or frantically searching for paper in their notebooks for an assignment. Soon, I think that all students will have laptops to use in school, which some students to now, to do their work on. Also, I think that text books and assignments will be accessible through the internet, which means students won't have to carry around heavy books, or worry about loosing them throughout the year. Another vision of school that I think will be beneficial in the years to come are holographic teachers. Already, there are websites that you can go to on the internet where you can watch a teacher teach a class a certain subject. Students can do this while sitting at home in their rooms. The only problem with holographic teachers, is that you possibly will not get the one on one help that some students may need to succeed in school. Yes, while holographic teachers will be a major occurrence in the advanced field of technology in schools, it might not be as beneficial to students as some may thing when dealing with their grades. These possibilities for schools in the future are high tech, and will be a major breakthrough in the course of education. The computerized technology, whether it be a computer type desk, or just bringing a lap top to schools with all your information on it, will be greatly beneficial is certain aspects of learning. While now, students are loading with tons of binders, loose papers, text books, etc., it can get rather stressful, especially if you have to carry it all in book bag, for that could cause back pains that could lead to worse issues in the future for individuals. If all work, assignments, and text books were electronic on either desks or laptops, it would make keeping up with work so much easier. These ideas may not be liked by some, for it does take away some of the traditional values of school. For example, the pen and paper have been around for centuries. If schools start using technology for everything, then pen and paper will become more and more insignificant. Generations of students to come in the near future might not even know what a pen or paper might be; relatively speaking. While some people like holographic and computerized teaching styles, some might not, for some people need one on one personal time with teachers to improve their education, and succeed to the fullest of their abilities; therefore, this appeals to some, and does not to others. These are my views of school for the future, or possibilities that could occur in the future. Some may be successful, while others won't. We all will have to see what the future has in store for us later on in the years to come.

Covey's 7 Habits

Out of Covey's 7 habits, the one that means the most important to me is habit number 3 : Put first things first. This habit is very important when dealing with a leadership role. In order to lead successfully, you must prioritize your time and think ahead in order to put first things first. Sometimes, in order to make use of this habit, a person will have to adjust his schedule in order to put what is most important at the top. This might mean that the person has to give up certain habits, or things that might get in the way of his/her goal. Certain things that are the most important to people might not be what is best for the success of the goal; therefore, one must prioritize their values, goals, and habits in order to put the most important one at the top of the list. In order to be a successful leader, this habit must be the most important. Also, in order to put first things first, habit number 7: re energize must be important to them too. In order to be on top of things, and have the most important thing in mind, one must take care of themselves. To put first things first and keep that your main priority when taking a leadership role, you have to be well rested and on top of things. This means you should take care of yourself, and take time to re energize your body to stay on top of things. This is why this habit is also important.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Personal Mission Statement

My mission statement is my outlook on life. I believe that I have been put on this earth for a specific reason. My goal is to fulfill that reason, and live my life to the fullest, being the best that I can be. I have always grown up in a Christian environment; therefore, my values are that of a christian. With that said, I try to live my life based on the Bible, and pleasing to God. A verse that I like to say I try to live by is 1 Timothy 4:12, which states, "Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity." This passage is how I would like for people to view my life. With that said, I try to do things that are pleasing to God, so people can see Christ through my life. When I die, I want people to look back on my life, and see all the positive things that I will have accomplished, and good things to say about myself in general; such as, my personality. I also value relationships that have formed throughout the years. People are the most influential people in life, and you you chose to associate yourself with plays in big impact on the lifestyle you choose. These are my values and outlook on life. I am inspired to be like this from watching my grandmother. I would consider her as my inspiration. She was a very Godly woman, who always had a positive outlook on life. She was always wanting to help someone, and she did what she could for other people. She was not selfish, for she always cared for other people. By watching her, and others like her, it has inspired me in the way I want to live my life to the fullest, and pleasing to God. This is my personal mission statement.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Assignment 2

The project that i took part in was with Justin Belk, Jordan Harcrow, Kameron Johnson, and myself. We decided to create a new, and improved lock for doors called the ScanFastic 5000. This lock will be used by millions in the United States. The plan ended successfully, and we had a people sponsor us. The best part about this project was being able to work with my fellow classmates in creating this product. We all had a good time taking the initiative to figure out a layout of how to design the product and what resources and equipment we would need to make it happen. All of us got along really well, and it was just fun. The leadership in the group evolved in that we each put forth our own input on what we wanted to do with the project and how we wanted to make it succeed. While some did work harder than others during the project, we all had something to do with it, whether it be deciding prices, designing the product, or doing the powerpoint. We all worked together on it. If this was an individual project, i honestly would not have done anything different to it. I would have had the same general idea of the project, and would have done the same type powerpoint idea. But of course, it would have my opinion on it instead of the opinions of the other group members; however, my idea was the same as what the group came up with in this project. If i was to do this assignment again, i would attempt to create a new product, and try to sell it just as we did in the previous project in this class.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

assignment 1

In the article by Mark Sanborn titled "Why Leadership Fails", it discusses six warning signs of why leadership fails. These warnings include: shift in focus, poor communication, risk aversion, ethics slip, poor self-management, and lost love. The most important warning is lost love. In being a leader, you lead doing something that you love and enjoy in order to do a good job. If a leader does not love what they do, then the leadership will result in being poor, as well as the result. If they loose sight of what they love, they end up leading a task that they do not enjoy doing; therefore, the result will not be accomplished to the fullest. The second most important warning is a shift in focus. While being a leader, you have your mind set on a particular goal. To reach that goal, you must do everything in your power to achieve it. One way to do that is to set your mind to it and not stray away from it. For example, if youare the leader of a small business that does their company a specific way, your mind is set on that particular way. But, if you are offered money, and to reach that you have to change a few things, then your focus has shifted on doing what needs to be done to earn more money, and that might mean having to change a few things in order to do so. This is a change in focus where the person switched their mind from one thing to another. The third most important warning is poor communication. This warning makes perfectly good sense. When a leader is trying to tell a group of people what, and how to do something, they have to be able to communicate with them in a way that get across to them. In order to do that, the leader must communicate on a certain level that suits the people. If a leader is trying to tell someone how to do something, but does not talk to them to where they can understand and visualize how to do the task, then the leader is being a poor communicator. This is a very important skill that a leader needs to have in order to achieve success. The fourth most important warning is a slip in ethics. This simply means that a leader, to reach their goal, might have to do something they thought they would never do. This shows dedication from the leader. If a leader is willing to do something that they thought they would never do to achieve the goal, then that shows that the leader is passionate about what they do, and really wants to acheive it. The fifth most important warning is risk aversion. This is where the leader is not able to accomplish or finish a goal, for they might have fear within them that is staggering their path to success. Some may fear that they cannot live up to the expectations they have set. Some fear failure, and that they can never be good enough to get the goal achieved. In order to overcome these fears, a leader must have a goal set in their mind, and should try their ultimate hardest to get it done. The harder to push yourself to achieve something, the greater the reward is. Finally, the sixth most important warning is poor self management. If a leader does not take the time to think about themselves and how they can imporove to be a better leader, then you won't progress to be better. The leader can only take care of his or her self, and when they are fatigued or overwhelmed, then their leadership will slack, and not succeed to the fullest. Leadership is a high postition, and can be tiring, overwhelming, and stressful; therefore, the leader needs to take the time to make sure that he or she takes care of his or her self before acting upon their goals. These warnings are what people need to look for in order to prevent leadership failure.

Friday, February 19, 2010