Last Day

Well it is the last day of class today and I definitely hands down can say this was one of my favorite classes thus far. I also can't help but reflect on how far we have come as a cohort and that for a small moment I saw a glimpse of a light at the end of the tunnel. That when first even thinking of starting this program it seemed very daunting and was hard imagining anything past the first year. Well now in the second year and with one quarter done it seems like this is very doable. Although it is hard to delay gratification I can see and end in sight. Also, I appreciate the mini lessons within the lessons that were learned. To think that the simplest thing like writing a blog make me think of all the other tools that I could be using in my daily life and in my career. Also, knowing that a leaders vision is a huge part of leadership, being able to convey that vision is a whole different story. The final project was interesting as it was learning in action and taking multiple visions to shape a unified one. During the last project you also learn that the vision can take on a life of its own and during the process there may be things or symbols revealed that you did not plan on in the beginning. Or the final project may not be exactly what was in your head, but it may work out better than even you could have imagined. I think that's also a lesson in itself that you can have so many plans and doubled checked all the details, but there may be a curve ball that leads you in another direction. As a leader you have to try to prepare for these things, but more importantly be able to adjust on the fly and seek help. This help from trusted or more knowledgeable individuals will help you get to your goal or resolve any problems. During this process the conflict can be helpful because it may show you a different side to the story and give you a different vantage point. There is also practice in constructive conflict to fight for your vision as well and help other people see why certain things are needed to convey your vision. Looking ahead I definitely feel as if I put more tools in my tool belt to be a better leader. Also when working with a group or team it is good to find people's strengths and see what others are comfortable doing. I look forward to investigating more way that technology can help me in the future and changing with the times.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

So it's that time of season again where things get a little more hectic and we start to travel. This week we traveled to Seattle and packed our bags and checked in to our flight. Sitting in our first grungy airport of the season in Long Beach I looked to see where my team was sitting. It was turning around and seeing two rows of those uncomfortable airport chairs that face each other I saw our whole team facing each other. Well not exactly "facing" each other but maybe I should say interfacing with each other. Picture it, 15 young women sitting across from each other all dressed a like and each with their own laptop, ipod, and headphones in. I could not help but look and shake my head and think about our final project. It made me also think about how useful would online classes be for my team and other teams across the country. Athletes can end up missing a considerable amount of days of class, but what if they were able to attend classes while on the road. Or have access to lectures to be watched at the hotel during allotted study hall hours. Maybe this would help out with some teams graduation rates that have been highlighted in many NCAA reports.

Or would help other student athletes be less stigmatized by the "dumb jock" scenario. There can be times when other students may see student athletes getting out of class, but in the future this may not be the case. this moment in time was also highlighted by one of the airline workers at the counter making a comment about how she could not believe how this generation is and how this is not like how it was back in her day. it was also interesting to note that one of the players was reading an actual book and I was laughing in my head how funny she looked as she was nodding off and trying to stay awake. It then made me think how what if that same book or lesson related to the book was online, would she have been able to keep her eyes open?

Another interesting caveat is that while typing this I leaned over and asked one of my players what she thinks of online education. She said that she thinks that it would be hard to manage the idea of cheating and honesty. Which is also an interesting concern of the wide world web in general and how much information is out there. It is hard enough managing cheating and other academic dishonesty concerns within the walls of the university. How then do we combat that in the open world of cyber space?

I would love to hear what you see in this image since they do say a picture is worth a thousand words. I would also like to say i did not have them pose this way just so I could write this blog;)

Dissertation

So after our class this week and the week before that I was so excited! I was excited to learn and I was excited to research and work on my dissertation. This all stemmed from Dr. Deal's comments on different forms of dissertations. It also came from a comment Monica made on if we could get kids excited and running to school how great would that be. Well after that conversation I did pose the question if we could do our dissertation in another way. I believe that the whole lesson we are supposed to take from these courses and program is to make a change or not sit back and do things the way they have always been done. We have been challenged recently to think outside the box and I don't think that this idea is so far fetched. As a matter of fact I think this makes so much sense. I'm wondering if anyone else in the class got excited as well and creative thoughts started flowing about what they would do if they could create an alternative dissertation. Isn't this what we just tried to imagine for our children if they could have anything in their classroom? I also would like our dissertation to have more than a fire in our belly but an inferno. Can you imagine being so passionate about your topic and creating something that not only you are proud of but others will be proud of as well. Or a product that will go beyond your dusty book shelf? I'm imagining something that I can enjoy researching and that I can use in the future. We have all joined this program in some form or fashion to advance us in our career or to challenge us in some way. Well why not make the one thing that will enter us into the world of academia advance us and challenge us as well? I also think my attempt to get this done is a lesson in itself and is a small step to practicing leadership. I guess I also hope I will locate some forward thinking faculty to assist me in my endeavors and I can't wait to start the process. I'm a student who is know excited to learn with this option on the table.