Reflections Assignment
I think people learn most effectively in a relaxed, fun, group setting and by actively participating. I als think everyone is a slightly different kind of learner. I think that learning requires thinking and application of the topic to your life whenever possible. I also think people learn out of necessity, if someone identifies they need to learn something, they seek out a way to do it. I think people really need to want to learn, it is a choice. Information and knowledge can be available at any time to people, but when a person actually develops the need or desire to learn, that's when learning takes place. I think to truly learn, one must go beyond what they know, which often times takes them out of their comfort zone. Another way people learn is by teaching, as a teacher I know the things I have learned the best, have been things I have had to teach others.
Teaching should first engage the student. The most important part of learning is for the student to want or need to learn something. As a teacher, some steps can be taken to apply the knowledge and therefore help the student identify why they should learn the particular topic and also how they might apply it to their personal lives. Secondly, teaching should happen by moving people out of their comfort zones to push them to the next level. Teaching should apply to all the senses and it should engage the student. One way to engage the student is to put them into an environment where they not only need to have some type of group project, where students can teach each other. I think the environment should be fun, relaxed and cooperative.
Leadership is when someone looks behind them and sees people following them. I think the best leaders are people that inspire people to learn. The best leaders don't have to tell people what to do or how to do it, people just naturally want to follow them. I think leaders can make people think outside the box and they are risk takers. I also think the best leaders don't think they know everything but they are learning from the people they are leading.
In the last year my ideas on learning, teaching and leadership have remained fairly constant. I have always believed there are better learning and teaching styles than the standard sit in a desk and listen to what I have to say classroom. Through my experience, it has always been important to try to reach people on the level they learn best and also to make sure to relate learning back to peoples real lives, work or personal. To make a cliche remark, I've recently become even more adimant that the best leaders are those who don't lead with a dictator like attitude, but quite the opposite, one that is open to change and understanding of individuality and how it relates to the particular environment.
I think the skills i bring to the workplace are varied. Since my workplace involved multiple settings, I see different skill sets in different environments. First, I see my ability to be adaptable to help me in every work setting, especially those settings that involve teaching with technology. I find no matter what project I'm working on or class I'm teaching, the ability to assess the current particpants and their skill set is crucial to having a successful outcome. Another skill I have is the ability to quickly learn new things. As an independent contractor, I've found that diversity is key and I constantly need to be adding to my repiroure of skills. This inevitably means I sometimes say I have more experience with something than I really do in order to take on a new project. This enables me to get paid to learn a new skill. I have found this to be very beneficial for me, although the stress level at times can be high. In the last year I have added more project management skills, more database skills including web site integration and signficantly more k12 education exposure. The other skill which has been crucial to getting me where I am, is my ability to communicate with others. I feel fortunate to be able to diseminate information to many different personalities and skill levels.
My identity in my work place is hard for me to characterize. I feel a little like a chamelion depending on which place I'm working. I think when I'm doing training, I'm looked upon as the software expert in which ever program I happen to be training. I think I'm looked at as being a good trainer with effective communication skills.
I feel a little like I'm tooting my own horn which is a little uncomfortable for me then to take this and publish it where others can read it.
