Monday, October 17, 2011
We Can't Teach What We Don't know!
So I have not gotten very deep into my book yet, but I have begun reading a little bit. The book mainly deals with the issue of race in the classroom and how social oppression of minority groups such as women, homosexuals, African Americans, etc... and how this affects the classroom. I look forward to learning theory that I can incorporate into my strategies I use in my classroom. I think the book will help give me many good ideas to use in my future teaching endeavors.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
MTBI and Christina Hixson
Hey All,
This was a busy week, but it went very well. We went over MTBI this week in class as a refresher from last year and every time we do I am amazed at how accurate the test really is. I am an ESTJ which to me seems pretty accurate, it stands for extraversion, sensing, thinking, and judging. It was really interesting in class to see what all the students were. I believe that many of them had never given much thought to their types and that the experience was eye opening to some of them to think critically of why they act the way they do.
Christina Hixson has come and gone and I what an experience it was. I am very glad I was able to meet Christina in my new role as a peer mentor. It was very interesting to see how donors of the university are treated with the whole parade and show. It was also great to actually talk to Christina for more than ten minutes when I was a freshman and it was worth all the work of being a peer mentor to get to know the lady that helped make college a possibility for me. It was great and I was excited to be apart of it.
This was a busy week, but it went very well. We went over MTBI this week in class as a refresher from last year and every time we do I am amazed at how accurate the test really is. I am an ESTJ which to me seems pretty accurate, it stands for extraversion, sensing, thinking, and judging. It was really interesting in class to see what all the students were. I believe that many of them had never given much thought to their types and that the experience was eye opening to some of them to think critically of why they act the way they do.
Christina Hixson has come and gone and I what an experience it was. I am very glad I was able to meet Christina in my new role as a peer mentor. It was very interesting to see how donors of the university are treated with the whole parade and show. It was also great to actually talk to Christina for more than ten minutes when I was a freshman and it was worth all the work of being a peer mentor to get to know the lady that helped make college a possibility for me. It was great and I was excited to be apart of it.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Diversity Panel Event
Hey Guys,
I did my last diversity event this last week. I attended a event a floor in my building was putting on called the Eaton Hall Diversity Event. This event had a panel of six people from different backgrounds and had students ask them questions. Now you may be thinking why would people come to this? Well the floor used food as bait! The food was an interesting part of the event. We are blessed in Ames to have many different types of food available to us. Some of the food I had never heard of before, but I tried it anyway. There were these fried "meatballs"...... NOT a fan! I gained an appreciation for Indian food and Thai, both of which I didn't have much experience with.
Many of the questions asked by students that were there were related to the transition from the panel's home country to here. Many of the panelists said that the culture was very different here. Some said the shock of how few people are in this town was a big one, another said the proportions of food was a shocker.
I enjoyed this event, which is great I believe it is good for people to hear the differences international students have to face from their own countries to here. We are all quick to blame or make fun, but lets put ourselves in their shoes and give it a go.
I did my last diversity event this last week. I attended a event a floor in my building was putting on called the Eaton Hall Diversity Event. This event had a panel of six people from different backgrounds and had students ask them questions. Now you may be thinking why would people come to this? Well the floor used food as bait! The food was an interesting part of the event. We are blessed in Ames to have many different types of food available to us. Some of the food I had never heard of before, but I tried it anyway. There were these fried "meatballs"...... NOT a fan! I gained an appreciation for Indian food and Thai, both of which I didn't have much experience with.
Many of the questions asked by students that were there were related to the transition from the panel's home country to here. Many of the panelists said that the culture was very different here. Some said the shock of how few people are in this town was a big one, another said the proportions of food was a shocker.
I enjoyed this event, which is great I believe it is good for people to hear the differences international students have to face from their own countries to here. We are all quick to blame or make fun, but lets put ourselves in their shoes and give it a go.
Scavenger Hunt/ Video
Hello Friends,
This week we did a scavenger hunt in class. I have done these before, but this one was a bit different because I actually knew where everything was this time. The purpose of this scavenger hunt was to make sure we all knew where these services on campus were. It is important for us to know this so we can direct our students in the fall to these services.
It is a lot of fun to do these sort of activities with my other peer mentors it's great working with them and becoming closer as a group. One thing this activity did was make me really excited for next year and find out who my partner peer mentor will be.
This last week we have also been working on our digital storytelling project. I have discovered this is a ton of work and takes a lot of time. We came up with a great storyline that I think will send a good message and turn out to be a great video.
I am excited for class tuesday to find out who my partner will be. I CAN"T WAIT.
This week we did a scavenger hunt in class. I have done these before, but this one was a bit different because I actually knew where everything was this time. The purpose of this scavenger hunt was to make sure we all knew where these services on campus were. It is important for us to know this so we can direct our students in the fall to these services.
It is a lot of fun to do these sort of activities with my other peer mentors it's great working with them and becoming closer as a group. One thing this activity did was make me really excited for next year and find out who my partner peer mentor will be.
This last week we have also been working on our digital storytelling project. I have discovered this is a ton of work and takes a lot of time. We came up with a great storyline that I think will send a good message and turn out to be a great video.
I am excited for class tuesday to find out who my partner will be. I CAN"T WAIT.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
SMART Goals
Take the goal you set for yourself for being a peer mentor and expand on it, use it in the context of SMART goals and the four M’s. Maybe discuss what some of your other goals for being a peer mentor are.
This was the blogging prompt for this last week, my goal for being a peer mentor over the next year was to know the names and counties of each of my students by the end of the Fall semester. I will take this goal and break it down into SMART goals.
Specific- it has two main points that I have to meet knowing the names and counties of my students.
Measurable- because I will either know them or I wont.
Attainable- I can accomplish it.
Relevant- it will benefit the effect I have on my students.
Time Limited- it has a limit by the end of the next semester.
I have always had trouble with remembering names so this goal is something I really need to work on so I used it as my SMART goal. The other goals I have are to make a difference in the college careers of my students. This goal is a good one, but its not a SMART goal.
This was the blogging prompt for this last week, my goal for being a peer mentor over the next year was to know the names and counties of each of my students by the end of the Fall semester. I will take this goal and break it down into SMART goals.
Specific- it has two main points that I have to meet knowing the names and counties of my students.
Measurable- because I will either know them or I wont.
Attainable- I can accomplish it.
Relevant- it will benefit the effect I have on my students.
Time Limited- it has a limit by the end of the next semester.
I have always had trouble with remembering names so this goal is something I really need to work on so I used it as my SMART goal. The other goals I have are to make a difference in the college careers of my students. This goal is a good one, but its not a SMART goal.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Facilitating and Learning Style
When we were asked in class to write down what we thought the word facilitation meant I wrote "to help stimulate learning and discussion in a group setting." Being able to facilitate is a skill we have to be good at as a peer mentor. It can be difficult to distinguish facilitating from teaching, but I find that if one thinks about letting the group find its own answers rather than giving them the answers and expecting them to retain that information.
Learning is an experience that takes not only the presenting of information, but the developing and learned skill of critical thinking. When our students get here in the fall they are going to need to adjust to the new way their classes are going to be presented. They may be a hands on learner, but in a class of 300 there is not likely to be many hands on activities. It is our job to help students through new situations like this.
I plan on doing an activity with my recitation very much like the one in class where we discover our learning style and discuss which one everyone is and what problems arise from said style. If we discuss about in in a group not only will we as facilitators be able to help the student using our own expertise, but communicating with other students that may have the same problem. The problem of adjusting to a teaching style different from what you are used to is a common one in college and can be extremely difficult to get over. With the extra help we as peer mentors give them it can be a much smoother less painful road they have to travel and can make their transition to ISU as easy and pain-free as possible.
Learning is an experience that takes not only the presenting of information, but the developing and learned skill of critical thinking. When our students get here in the fall they are going to need to adjust to the new way their classes are going to be presented. They may be a hands on learner, but in a class of 300 there is not likely to be many hands on activities. It is our job to help students through new situations like this.
I plan on doing an activity with my recitation very much like the one in class where we discover our learning style and discuss which one everyone is and what problems arise from said style. If we discuss about in in a group not only will we as facilitators be able to help the student using our own expertise, but communicating with other students that may have the same problem. The problem of adjusting to a teaching style different from what you are used to is a common one in college and can be extremely difficult to get over. With the extra help we as peer mentors give them it can be a much smoother less painful road they have to travel and can make their transition to ISU as easy and pain-free as possible.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Communicating Effectively
Hey guys,
First I would like to thank you all for being such good participants during Chels's and my presentation. I wanted to read over several of your guy's blogs before I posted my own to see how you all took the lesson and what you learned from it.
We really wanted to see how you all dealt with the activity of not knowing exactly what the person before you was trying to say. I believe that many of you did learn a lot from this activity about how one message can get misshapen and changed from one person to another. Cory pointed out that this is one thing he learned from the activity so I will mark it as a success!!!
We also learned as facilitators that there is always more information you want to cover than the time provided. Chels and I had another activity we wanted to do, but realized that we were going to run out of time. I think it is good to realize this now rather than plan a jam packed session and not get all our points across next year as a mentor.
Each of us communicates in a different way and it is our job as a facilitator to ensure that each of our students are able to express themselves and learn with the rest of the class. It was a good point that was brought up in class that we should use multiple forms of media to ensure we meet the needs of an ever growing diversity of learners we will have in our classes.
I learned a lot from this teaching experience and cant wait for the next one!
First I would like to thank you all for being such good participants during Chels's and my presentation. I wanted to read over several of your guy's blogs before I posted my own to see how you all took the lesson and what you learned from it.
We really wanted to see how you all dealt with the activity of not knowing exactly what the person before you was trying to say. I believe that many of you did learn a lot from this activity about how one message can get misshapen and changed from one person to another. Cory pointed out that this is one thing he learned from the activity so I will mark it as a success!!!
We also learned as facilitators that there is always more information you want to cover than the time provided. Chels and I had another activity we wanted to do, but realized that we were going to run out of time. I think it is good to realize this now rather than plan a jam packed session and not get all our points across next year as a mentor.
Each of us communicates in a different way and it is our job as a facilitator to ensure that each of our students are able to express themselves and learn with the rest of the class. It was a good point that was brought up in class that we should use multiple forms of media to ensure we meet the needs of an ever growing diversity of learners we will have in our classes.
I learned a lot from this teaching experience and cant wait for the next one!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Diversity and ISCORE
Hello World,
It is very fitting this weeks topic was diversity and that ISCORE was this week as well. I spend a lot of time thinking about diversity in my education classes and in one of my jobs as a community advisor and sometimes the conversation can get overwhelming and downright tiring. Neither of my experiences this week were that way though.
First I want to talk about ISCORE. I was disappointed that I was only able to go to one session, but I learned a lot during that session. I had the pleasure of going to Allie's session over Muslim women. It was extremely interesting to learn about her finding so far from her studies and the experience's she has had on her journey so far. Many of us find it hard to get out of our comfort and knowledge zone and learn about a topic that we have been uncomfortable with. This to me is why there is a problem with racism and stereotyping at all, because there are people that will not let themselves be exposed to new information and new experiences that would at the very least give them new experiences they could pass judgement on rather than just speculation. I am happy that there are people like Allie that are willing to put time and effort into such areas of study.
I really enjoyed hearing everyones description of themselves during class on Tuesday. It was interesting that a good percentage of the class had similar criterion to describe themselves, as Silas pointed out. Every time I am asked to define myself and the criterion I associate myself with I always feel bad somewhat because the criteria I identify with are those very criteria that other groups dislike or attack sometimes. I stated that I always feel like the bad guy because of my privilege, which is the truth in most of these talks.
There is a video that I saw on youtube the other day that had Morgan Freeman in it that I think has a good message. If we stop identifying ourself with these drastic differences and see each other as who we are individuals, individuals with differences yes, but individuals none-the-less we can end stereo-typing and move closer to a society without race or gender issues.
Here is the video-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeixtYS-P3s
This is my opinion and I believe that everyone has a different opinions on ways that we can resolve the problem. It has taken centuries to create the problem and I believe it will take quite a long time to fix it. We have came a long way in the last thirty years and I believe we will continue to press forward.
It is very fitting this weeks topic was diversity and that ISCORE was this week as well. I spend a lot of time thinking about diversity in my education classes and in one of my jobs as a community advisor and sometimes the conversation can get overwhelming and downright tiring. Neither of my experiences this week were that way though.
First I want to talk about ISCORE. I was disappointed that I was only able to go to one session, but I learned a lot during that session. I had the pleasure of going to Allie's session over Muslim women. It was extremely interesting to learn about her finding so far from her studies and the experience's she has had on her journey so far. Many of us find it hard to get out of our comfort and knowledge zone and learn about a topic that we have been uncomfortable with. This to me is why there is a problem with racism and stereotyping at all, because there are people that will not let themselves be exposed to new information and new experiences that would at the very least give them new experiences they could pass judgement on rather than just speculation. I am happy that there are people like Allie that are willing to put time and effort into such areas of study.
I really enjoyed hearing everyones description of themselves during class on Tuesday. It was interesting that a good percentage of the class had similar criterion to describe themselves, as Silas pointed out. Every time I am asked to define myself and the criterion I associate myself with I always feel bad somewhat because the criteria I identify with are those very criteria that other groups dislike or attack sometimes. I stated that I always feel like the bad guy because of my privilege, which is the truth in most of these talks.
There is a video that I saw on youtube the other day that had Morgan Freeman in it that I think has a good message. If we stop identifying ourself with these drastic differences and see each other as who we are individuals, individuals with differences yes, but individuals none-the-less we can end stereo-typing and move closer to a society without race or gender issues.
Here is the video-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeixtYS-P3s
This is my opinion and I believe that everyone has a different opinions on ways that we can resolve the problem. It has taken centuries to create the problem and I believe it will take quite a long time to fix it. We have came a long way in the last thirty years and I believe we will continue to press forward.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Values
(so funny story I went to comment on two blogs this evening and realized that this was autosaved as a draft and not sent...... whoops)
I have actually gave quite a bit of thought to values prior to this class due to my experiences with fraternity. Values are a part of life that everyone has. Granted some people have poor values, but values none the less. Analyzing and actually thinking about one's values really make you think about what you believe to be right in the world and how you run your life.
When I was asked the question who is/ has been a role model in your life I thought of one person. My grandfather. I have always said since his passing that if I live the life he did I will die a happy man. The core values I picked for him were creativity, responsibility, dependability, and positive thinking. He was a man whom everyone loved and cared for. This goes to show that these values are important in the relationships we build and that is why they are important to peer mentors.
I feel I share many of these values with him and I have used and developed them to build relationships with my friends, residents, and co-workers. Responsibility is one value that I treasure, even tho I sometimes fail on some of my efforts I try to take responsibility of everything I do, i.e. my work responsibilities, family, and school work. I think it is important to have all of these values if you plan on making a difference in the lives of your students. It was a common trend for the role models of several of the peer mentors to exhibit several of the listed values, so become that responsible role model/mentor we need to work on and exhibit as many of these as possible.
One of my weak points is focus, I am involved in so many things that stopping and focusing on one is a hard task and one that I have tried to work on more as of late. It has not been a hinderance to me since I have adapted to functioning this way, but it does affect my life when I have to stay up late to do homework because I put it off and didn't do it because I was thinking about something else.
I have actually gave quite a bit of thought to values prior to this class due to my experiences with fraternity. Values are a part of life that everyone has. Granted some people have poor values, but values none the less. Analyzing and actually thinking about one's values really make you think about what you believe to be right in the world and how you run your life.
When I was asked the question who is/ has been a role model in your life I thought of one person. My grandfather. I have always said since his passing that if I live the life he did I will die a happy man. The core values I picked for him were creativity, responsibility, dependability, and positive thinking. He was a man whom everyone loved and cared for. This goes to show that these values are important in the relationships we build and that is why they are important to peer mentors.
I feel I share many of these values with him and I have used and developed them to build relationships with my friends, residents, and co-workers. Responsibility is one value that I treasure, even tho I sometimes fail on some of my efforts I try to take responsibility of everything I do, i.e. my work responsibilities, family, and school work. I think it is important to have all of these values if you plan on making a difference in the lives of your students. It was a common trend for the role models of several of the peer mentors to exhibit several of the listed values, so become that responsible role model/mentor we need to work on and exhibit as many of these as possible.
One of my weak points is focus, I am involved in so many things that stopping and focusing on one is a hard task and one that I have tried to work on more as of late. It has not been a hinderance to me since I have adapted to functioning this way, but it does affect my life when I have to stay up late to do homework because I put it off and didn't do it because I was thinking about something else.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Becoming Self Aware
- What is your role in helping the freshmen students become self aware?
My role as a peer mentor is to facilitate students in their own journey of becoming self aware. I set up the situation for them to analyze their own awareness and guide them as they ask questions and share their own experiences.- How do you think you can do this?
I set up the situation by doing activities very much like the ones we did in class on tuesday. Another thing that is extremely important is reflecting on what you realize during these activities. I have learned from being a education major that reflecting is a integral part of developing and becoming aware of how things work and how you can make them better. I believe this is so because once your thoughts and feelings get put on paper you can go back to them and rethink them from time to time. This is why in lecture I brought up the fact that perhaps our students should blog more then they have in the past, perhaps for every class period like we do!
- What kinds of questions can you ask to make them more self aware?
Questions like those posed in activity 5.1 are very good, questions that make you think about yourself and how you perceive the world you live in. for the most part I believe that people don't really reflect everyday on who they are and how they interact with the world, so this activity poses questions that make them do that.- After looking at your activity 5.4 results, make 3 goals to improve your self-awareness.
My lowest area was emotional awareness primarily the areas of self content and change. I have never been good at dealing with change that was not controlled by me, I always like to be in the middle of everything that is happening and being a part of the change not just affected by it. I need to become a little better at going with the flow and taking stuff as it comes.
I also used to be overweight and I have worked hard over the last three years to be where I am today. I believe that my low self content is a after effect of my low self esteem during that period of my life. I am still working towards being content with my self so my goal is to become whole and happy.
My last goal is to become more spiritual, maybe not in the go to church every Sunday sense, but spiritual in the sense of finding something that makes me feel whole and happy!
My role as a peer mentor is to facilitate students in their own journey of becoming self aware. I set up the situation for them to analyze their own awareness and guide them as they ask questions and share their own experiences.- How do you think you can do this?
I set up the situation by doing activities very much like the ones we did in class on tuesday. Another thing that is extremely important is reflecting on what you realize during these activities. I have learned from being a education major that reflecting is a integral part of developing and becoming aware of how things work and how you can make them better. I believe this is so because once your thoughts and feelings get put on paper you can go back to them and rethink them from time to time. This is why in lecture I brought up the fact that perhaps our students should blog more then they have in the past, perhaps for every class period like we do!
- What kinds of questions can you ask to make them more self aware?
Questions like those posed in activity 5.1 are very good, questions that make you think about yourself and how you perceive the world you live in. for the most part I believe that people don't really reflect everyday on who they are and how they interact with the world, so this activity poses questions that make them do that.- After looking at your activity 5.4 results, make 3 goals to improve your self-awareness.
My lowest area was emotional awareness primarily the areas of self content and change. I have never been good at dealing with change that was not controlled by me, I always like to be in the middle of everything that is happening and being a part of the change not just affected by it. I need to become a little better at going with the flow and taking stuff as it comes.
I also used to be overweight and I have worked hard over the last three years to be where I am today. I believe that my low self content is a after effect of my low self esteem during that period of my life. I am still working towards being content with my self so my goal is to become whole and happy.
My last goal is to become more spiritual, maybe not in the go to church every Sunday sense, but spiritual in the sense of finding something that makes me feel whole and happy!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Week Five
Hey World,
Well I am super pumped about this week. Around 50 degree weather and of course Hixson Class!!! I enjoyed class last week, the format was a bit different because of having to have two complete lessons in one class period, but I believe the message got across very well and both groups did a great job! Well since I messed up and talked about chapter four last week I don't have a lot to talk about this week.
With that said I thought I would just review some of the highlights of my learning the last several weeks. I believe a high point for me so far would have to still be the MBTI. I was amazed at how accurate that test was in seeing what kind of person/personality I am and was able to break it down in to such accurate little sections. I still believe that it is a test that everyone should take once in their lives. Another highlight is really getting to know the other peer mentors. It has been relieving to know that there are other people out there that share the same concerns as I do. It is also great having so many people I feel like I could talk to if I had to.
To kind of revert back to chapter four and last weeks class the subject of confidentiality stuck with me. In my previous work and leadership experience I have noticed that it is hard for a lot of people not to gossip or talk about fellow coworkers or students behind their back. This is always something that has made me uncomfortable. I am glad it was covered in our lesson we discussed it somewhat. Nothing can hurt a relationship more than being caddy or talking about information that was supposed to remain personal with others.
All in all I have had a good experience so far and I hope I continue to have a great time and an interesting and developing experience.
Well I am super pumped about this week. Around 50 degree weather and of course Hixson Class!!! I enjoyed class last week, the format was a bit different because of having to have two complete lessons in one class period, but I believe the message got across very well and both groups did a great job! Well since I messed up and talked about chapter four last week I don't have a lot to talk about this week.
With that said I thought I would just review some of the highlights of my learning the last several weeks. I believe a high point for me so far would have to still be the MBTI. I was amazed at how accurate that test was in seeing what kind of person/personality I am and was able to break it down in to such accurate little sections. I still believe that it is a test that everyone should take once in their lives. Another highlight is really getting to know the other peer mentors. It has been relieving to know that there are other people out there that share the same concerns as I do. It is also great having so many people I feel like I could talk to if I had to.
To kind of revert back to chapter four and last weeks class the subject of confidentiality stuck with me. In my previous work and leadership experience I have noticed that it is hard for a lot of people not to gossip or talk about fellow coworkers or students behind their back. This is always something that has made me uncomfortable. I am glad it was covered in our lesson we discussed it somewhat. Nothing can hurt a relationship more than being caddy or talking about information that was supposed to remain personal with others.
All in all I have had a good experience so far and I hope I continue to have a great time and an interesting and developing experience.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Week Four- Let it Snow
Well here I am writing my blog for the week, I know everyone in class was very upset about not having class this week because of snow ;)
As I read this chapter I tied everything I read to experiences I have had as a Community Advisor. This helps me analyze the way I have handled situation and the how I could improve them in the future. The part of this chapter that really made me think was the mentoring relationship. The chapter says that mentoring is primarily about creating and enduring a meaningful relationship with another person. This made me think about why I wanted to become a community advisor. I wanted to have/build a close relationship with students that I am supposed to be an authority figure over. It is important for me to master this because I plan on becoming a teacher and i need to know how to build meaningful relationships, while maintaining distance and authority. I believe being a peer mentor will help me learn and develop this talent more as well.
Another part of the peer mentoring relationship were the attributes that improve the peer mentor relationship. Many of these included knowing and utilizing campus resources and drawing on previous experiences. One thing that I need to work on is the acting and coming across as authentic. I sometimes have a tendency of coming across as sarcastic when I really don't mean to be. I need to put a stop to this because a peer mentor needs to come across as caring and authentic in order to have a positive affect on their students.
These were a couple of things that really stuck out to me in the chapter!
As I read this chapter I tied everything I read to experiences I have had as a Community Advisor. This helps me analyze the way I have handled situation and the how I could improve them in the future. The part of this chapter that really made me think was the mentoring relationship. The chapter says that mentoring is primarily about creating and enduring a meaningful relationship with another person. This made me think about why I wanted to become a community advisor. I wanted to have/build a close relationship with students that I am supposed to be an authority figure over. It is important for me to master this because I plan on becoming a teacher and i need to know how to build meaningful relationships, while maintaining distance and authority. I believe being a peer mentor will help me learn and develop this talent more as well.
Another part of the peer mentoring relationship were the attributes that improve the peer mentor relationship. Many of these included knowing and utilizing campus resources and drawing on previous experiences. One thing that I need to work on is the acting and coming across as authentic. I sometimes have a tendency of coming across as sarcastic when I really don't mean to be. I need to put a stop to this because a peer mentor needs to come across as caring and authentic in order to have a positive affect on their students.
These were a couple of things that really stuck out to me in the chapter!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Week 3, ISLE, and MTBI
Hello World,
This week was a jam packed one on top of class this week for Hixson, we had a leadership session on friday, and ISLE on saturday. So we have lots of stuff to talk about this week.
Let's start with class! Class was extremely interesting this week since we spent the majority of the time talking about MTBI results. I was quite skeptical of MTBI after taking the quiz "choose the word that stands out to you" to me did not seem like a efficient way to test someone since to me it seems like they are petty useless choices. But, Debra proved my thoughts wrong tuesday in class, my results seemed very much like me and the people around me in the individual groups were a lot like me. Now we weren't the same on every level, but on the little levels we were split into were very accurate. I believe taking this test is important because it is important to know and understand yourself if you are supposed to lead fellow students.
This is my second year attending ISLE, I went last year for my fraternity for the entire time rather than just a couple sessions this year. I believe ISLE does a great job of introducing students to large variety of leadership topics which can jumpstart their interest in leadership activities.
This year I went to a session on entreprenuership and one on stress management for leaders. The entreprenuership session was led by one of my old professors and I was interested to see if he changed any of the topics from class for ISLE, he did not. In this session we talked about leadership skills and what it takes to be an entreprenuer. For those students who are going into majors that will cause them to have their own business someday it was an extremely useful session.
My last session was stress relief for leaders. This session was good because the speaker was very interesting. One thing that really opened my eyes was we did a activity were we marked our stress relief habits and pinpointed which were good and which were bad. It really made me think about my own habits and if I should change them.
So although it was a busy week I believe i got a lot of good out of all of these sessions and learned lots about myself and my leadership style.
This week was a jam packed one on top of class this week for Hixson, we had a leadership session on friday, and ISLE on saturday. So we have lots of stuff to talk about this week.
Let's start with class! Class was extremely interesting this week since we spent the majority of the time talking about MTBI results. I was quite skeptical of MTBI after taking the quiz "choose the word that stands out to you" to me did not seem like a efficient way to test someone since to me it seems like they are petty useless choices. But, Debra proved my thoughts wrong tuesday in class, my results seemed very much like me and the people around me in the individual groups were a lot like me. Now we weren't the same on every level, but on the little levels we were split into were very accurate. I believe taking this test is important because it is important to know and understand yourself if you are supposed to lead fellow students.
This is my second year attending ISLE, I went last year for my fraternity for the entire time rather than just a couple sessions this year. I believe ISLE does a great job of introducing students to large variety of leadership topics which can jumpstart their interest in leadership activities.
This year I went to a session on entreprenuership and one on stress management for leaders. The entreprenuership session was led by one of my old professors and I was interested to see if he changed any of the topics from class for ISLE, he did not. In this session we talked about leadership skills and what it takes to be an entreprenuer. For those students who are going into majors that will cause them to have their own business someday it was an extremely useful session.
My last session was stress relief for leaders. This session was good because the speaker was very interesting. One thing that really opened my eyes was we did a activity were we marked our stress relief habits and pinpointed which were good and which were bad. It really made me think about my own habits and if I should change them.
So although it was a busy week I believe i got a lot of good out of all of these sessions and learned lots about myself and my leadership style.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Chapter 2 and Class
Well Friends,
I apologize for the late post my computer died last night and I did not have my charger so I did not get this posted in time. I know I know it breaks your hearts to have to wait to read my thoughts and opinions on classroom topics and readings. Rest assured I will do my best not to let it happen again!
The case study we read in chapter two was very interesting especially since you find out later in the study that it is the same student. I think the case study depicts what lots of students go through. This story although has a very positive ending, while some who get knocked down like this student did get back up a lot just give up. It proves a point of how important mentors, formal and informal, are to new students and their transitions to college.
The difference between college and high school is drastic and some students are not ready for it. In my opinion independence is the major factor in the difference between high school and college. Students face the dilemma of doing what they want to do and doing what they have to do. Do I go to class even though its cold? Do I stay in tonight and do my homework thats due tomorrow or do I go out? These are just a couple examples of situations that students have to face. Students need guidance and help to find their way through these difficult times.
My role as a peer mentor is to help students make those right decisions and share the knowledge he have gained from our experience from a few years here at college.
Class is becoming more interesting. It was nice to see a group finally do their presentation and they did a good job. It gives me some ideas for Chelsea's and my presentation. I am becoming more comfortable with the other peer mentors which is good. I hope we all continue to grow and develop our skills as peer mentors together.
I apologize for the late post my computer died last night and I did not have my charger so I did not get this posted in time. I know I know it breaks your hearts to have to wait to read my thoughts and opinions on classroom topics and readings. Rest assured I will do my best not to let it happen again!
The case study we read in chapter two was very interesting especially since you find out later in the study that it is the same student. I think the case study depicts what lots of students go through. This story although has a very positive ending, while some who get knocked down like this student did get back up a lot just give up. It proves a point of how important mentors, formal and informal, are to new students and their transitions to college.
The difference between college and high school is drastic and some students are not ready for it. In my opinion independence is the major factor in the difference between high school and college. Students face the dilemma of doing what they want to do and doing what they have to do. Do I go to class even though its cold? Do I stay in tonight and do my homework thats due tomorrow or do I go out? These are just a couple examples of situations that students have to face. Students need guidance and help to find their way through these difficult times.
My role as a peer mentor is to help students make those right decisions and share the knowledge he have gained from our experience from a few years here at college.
Class is becoming more interesting. It was nice to see a group finally do their presentation and they did a good job. It gives me some ideas for Chelsea's and my presentation. I am becoming more comfortable with the other peer mentors which is good. I hope we all continue to grow and develop our skills as peer mentors together.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Peer Mentor Chapter One and Class
Hello World,
In chapter one of my peer mentor book we covered what it means to be a peer mentor, how it is different from tutoring, the difference between formal and informal tutoring, realizing our motivation, balancing your other responsibilities and mentoring, and many other topics. Most of the reading was basically a refresher of concepts that are commonly known, but clarifying the difference between informal mentoring (taking a mentor role without being assigned) and formal mentoring where a mentor is assigned to assist a person (usually in an educational setting).
Another important part of this chapter was clarifying the difference between a mentor and a tutor. Tutors mostly focus on student mastery of topics of specific concepts, while mentors can do that, but also promote success in other areas of the students life such as social development and the transition to college life.
During our first class we did two truths and a lie which was very interesting, especially since I know several of my fellow peer mentors fairly well, trying to see if I knew the lie hidden amongst the truths. In some situations I did in others I didn't. I really feel the best part about being a peer mentor will be becoming good friends with the other 15 mentors and our facilitators.
I must admit my mind was elsewhere rather than being on the topic on hand since I was battling a bout of the flu, which I lost by the way, that night.
Well thats all I have to talk about about my thoughts and experiences in class and while reading the chapters this week.
See ya later,
In chapter one of my peer mentor book we covered what it means to be a peer mentor, how it is different from tutoring, the difference between formal and informal tutoring, realizing our motivation, balancing your other responsibilities and mentoring, and many other topics. Most of the reading was basically a refresher of concepts that are commonly known, but clarifying the difference between informal mentoring (taking a mentor role without being assigned) and formal mentoring where a mentor is assigned to assist a person (usually in an educational setting).
Another important part of this chapter was clarifying the difference between a mentor and a tutor. Tutors mostly focus on student mastery of topics of specific concepts, while mentors can do that, but also promote success in other areas of the students life such as social development and the transition to college life.
During our first class we did two truths and a lie which was very interesting, especially since I know several of my fellow peer mentors fairly well, trying to see if I knew the lie hidden amongst the truths. In some situations I did in others I didn't. I really feel the best part about being a peer mentor will be becoming good friends with the other 15 mentors and our facilitators.
I must admit my mind was elsewhere rather than being on the topic on hand since I was battling a bout of the flu, which I lost by the way, that night.
Well thats all I have to talk about about my thoughts and experiences in class and while reading the chapters this week.
See ya later,
Why Blogging is Weird
Hello World,
I have started this Blog for my peer mentor class so many of my posts will be related to that, but if the feeling arises maybe I will blog often. Only time will tell.
So I have postponed getting a blog for many reasons one I feel that people who blog about random things like "Why chocolate chip cookies are good" and "Why I would marry Taylor Swift" could spend that time being productive in other ways. I say that now, but most likely I will be one of those people that fall into that routine very much like those who twitter what they are doing every five seconds "eating lunch"......... "apples are awesome"....... "wow I wish I wouldn't have ate that apple for lunch."
I feel blogs have become the socially acceptable format to drone on and on about useless random topics that no one in the actual physical world cares about, very much like I am doing right now........ actually the longer I sit here writing my thoughts about blogs and my feelings toward them the more and more I begin to understand why people do it. They use it as an outlet to express their feelings, to get things off their chest, to clear the air, to become one with themselves.
This could very well be the start of a beautiful friendship or the onset of a weekly chore. For my sake and the sake of all of you I hope blogging for me becomes like Facebook or Twitter, where I was skeptical at first and now I love it. As I said before only time will tell!
I have started this Blog for my peer mentor class so many of my posts will be related to that, but if the feeling arises maybe I will blog often. Only time will tell.
So I have postponed getting a blog for many reasons one I feel that people who blog about random things like "Why chocolate chip cookies are good" and "Why I would marry Taylor Swift" could spend that time being productive in other ways. I say that now, but most likely I will be one of those people that fall into that routine very much like those who twitter what they are doing every five seconds "eating lunch"......... "apples are awesome"....... "wow I wish I wouldn't have ate that apple for lunch."
I feel blogs have become the socially acceptable format to drone on and on about useless random topics that no one in the actual physical world cares about, very much like I am doing right now........ actually the longer I sit here writing my thoughts about blogs and my feelings toward them the more and more I begin to understand why people do it. They use it as an outlet to express their feelings, to get things off their chest, to clear the air, to become one with themselves.
This could very well be the start of a beautiful friendship or the onset of a weekly chore. For my sake and the sake of all of you I hope blogging for me becomes like Facebook or Twitter, where I was skeptical at first and now I love it. As I said before only time will tell!
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