A521.5.8.RB_HansardCarey

           It is my job and goal to provide quality customer service and training to the instructors who are going through the EagleVision training and certification process. However, sometimes, in order to adhere to the value of providing students with quality instructors, this value becomes harder to uphold. Although one might think that these values relate to each other, they can occasionally conflict and create issues for all involved.

Our process is clearly detailed in several documents that are available to all Worldwide faculty and staff prior to being scheduled to teach an EagleVision class. However, what often happens is that neither Directors of Academics nor instructors take the time to read about what is involved. Although one does not have to be an IT expert in order to use EagleVision, a certain level of technical aptitude is certainly helpful. Strangely enough, we have instructors who are rocket scientists, but do not know how to use Blackboard. We also have instructors who do not have basic windows management skills. What these instructors do have to offer, though, is brilliance in a particular field such as aeronautics or ergonomics. They are wonderful instructors, but they do not have computer skills.

For example, this past term, we had an instructor who was unable to pass the pre-training quiz in the three attempts we provide. The instructor contacted us numerous times in the days leading up to his live training trying to figure out how to navigate through Blackboard and be able to pass the quiz. Ultimately, he did not pass after his third attempt. My colleague contacted the Director of Academics to tell him that the course would have to be changed to face-to-face and the DA was not happy. He tried to blame us for having a “defective quiz”. When we analyzed the instructor’s answers, we noticed that he missed the same questions again and again. The director asked my colleague if the instructor could retake the quiz. He explained to the director that the instructor was able to view which questions he missed so that he could review the study materials. Evidently, the instructor was not aware of this; so he was given a fourth chance at the quiz. Once again, however, he did not pass. The instructor and the Director of Academics were both upset at us and felt like we were not providing quality service to them, when, in fact, it was simply a clashing of values; a very qualified instructor who is not technologically savvy.

This is not something that happens frequently but, when it does, it is upsetting for all involved. The values that we all hold are equally important to the university. It is essential that we work together to put the right people up for this kind of training so that we have instructors who are successful on all fronts. 

A521.5.5.RB_HansardCarey

In the Denning text, there are three basic ethical components mentioned. They are: trust, loyalty, and solidarity. These are components are recognized throughout the university that I work for. Trust is something that I believe most humans would like to feel towards others. In the environment that I currently work in, we all trust each other a great deal. We have demonstrated this consistently in ways such as telling someone else on the team something in confidence. We also know that we can assign tasks to others that will be accomplished in a professional manner. For example, when I train a new faculty member, that individual is then provided with support on his/her first night of class using EagleVision from someone in my department. If I cannot be there to do it myself, I know that one of my teammates will be there. I can also trust that my teammate will support that faculty member in a professional manner and not be judgmental if the person makes mistakes. On the other hand, the faculty that I train trust in me to create materials that are easy to follow and teach them everything that they need to know to successfully conduct a class using EagleVision.

Loyalty towards co-workers and the organization is also a value held university-wide.  Benefits that the university offers to employees strengthen this feeling of loyalty. The majority of people that work for this organization are content here and, therefore, feel a sense of loyalty because of it. They speak positively about the university when they are out in public and believe in the overall goals of the organization. Within specific departments, the loyalty continues to fellow co-workers. Working with people on a daily basis and getting to know them on a personal level creates a personal sense of loyalty. I feel as though my colleagues will stand up for me and support me should the need arise and I would do the same for them.

The last ethical value, solidarity, is tightly related to the first two. If you trust someone and feel that they are loyal to you, solidarity is something that will naturally follow. I know that there have been a few times when I did not necessarily agree with the direction someone in my department as following professionally. However, because I trust those people, I supported them and helped them cultivate their ideas.

These values are already aligned with the values of the individuals in the organization. At least in my department, these ethical values are subconsciously relied upon every day. We all expect the others to trust us and be loyal to those within the department. Because of this, we have created solidarity within our organization that ultimately leads to higher levels of achievement as a group.  

A521.5.1.RB_HansardCarey

A521.5.1.RB_HansardCarey

         After taking the values assessment, I see that many of the values that I rank the highest actually have more to do with personal happiness rather than reasons that are professionally related. Two of the values that are the most important to me were stability and security and balance between home life and work. These are things that I have valued ever since I had children. I want to make sure that I can provide for them through their college years and I usually try to play it safe in my career so that I can achieve this stability. That is not to say that I have not taken risks, but I definitely have tried to do my best so that I was an asset to the organization I was working for. At the same time, my children and family are more important to me than anything and I want to be sure that I have a balance between my job and my family’s needs. I want to be there for my kids’ games and performances and I also want to make sure that if my parents or husband need me to be there for them that I can do that. The job that I have now allows for me to have some flexibility with my schedule and be there for the important events in my family’s lives. I have struggled with the stability and security aspect of my job. I was a high school teacher for 18 years and have only been in my current position for about a year and a half. I had tenure and did not have to worry about losing my position in my previous job. However, I was not happy anymore and that was weighing heavily on my mind on a daily basis. Recently, there have been many changes in my department that have left many people feeling uneasy and wondering about the future. At the same time, there are several people working for my organization who have worked there for over 15 years and so I tell myself that counts for something.

         The other values that stood out to me were about the importance of teamwork and groups, self-respect and pride in my work, and respect, recognition, and being valued. I like working with others in my workplace. I do not want to be so isolated. As a teacher, although children constantly surrounded me, I was isolated from my peers and colleagues. The environment I am in now allows for sharing of ideas, collaboration on projects, and a feeling of belonging within the group.

         As I mentioned earlier, I make every effort to do a good job not only because I want others to see my value in the organization, but also because I take pride in the products that I put out there for my customers. I respect myself and want respect from others as well. It is not necessary to have constant recognition for what I do, but it is nice to know that someone else, especially my supervisors, know that I am doing quality work within the organization. In the department that I work in, recognition is an integral part of life. The CTO holds monthly meetings and has an agenda item for accolades. Throughout the month, she collects emails and personal notes that have been written to or about employees for the great work they have done. She shares those notes with the staff at every meeting. This time is especially important to employees because they are assured that she knows about the good things they are doing.

         Overall I believe that the organization that I work for does align with the values that I hold. Employees are not going to find every value that they hold dear embodied in one organization, but when you find one that is close, don’t’ leave!

A521.4.3.RB_HansardCarey

A521.4.3.RB_HansardCarey

                After reading chapter 5 in the McKay, Davis, and Fanning text, I can definitely see myself and many people I know in the roles they have identifed. I see myself in the “You’re Good (But I’m Not) category. While I was reading it, I could hear myself saying things like, “You are so good at this!” or, “It would take me forever to do that!” After reading page 82, I believe what the explanation that the text provides for this behavior. “….after all, how can you really get angry at someone who’s already down on themselves?” If I seem pitiful in some way, people will help me out. This is not something that I do intentionally or even realized was a behavior that someone had identified prior to reading it here. This is a behavior that I do not see as attractive when I read about it and want to make a conscience effort to curb. It will be difficult for me to do, though. Sometimes, I really do feel that it would take me forever to do something and it is so much faster to ask someone who I know is an expert at it to do it or help with it.

                I also recognize the, “I’m Good (But You’re Not) mentality. I work with someone who likes to sit in my office and tell me how everyone else in the office is a nincompoop and she has to do everything because nobody else can do it right. That gets old quickly. It is part of her job to do things for other people. It is not that they cannot do it for themselves; it is that she is supposed to do it in the course of her job duties, so they ask her to do it. She likes to think that she “runs the department” because of this.

                The authors also talk about transactional analysis and determining whether your communication is coming from the parent, child, or adult within. Again, I identify with one role in particular, although I know that the others exist as well. I find myself taking the role of parent many times, especially with my coworker. I make an effort not to do this with him, but I know that I do it anyway. He is about 15 years younger than me, which really makes no difference, but that could be one reason why I do it. He has a different personality type than I do and he is adventurous. I, on the other hand, usually play it safe and err on the side of caution. In analyzing my behavior, I think that they parent and adult sides of me are much more used than the child side. I think the fact that he is coming more from a child’s perspective and I from the perspective of the parent makes this a complementary transaction.

                Finally, in chapter 4, the authors discuss body language. I tend to talk a lot with my facial expressions and arm movements. I am not sure if this is something that I have always done or whether it started when I became a teacher. Instead of using words to let students know that I did not agree with their behavior sometimes, I would make faces at them. Most of the time, I would try to make them exaggerated faces so that the students would see that I was not trying to be harsh with them, but that I did expect a different behavior. Students may argue with words but tend to laugh at weird faces and, surprisingly, end up doing what you want, too.

I frequently use intonation as another communication tool. As a foreign language teacher, we teach students that the tone of your voice changes when asking questions or when you are excited about something. This spills over into other aspects of speaking, too, but it is something that I have always been aware of. Nobody wants the monotone teacher like Ben Stein in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”. All that gets you is a bunch of bored people who are not paying attention to you.

In general, I think many will agree that what we do not say says a heck of a lot more than what we do!

A521.3.4.RB_HansardCarey

As a child, I think one of the most memorable events to some (and traumatizing to others) is the picking of teams in PE class or on the playground. There is a sort of hierarchy that develops during this event that puts you in your place quickly. There are those who are chosen first every time. Everyone knows that those individuals excel at the sport that is being played in one aspect or another. They are great hitters, kickers, or catchers and everyone wants them on their team. Then, there are those who are chosen in the middle. These kids are not necessarily the most popular and do an adequate job playing the sport. Then, you have those who are always picked last. These are the kids who, for whatever reason, are not very popular and/or not athletic. Even before the selection process begins, everyone knows who belongs in each category. It is not really discussed, it is just known. 

This process is something that I experienced frequently. I was one of those “in the middle” kids. I was never the captain and I was not chosen in the top five, but I also knew I wouldn’t be picked last.  That is not because I didn’t want to be picked in the top five, because I did. I found myself striving to do a better job so that, next time, I would be picked sooner. I remember a time when I was in elementary school where we were picking teams for soccer. The PE coach had chosen the captains for the teams and the captains were choosing kids to be on their teams. I remember wishing so hard that I would be the first one picked on the team. When I was not, I determined that I would go home and practice soccer in my backyard every day after school so that I could be picked first. I think that this has led me to work hard in all aspects of my adult life so that I am not considered an average employee, mother, wife, etc…  Even though I am not being picked for teams on the playground anymore, I continue to feel the need to be better than average. I still feel confident that I will not be last in my field, but I will always try to be in the top five.

Another memorable experience for me was my first year teaching. It was 1993, I was 21 years old and I had been hired to teach Spanish 1.  Although I had been in front of classes before during my internship, this was different. I was actually the one in charge…making plans and enforcing the rules. I made my own lesson plans, presented them how I wanted to, decorated my own room, made tests, etc... When the students entered the room for the first time, I was so nervous I wanted to throw up. I was trying to be sure that I did everything “right”. The first week was the hardest because everyone was getting used to each other. I soon fell into a routine and figured out what worked for me and my students. I quickly found out there was not a right way to do it. The experience of your first year of teaching is not anything that school can prepare you for. Only on the job experience will give you the true definition of being a teacher. This experience has given me the confidence to be a leader. It has allowed me to see that I can effectively make smart decisions and successfully lead a group of people through the trials and tribulations of Spanish 1. Being a teacher has given me confidence in many other areas of my life as well. I am no longer worried about being assertive and taking charge when there is a need, I just do it. Although it is one of the toughest jobs I have had, I think teaching has better prepared me for life.

A521.2.3.RB_Hansard

A521.2.3.RB

                I really enjoyed listening to Adichie’s “The Danger of a Single Story” presentation. Not only was it a great message, but I also related to the theme she used to tell the story. I was a foreign language teacher for many years. In those years, I listened to many students telling me why immigrants shouldn’t be allowed to stay in this country. I believe the reason for their ignorance is exactly what Adichie describes: they only have a single story. They have the opinion of a parent who is not educated about the reasons why people immigrate or they have listened to media accounts of immigrants taking our resources, etc… and they do not understand that many people see the United States as a place of hope and opportunity.

                Before she mentioned it herself, my initial though as I listened intently to her was that a single story leads to stereotyping. When you only have one side of an issue, especially if it is relayed to you convincingly by someone you consider to be reliable, you tend to believe the information and therefore, have a narrow viewpoint. For example, the media tells stories about our public schools based on their grades from the State of Florida. These grades are, in my opinion, bogus because they do not take many things into account. However, when people read in the paper that certain schools are graded D or F by the state, they automatically think that those are bad schools and do not want their children to go there. Wonderful things happen at these schools and brilliant people teach there. When they only have one side of the story, however, parents tend to take it as fact. This trickles down to their children as well and, before you know it, there is a lot of misinformation circulating about those schools.

                As Denning pointed out in the text, springboard stories like hers have several key points. First, her idea for change was well communicated. She gave several examples of poorly informed individuals due to the fact that they were operating off of a single story. She used events from her life and told the tale from her point of view which made the story much more interesting to the audience. She provided several places, but I do not remember any dates. She did talk about specific periods of time, however, when she mentioned storied she read as a little girl and then her college years. She detailed what happened to her as a result of these events in her life. She realizes during her trip to Mexico that she was also a victim of the single story mentality. The entire story was genuine and the audience could easily sympathize with what she was saying. She remained positive throughout the story even though she was talking about events which were not necessarily happy for her.

                In the end, I felt as though many people in the audience left feeling as though they had a better understanding of how the single story idea can skew a person’s point of view. If they were not motivated to change, they were at least thinking about it!