A500.8.3.RB - Blog - Good Presentation Design

For this week’s entry I had to focus on my thoughts on good presentation design.   Some of the information may seem repetitious due to fact that I share my thoughts in the weekly discussion forum.  I find this discussion very interesting because to me presentation plays a huge factor in my career field of education and training.  One question that comes to mind when it comes to presentation is what we did 25 years ago.  Did large butcher block pads and chalkboards do the same as today’s computers?  Were presenters of the past more skilled when it came to presentations than today’s speakers and presenters?  Make no mistake about it, I feel all types of professional presenters over use and abuse electronic presentations. The trendy phrase I often hear in presentation complaints from adult students is “Death by PowerPoint”.  Just like David Letterman has his nightly top ten; I have my own top 10… “I call this my "10 deadly sins of presentations"

(1) KISS- Keep it simple, stupid!

(2) A speaker must remember that a good presentation is there to support the speaker, not to do their job for them (they are the expert not the computer).

(3) Avoid distraction…annoying sounds and loud colors. With that said, the presenter must also remember that what looks good on a 20 inch computer screen may not be so good on a 9 ft. screen.

(4) Practice, Practice, Practice…enough said on that

(5) Avoid using audio visuals unprofessionally

(6) Avoid using out of date material. Make sure what you present is current (goes to credibility)

(7) Avoid using inappropriate humor that may not be funny; understand that some may be offended with certain jokes, if you would tell it to you mother keep it to yourself (know your audience)

(8) Avoid using poor grammar, pronunciation, and enunciation

(9) Being unfamiliar with YOUR information

(10) LAST BUT NOT LEAST…BE ON TIME & BE ORGANIZED. 

Another point I would like to address is using PowerPoint and other presentation tools as a crutch. I think the most important things is we must keep in perspective is that computers and presentation software are assistance tools and should remain as such. A question all presenters should ask themselves is, “Do you want the audience to pay attention to you or the presentation?" The biggest issue that I think is overlooked when it comes to presentation is problem the one the presenter has the most control over.  This issue is practice.  No matter how experienced a presenter is, they need to review their slides ahead of time before they present.  Personally I think a review should be done at least twice. A good review can assist in identifying slides that might be irrelevant.  The bottom line is the more prepared and familiar you are with your slides, the smoother the presentation will go.

A500.9.4.RB - Course Reflections

So now I must answer several questions concerning what have I learned from this course?  For me, the experience of this first course for this degree was very eye opening.  Even though the timing of this course was not the best for me, I felt I was able to rise to the occasion and complete the majority of the assignments.  I know there is one assignment that I will not be able to complete on time due to an account glitch and the administrators for the survey website are slow to assist me.  For that I will take a hit on my grade and feel I have let myself and the professor down.  However, I do feel I have learned quite a bit from the course.  This was a labor intensive course with a lot to learn in 9 weeks.  As far as the subject of critical thinking, I must admit that I have enhanced my comprehension.  I wonder how I will apply this new found skill throughout my life, personally and professionally.  As for the blogs, I was very skeptical at first, but now I see it as a living journal where students post their thought on the subject of that week; and I have grown to enjoy it.  I now see it as a life-long learning tool.  Now I must address the required questions for this course requirement.  What might I have done to improve my learning experience in this course?  Overall my learning experience was very good.  If anything, I could have improved on my time management where I could focus on areas that did not interest me as much.  I must admit that I did just enough to get by in those areas.  How might the University or your instructor provide additional support for your learning? Because critical thinking is not an easy subject to comprehend, more examples would assist in understanding and comprehension.  The things that provided me the most values to learning the process of critical thinking were the required videos.  The TED video Beware Conflicts of Interest by behavioral economist Dan Ariely and the TED video by Sheena Iyengar are videos that I really enjoyed and gave me a lot of insight on critical thinking.  Were there topics covered in this course that seem particularly relevant or irrelevant to your experiences and to what you expect to come in future courses?  I did not have any expectations for this course.  I am hoping is this course will set a solid foundation for this degree plan.  Last thing I feel I must address relates to the software we had to purchase.   I am curious to know how purchasing “The Brain” software will assist me in my learning endeavors.  It seems to be more of an online storage database tool rather than an educational tool.  This class caused me to think about things in various ways and the Brain software did not seem critical to my learning endeavors. 

A500.7.3.RB Quantitative Research Methods

“Quantitative research methods” have provided me with an insight into research that is different than that of qualitative research methods.  Just as I defined qualitative research methods, I feel it is important to provide my definition of quantitative research.  As stated earlier there is no finite universal definition of quantitative research.  Quantitative research it tries to quantify the problem and understand how prevalent it is by looking for projectable results to a larger population; by using data collection tools like various surveys, polls, and various type of interviews.  Many of the key themes of quantitative research are:

·         Seeks to discover a final course of action to a problem
·         Seeks a consensus on a final course of action to a problem
·         Project results by using smaller samples of a large population
·         Identifies independent and dependent variables
·         Test specific hypothesis and examine relationship between variables

The core of quantitative research is all about examining variables; usually independent (predictor variable) and dependent (response variables.  In quantitative research the primary objective is to analyze if there is a relationship between one thing (an independent variable) and another (a dependent or outcome variable) in a chosen population.   

There are also strengths and weakness of quantitative research.  The top five strengths I identify with are (1) useful for studying large numbers of people, (2) results are relatively independent of the researcher, (3) relatively less time consuming when using statistical software, (4) may have higher credibility through the use of statistics, and  (5) can generalize results of a research finding on many different populations.  The top five weaknesses I identify with are (1) results are limited…which provide numerical descriptions instead of narrative accounts of human observation, (2) standard researchers questions can lead to fundamental bias and false representation, (3) knowledge might be too abstract for application to research, and (4) many think it tends to cause a researcher to become immersed in the research topic and remain disconnected from the subject matter. 

A500.6.3.RB Qualitative Research

After reading, “Choosing Qualitative Research: A Primer for Technology Education Researchers,” I know more about qualitative research than I did one day ago.  However with all the information I have now absorbed, I must be a realist and understand that there is no universal definition of qualitative research.  With an understanding of this, I will still attempt to present my definition of qualitative research methods (in its simplest terms).  Qualitative approaches to research are based on a broad based view of a problem in which there is not a finite reality.  This reality is based on upon observations, interpretations, perceptions and attitudes of each person/researcher and given the situation of context, change may occur.  Examples of qualitative research methods are action research, case study, grounded theory, historical methods, in-depth interviews and focus groups.  Qualitative research differs from quantitative research in that the data collected is not statistically based.

There are several elements/characteristics in qualitative research.  The first would be “using natural setting as the source”.  Qualitative research best works if it takes place in natural settings, this is often supported by using several methods of research such as observations, interviews, and document reviews in the natural setting of the participant.  (My personal perspective; keeping the environment the as close to normal as possible to replicate a comfortable environment).  The next element is when the researcher acts as the “human instrument” for data collection.  This human instrument can either be a stand-alone or as a compliment to another participant in the collection of data.  (My personal perspective; something as simple as a time keeper in an observation or someone looking for key trigger words in an interview).  The next characteristic in qualitative research is researchers’ predominant use of “inductive data analysis”.  There are several main points to inductive data analysis to include: general raw text data in a brief, summary format; clear links between the objectives and the overall findings from the raw data and the development of a framework about the underlying structure of experiences which are evident in the raw data.  (My personal perspective; repeated actions are presented in raw data, without the restraints of structured techniques).  The fourth element of qualitative research reports is descriptive, incorporating expressive language and the "presence of voice in the text".  More than any other technique, this element allows the participants and responders have the ability to speak.  (My personal perspective; an example question in such research would be “tell me how you feel about or view this situation”).  Number five is has an interpretive character, aimed at discovering the meaning events have for the individuals who experience them, and the interpretations of those meanings by the researcher.  (My personal perspective: deep insight into the studied problem and translating participants thought processes into a language that can be easily understood by the average educated readers).  The sixth feature is researchers pay attention to the idiosyncratic as well as the pervasive, seeking the uniqueness of each case.   A simple definition of idiosyncratic means, “a structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group…one size does not fit all”.  (My personal perspective; don’t always depend on reliability because every individual will have a different reaction, even if the situation or stimulus is replicated in the same way)  The seventh element has an emergent design, focusing on evolving process as well as the outcomes or product of the research.  There is not an expected outcome based on the research.  (My personal perspective is revisions should be the normal behavior of any research…we will rebuild the mouse trap until we are satisfied with the final product…it may start out blue and in the end, be red).  Last but not least is research uses special criteria for trustworthiness.  There needs to be a certain degree of trust between researcher and participant...trustworthiness.  This element is not achieved instantly in any situation.  In any qualitative research project, several issues require attention: credibility, transferability, dependability, and conformability.   (My personal perspective, several questions are asked, the participant wants to know if the study is worth their time and the reader of the study ask the question, “is the study worth my attention”). 

I must admit I have a personal connection when it comes to qualitative research.  I feel it focuses on the true meaning of the study and not just a bunch of numbers that say if something is true or not.  When conducting a study, detailed explanation and use of expressive language is a very powerful tool.  Because of the quantitative research process adopted buy a major university, I withdrew from my doctoral program.  My desire was to find a school that was based on qualitative research.  My personal perspective is qualitative research requires a certain degree of passion for human reaction, something I believe cannot be duplicate with stand-alone statistical numbers

 

 

A500.5.3.RB - Blog - Critical Thinking about Critical Thinking

For this assignment, there are several questions I must address.  The first being that I must take time for reflection of my critical thinking competencies, I am not sure if I really know how much improvement I have made.  I am not sure if I have an understanding of the textbook definition of the difference between ordinary thinking and critical thinking.  From a personal perspective, I have always questioned what everyone else considered normal.  I never really thought what I was doing was critical thinking I just wanted to know why and what was next.  As I matured, I developed my leadership skills through various career endeavors; I learned to use these skills like a game of chess.  I learned to ask the right questions so I could think about my next three moves for future success and not what was directly in front of me.  That being said, I now must address the question of “has my thinking process changed.”  Yes, it has changed to some degree; but the main issue is how much has it changed?  To be honest, I am not happy with my progress because I yearn to learn more about the process of critical thinking. 

As always, there are personal problems in which I must overcome.  The first being that there is not enough time in the day to devote to this learning process the way I would like to.  I seemed to have stretched myself thin over the last year and find myself not giving 100% on many tasks.  Even more so, to concentrate and learn the way I should, I need to give something up.  There are personal hobbies I have, being an adjunct teacher part time, a professional educator full time, kids, hobbies, family time and not to mention that my current college course has so many assignments; I cannot dedicate the time I need to really focus on the art of critical thinking and how to improve my comprehension of it. 

The next question I must address is “have I been able to internalize any of the techniques and concepts I have learned?”  To this question, I must answer yes and no.  Even though I have always asked in-depth questions, they may have not been the correct questions or be in the correct context.  One way I have truly internalized different techniques is through the videos we are assigned to view.  For some reason I learn better through watching videos than by reading material; I have never been a fan of reading.  One thing I have learned so far in this course is to ask questions in different ways.  I also have a new understanding of my personal assumptions and biases and how I apply them to critical thinking.  Last but not least is being comfortable with the SEE-I model and applying it in certain situations.  Am I there yet, no; and I have a long way to go when it comes to new techniques and concepts of critical thinking. 

What will it take to make lasting, positive changes in the way you think?  This is a very complicated question to me because I know that critical thinking in itself is a science that cannot be mastered in a short time period.  Honestly, I wish I was at a level where I could evaluate information with a little less bias, but that has not been proven yet.  What I can say with certainty is that I have become more aware of the information set before me.

 

A500.4.3.RB - Blog: Ballet Slippers or Adorable?

Ballet Slippers or Adorable; The Art of Choice:

I must admit that I never thought of the right to make choices from the view that Dr. Lyengar presented.  Dr. Lyengar eloquently expressed how our culture puts value on having the right to make a choice; even when it imposes constraints on us…very powerful words indeed.  Looking back on everything I have experienced in my life, I never realized how Americans are born and raised thinking they have a right to choose almost anything we want.  From the time when we take our first steps to when we say our first words to our parents, we are told we have a choice.  Without a doubt culture does play a role in that choice because we do not know what the world holds outside the walls of our living environment and still our parents fill our minds with thought and dreams of choosing what we want to do in life.  Every child who loves basketball believes they can play in the NBA, while others are told they can grow up to be the President of the US.  The problem is this is a not the total truth; no one (our parents) tells us that yes you can choose that career, but there are the dramatic odds against such success.  The funny thing is she comments on Europe in her past studies; I actually lived in Europe for nine year.  I never thought about choice as an important issue, I only thought about what I missed from a personal perspective.  The three main assumptions by Dr. Lyengar relay made me look at leadership in from a different perspective. 

“If a choice affects you then you should be the one to make it.” This may be correct in many cultural circles, but to be honest when it comes to leadership, that option is often influenced by many external factors.  Leadership is strongly influenced by goals set by other that leaders must attempt and try to achieve.  That correlates to the statement Dr. Iyengar stated concerning the Asian American children.  The word by Dr. Lyengar makes me reflect on the question, “did you do the right thing or was it the right thing to do?”  I must disagree with Dr. Iyengar when it comes to American perspective as it relates to leadership.  Choice is not a private stand-alone act when it relates to leadership.  Choice in this situation, when it comes to leadership is about others not oneself.  Any leaders who choose to deviate from this process may soon find themselves isolated and referred to as a nonconformist, individualist or as some would say a person who marches to their own beat.  

    

“The more choices you have, the more likely you are to make the best choice.”  I thought this assumption was outstanding especially when comparing cultures.  I do agree that having many options of choice is viewed differently by everyone.  However, I do not agree with the statement of how choices can impose constraints.  Having too many choices and not being able to make a decision is not a problem of choice but a problem of decisiveness.  This is one of the worse traits a leader’s leader can have.  I often share a speech will my students who are all leaders in some capacity for the federal government.  When a leader is put in a position to make a decision, the worst thing you can do in nothing. 

   

“Never say no to choice.”  Dr. Iyengar suggests to “never say no to choice.”  She uses an extreme example for her study, in which I think was intentional; parents from different cultures facing life-altering decision about the future of their unhealthy terminal newborn.  When you involve personal emotions on that level, the right of choice in itself takes on a totally different perspective.  As it relates to leadership, never saying no to choice can be a double-edged sword.  Turning down the option of choice can be viewed as a trait of weakness, not a trait of a good leader; thereby forcing someone to make a decision for you.  Following this direction, a person will not remain in a leadership position for a long time.  The opposite perspective is there is always a risk in having the ability to make a choice as a leader.  How many individuals are comfortable with taking such risk knowing that they may make the wrong decision and thus may fail as a leader?  

Dr. Iyengar wraps up her discussion with a comparison of two colors of nail polish.  She provides a great example of how choice is viewed differently by everyone.  What makes this such a powerful statement is that many items are very identical even though they are identified differently.  When the identifications are removed very few could tell the difference.  Individuals base their selection process on the connotation associated of identification to the familiar.  This includes sight and smell.  Can you really tell the difference between a sweet potato pie from a pie made of yams if no one told you which was which?  I think her point hits home when the ladies in her scenario inform her that if you could see them you could tell them apart.  Well hindsight being 20/20 she proved them wrong.  Without a doubt the art of choice is something we as Americans take for granted.  Make no mistake about it, we would rather have too many choices than no choices…isn’t America great!   

A500.3.4...Explore the Hunt Library

My assignment for this week has several parts that I need to address as it relates to using the online Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) library named Hunt Library.  There is one advantage I feel I do have over my classmates when it comes to using such an academic library and that being within the last 90 days I finished my Master’s Degree in Applied Technology and Performance Improvement (ATPI) which focused quite a bit on library research.  So how do I reflect on how I might use the Hunt Library as a resource for my present and future studies?

            First, I find the website easy on the eyes and not complicated; in this situation simplicity is welcoming.  Kudos to the ERAU web designers for the Hunt Library.  This is good because often such websites are cluttered so much that they become intimidating.  As I browse through the library website, I am pleasantly pleased with the options I have. The body of information on leadership is very broad and is broken down into numerous content types from newspaper articles to trade publications and dissertation thesis.  It is nice to have the ability to select or unselect some of these content types.  Other areas that assist with the ability to narrow the subject terms and refine the search by important categories such as peer reviewed, scholarly publications, publication date (which allow me to ensure I am using the most current information), and even language.  From what I see, the Hunt Library is a valuable resource that offers students a glimpse into the minds of many experts in a chosen field of study. There is no doubt in my mind that the Hunt Library will be the foundation of my research for my degree plan.

The next question I must address is how is the scholarly information you found in the library different from the typical information you find when you Google a leadership concept.  The first issue I have to consider is clutter and unreliability of information.    Sometimes it is so time consuming just trying to narrow down information to your subject matter.  You also have to be careful of the credibility of articles from website search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing.  Just like Wikipedia, anyone can post their opinions and thoughts on the internet.  Now, what I have learned through critical thinking is to set aside my personal biases and look at both sides of a given situation.  I will admit that an Internet search engine does all the legwork for students. It does search keywords, phrases, and questions and yes it provides alternative websites that may relate to the subject you are focusing on; for me that would be leadership.  That being said, I must admit Google does have a very useful section that caters to the student and researcher which is titled Google Scholar. However, we still have to input the correct keyword, phrase, or question.  That in it-self can be a challenge. A research engine like Google is useful and allows individuals to post their own publications there.  However once again one has to remember that just because it is posted or publicized does not mean it is credible as a reference for you study. In academic institutions such as the Hunt Library, emphasis is placed on the information you will need for any academic purpose.  This applies to information for the first-year freshman writing their first college essay to the PhD student working on their dissertation thesis. I am a believer that for my education endeavors toward a Masters in Leadership though at ERAU, the Hunt Library will improved my over student experience and yield rewards in terms of the assisting me in my critical thinking process as it relates to leadership studies. 

A500.2.3.RB - WashingtonJ...Tell Your Story

Learning to Think Things Through

The standards that are most important in my life are a standards professional integrity.  While there are numerous definitions when it comes to the term integrity, the common factors include applying moral or ethical principles.  To be honest, I believe most individuals believe that they we have integrity, but the question is do they have an understanding of what exactly having integrity means? I believe that anyone who considers themselves as a professional, in any chosen career field owes a duty of accountability to society and to their profession.  This standard of professional integrity that I have adopted involves accepting full responsibility for the integrity of their own conduct, and for the activities of any family member if individual under their direction or supervision.  These standards that I have adopted are especially important when applied to positions of leadership.

There are two foundations for which I acquired these standards my parent and my career in the military.  I do not believe integrity is a trait that we are born with, however I do believe it is “learned” as we go through different stages of life. This is very important because as a child we have no foundation of belief in basically anything.  To us what our parents tell us is correct. For this reason, I believe that, no two people of group of individuals will possess the same value system.  Yes there will be similarities but there will be differences also.  Now before you apply professional integrity, you must first be taught integrity as an individual in the early stages of life.  For me this process began at an early age, instilled in me by my parents, grandparents and teachers.  To be fair, just because a person is raised in a positive environment does not mean they will grow up to be a person of high standards of integrity.  There have been many individuals who have chosen to live a not so positive or legal life even though they were taught integrity as an individual in their youth. In my opinion, the reason for this shift in integrity can be based on not so ethical element such as peer pressure or even things such as certain television programming.  As I matured and started to grow as an adult, I was exposed to integrity in the professional sense, learning to do the right things and why it is important to me and others I influence.   

Many would ask whether or not I have changed my standards professional integrity over the years.  I don’t know if I have changed I how I view professional integrity, but how I influence other when it concerns standards professional integrity has changed a lot.  I am no longer the person that supervises hundreds of individuals.  So my influence factor has changed in that sense.  However, I do teach in various arenas, where I do influence a large number of people.  This is where I think my application of critical thinking particularly fair-mindedness plays a vital role in society.  I have a personal goal of having students understand integrity by getting them to question the relationships that they have, to question how they conduct their lives, and for those who can influences others that they may supervise, to question are they doing what I considered professional and being a positive example of what I consider professional integrity.

A500.1.6.RB_WashingtonJO

When I entered this degree program and this class, I was like ok this is going to be some work and will require some serious time management on my part.  As I began to read all the required assignments, I had to step back and say hold up sir, you just finished your second masters and it pushed you to the limits.  Are you ready for this again?  I thought about it and said yes because I love the study of leadership and must admit I love it when I am pushed to learn more than what I knew when I committed to this task.  I know without a doubt I must apply intellectual perseverance with each challenge presented to me each week, and I have accepted that I will become frustrated on numerous occasions.  However, selling myself short is not an option, as I must focus on each assignment one at a time.  So I have put together a plan for success through this degree plan.  I call it my Five Commandments of using Intellectual Perseverance for my educational success as documented in my “Expedition through a Leadership Nexus” blog.

1.      Time Management is an Important Part of Intellectual Perseverance.  Thou shall understand that unexpected things will happen because I have a professional and personal life outside of school, no one is interested in you excuses or your reasons for struggling.  I must use the leadership and education I have gained throughout my life to overcome my personal obstacles, and frustrations in spite of difficulties I will encounter.  I must learn to use work-life balance to my advantage.

2.      Success depends on my actions as a leader and I must use this success to apply the concept of Intellectual Perseverance.  Thou shall understand that this is your journey to learn more about leadership and others will not share your frustrations and not understand what you are going through.  I must understand that some intellectual problems that will be presented to me, as they relate to leadership will be are complex and I will not always find it easy address them.

3.      Leadership Experience is Vital to Understanding Intellectual Perseverance.  Thou must understand the journey that you have already made you have been in numerous high profile leadership positions throughout your life; for senior positions in the military to Fortune 100 companies to the federal government.  Use that insight you have, use that experience and be honest with yourself when you face difficulties, learn from it and share this knowledge with others.

4.      Internal Struggle is Part of Understanding Intellectual Perseverance in a Graduate Educational Environment. Thou shall understand that struggle is a part of intellectual success as it relates to intellectual perseverance.  You will not always have the right answer to the questions posted by the numerous professors you will encounter.  You will disagree with many of them in many ways.  However, when faced with intellectual complexity or frustration I must not give up.  The question that will be posed is, “did I learn anything.”

5.      Questions and Problem Solving are Part of Understanding Intellectual Perseverance in a Graduate Educational Environment. Thou must understand that you will have to increase your comprehension of intellectual perseverance and sharpen my application of the skill of critical thinking.  It is imperative that I learn to challenge what I do not agree with, but I must challenge it appropriately.