I've been asked to reflect on the personal skills that are required of online learning and working in teams, based on some online resources and presentations by Dr. Ken Haycock and Enid Irwin. I'm glad to have a chance (a.k.a. be forced) to think about these things before it all comes crashing down. (Hopefully, there won't be any crashing.)
Success as an Online Student
Success as an Online Student
I believe, and hope, that I’m ready to be an online student. I’ve never taken online courses before, except for the free language learning courses online that I forget about after about a week. I did take a low-tech distance class in college that required me to tune in to a public access channel at a certain time each week to watch the lecture, read materials on my own, communicate with my professor via email, and come in to class a few times over the course of the quarter to hand in papers. It required zero collaboration or even interaction with other students in the class, and it wasn’t nearly as technologically complex as this program will be. But I did just fine, and I’m sure I’ll be fine here as well.
You can’t tell it by the state of my desk or my car, but I’m a very organized person. Usually. I sometimes prefer piles to files, because it’s easier to track down what I want that way. I guess I have a pile kind of brain. But I also am a rigorous list-maker and calendar-keeper. As long as I have a due date, I know that I will do whatever’s necessary to make that deadline.
I’m a little concerned about keeping track of everything on my computer. So many classes, each with their own assignments and readings and projects and professors. I know it’s like that in traditional school, but this seems different because everyone I meet is just a piece of text in cyberspace, not a face and personality and spot where they sit in class. I’m glad we have to take this 203 class first to get immersed in the system before they pull out the big guns.
I’ve done traditional graduate school before, and I’m looking forward to avoiding some of the hassles that came with that, like driving and parking and sitting through dull lectures and dealing with the drama that everyone brought to class every day. I like to work independently, and so far I’m loving the ability to choose when I do my school work, and whether I want to sit at my desk wrapped in my Snuggie or watch a lecture on the couch with some popcorn. To be honest, I’m more concerned about going back to school at all than I am about it being online.
I’m pretty quiet and shy in person, especially in academic settings, but I get very talkative (as you can see) when I’m writing, so I hope that will lead me to experience things in the online program that I wouldn’t have experienced in a ‘live’ school. I’m excited and nervous and afraid and looking forward to learning everything there is to learn.
The online assessment told me I was “ready for online learning,” so I’ll take that as a cue to jump right in and do my best.
Success in Teams
You can’t tell it by the state of my desk or my car, but I’m a very organized person. Usually. I sometimes prefer piles to files, because it’s easier to track down what I want that way. I guess I have a pile kind of brain. But I also am a rigorous list-maker and calendar-keeper. As long as I have a due date, I know that I will do whatever’s necessary to make that deadline.
I’m a little concerned about keeping track of everything on my computer. So many classes, each with their own assignments and readings and projects and professors. I know it’s like that in traditional school, but this seems different because everyone I meet is just a piece of text in cyberspace, not a face and personality and spot where they sit in class. I’m glad we have to take this 203 class first to get immersed in the system before they pull out the big guns.
I’ve done traditional graduate school before, and I’m looking forward to avoiding some of the hassles that came with that, like driving and parking and sitting through dull lectures and dealing with the drama that everyone brought to class every day. I like to work independently, and so far I’m loving the ability to choose when I do my school work, and whether I want to sit at my desk wrapped in my Snuggie or watch a lecture on the couch with some popcorn. To be honest, I’m more concerned about going back to school at all than I am about it being online.
I’m pretty quiet and shy in person, especially in academic settings, but I get very talkative (as you can see) when I’m writing, so I hope that will lead me to experience things in the online program that I wouldn’t have experienced in a ‘live’ school. I’m excited and nervous and afraid and looking forward to learning everything there is to learn.
The online assessment told me I was “ready for online learning,” so I’ll take that as a cue to jump right in and do my best.
Success in Teams
I have to admit, I’ve always dreaded working in groups. I’ve always fallen into one of two roles: the overachiever who takes on everything herself because she doesn’t trust anyone else to do it properly, or the silent bystander who doesn’t feel comfortable enough to speak up and just goes along with what everyone else decides.
As Enid Irwin mentioned in her presentation, my greatest obstacle to enjoying group work is giving up control. It’s the same reason why I’ve always enjoyed individual sports like tennis and track over team sports like volleyball and baseball. I want my outcomes to depend totally on me. I don’t want to drag anyone else down, and I don’t want them to drag me down.
I’m glad that the issue of teamwork is being addressed so early in the program, because I hope it will make it a more pleasant and productive experience for everyone. Knowing that every team will go through a difficult phase, like Dr. Haycock explained when discussing the phases of teamwork, will go a long way toward ensuring that we can do the work necessary to get past that phase rather than stay mired in it.
I am actually (almost) looking forward to starting a team project so we can test out the theories of successful teamwork we’ve learned. I usually poo-poo on ‘developing norms’ and ‘discussing goals,’ but Dr. Haycock’s presentation made me a believer. He provided the missing link for me: you can’t just set the goals - you have to make sure you’re following through on them. The key to making the norms and goals work is to keep revisiting them, relentlessly, and not just forget about them after the first day, which is what has happened nearly every time I’ve worked in a group. Sometimes it seems like a waste of time to rehash what’s already been discussed and decided, but if it makes the group work more productively, it’s worth any time it takes. The secret to successful teamwork is to combine a group goal with individual accountability (in Dr. Haycock’s words), or planning and attitude (in Enid Irwin’s words).
I don’t have a hard time holding myself accountable, but I feel bad criticizing others for not holding up their end of the bargain. These teamwork rules seem to give me permission to expect everyone to do their part. I hope to be part of some amazing teams in this program. I plan to do my best in being clear, responsible, and self-aware, and I hope everyone else feels inspired to do the same, so we can all turn have a positive experience.
As Enid Irwin mentioned in her presentation, my greatest obstacle to enjoying group work is giving up control. It’s the same reason why I’ve always enjoyed individual sports like tennis and track over team sports like volleyball and baseball. I want my outcomes to depend totally on me. I don’t want to drag anyone else down, and I don’t want them to drag me down.
I’m glad that the issue of teamwork is being addressed so early in the program, because I hope it will make it a more pleasant and productive experience for everyone. Knowing that every team will go through a difficult phase, like Dr. Haycock explained when discussing the phases of teamwork, will go a long way toward ensuring that we can do the work necessary to get past that phase rather than stay mired in it.
I am actually (almost) looking forward to starting a team project so we can test out the theories of successful teamwork we’ve learned. I usually poo-poo on ‘developing norms’ and ‘discussing goals,’ but Dr. Haycock’s presentation made me a believer. He provided the missing link for me: you can’t just set the goals - you have to make sure you’re following through on them. The key to making the norms and goals work is to keep revisiting them, relentlessly, and not just forget about them after the first day, which is what has happened nearly every time I’ve worked in a group. Sometimes it seems like a waste of time to rehash what’s already been discussed and decided, but if it makes the group work more productively, it’s worth any time it takes. The secret to successful teamwork is to combine a group goal with individual accountability (in Dr. Haycock’s words), or planning and attitude (in Enid Irwin’s words).
I don’t have a hard time holding myself accountable, but I feel bad criticizing others for not holding up their end of the bargain. These teamwork rules seem to give me permission to expect everyone to do their part. I hope to be part of some amazing teams in this program. I plan to do my best in being clear, responsible, and self-aware, and I hope everyone else feels inspired to do the same, so we can all turn have a positive experience.
