I thought long and hard about what habit/trait that I could try and improve for a week. I decided that I would not criticize others. I do that a lot when I am driving. I was picking up my son from school last week and there was this big truck on the side of the road with its turn signal on indicating that it was about to pull on to the road, so I stopped and waited. The guy went ahead a little, then saw me and stopped, so I started driving. Then he decided he would go before me, but then stopped again. So I waved for him to just GO already ....some idiot lady in the car behind me started honking like it was my fault. Finally, I just drove off and noticed that she was going the same way that I was. Instead of calling her a "moron" as I normally would do, I just drove really slow. I did 35 in a 70 zone. I looked at my girlfriend and said "I feel bad, she must REALLY be in a hurry" ... yet I continued to drive really slow. I looked back and smiled at the car behind me. I think being vocal about my frustrations keeps me from doing stupid things, so I will not abandon it.
Cheers,
Craig
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Learning Journal Entry 03/16/10
Today's learning journal entry is to discuss economic development, funding, and innovation in our particular hometown. My hometown (I will refer to it as Central City) has a small population so it has to adapt to survive.
Central City has a local community government which employs an economic development officer. I held that postion briefly and felt it was well supported by the mayor and the town manager. Central City is one of many small communities in our area and it leads the way in terms of municipal development (great staff of heavy equipment workers who are trained in water treatment and repairing roads, etc.) and actually has a strategic plan.
There are limited services in Central City due to the smaller population, but there are opportunities for growth. Tourism has been identified as a potential revenue generator that is, to date, under-developed. Local people who may want to open a business can access the information that the EDO has to help them decide (a) what they may want to start up, and (b) the funding agencies that may assist. The EDO is required to have a good working relationship with the various funding agencies (ie. ACOA, INAC, etc.) and is often informed by these agencies when there are seminars or workshops that potential entrepreneurs may want to attend.
In terms of innovation, basically all of the businesses that exist in Central City have had to innovate or die. A grocery store can work in any town or city, but Central City has unique obstacles and challenges due to its remote location. Business owners have had to figure out what people want, how to get it into our remote community and still turn a profit. All of the stores have large storage properties so they can stockpile non-perishables to avoid running low in the event that the weather is bad for an extended period of time or whatever else that could go wrong. The size of Central City determines how many employees a business can afford to pay, and in the case of one of the convience stores, the owner also works at the freight, maintenance and sometimes even stocking shelves in his store.
Central City has a local community government which employs an economic development officer. I held that postion briefly and felt it was well supported by the mayor and the town manager. Central City is one of many small communities in our area and it leads the way in terms of municipal development (great staff of heavy equipment workers who are trained in water treatment and repairing roads, etc.) and actually has a strategic plan.
There are limited services in Central City due to the smaller population, but there are opportunities for growth. Tourism has been identified as a potential revenue generator that is, to date, under-developed. Local people who may want to open a business can access the information that the EDO has to help them decide (a) what they may want to start up, and (b) the funding agencies that may assist. The EDO is required to have a good working relationship with the various funding agencies (ie. ACOA, INAC, etc.) and is often informed by these agencies when there are seminars or workshops that potential entrepreneurs may want to attend.
In terms of innovation, basically all of the businesses that exist in Central City have had to innovate or die. A grocery store can work in any town or city, but Central City has unique obstacles and challenges due to its remote location. Business owners have had to figure out what people want, how to get it into our remote community and still turn a profit. All of the stores have large storage properties so they can stockpile non-perishables to avoid running low in the event that the weather is bad for an extended period of time or whatever else that could go wrong. The size of Central City determines how many employees a business can afford to pay, and in the case of one of the convience stores, the owner also works at the freight, maintenance and sometimes even stocking shelves in his store.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Journal Entry: 02/18/10
Progress Report:
Today I contacted a couple of the businesses on my list (plus some that weren't). Of the four managers that I spoke with, three committed to donate something for the prizes. I made an effort to be polite and informative, as some of the managers I spoke with required additional info about the conference. I explained that I was a volunteer and a student of the FNBAC and also explained the purpose of the conference. Everyone I spoke with was very open to what I had to say and even the business that declined at this time only did so because they had already been approached by various high schools for similar donations.
One thing that I found helpful was to have a prepared statement to read to the managers. I referenced it to avoid any lulls in the conversation. Tomorrow I will go to the businesses with the requested letters. I definitely owe Blossom thanks as she basically warned me that I should call ahead first. God knows I don't have gas money to waste hahaha.
As for the 4664 class, overall I have warmed up to it. I know after our first class I was skeptical, but I am glad that I stuck it out. I know from previous work experience that not everything you have to do will be right up your alley (5 minute video), but to quote Red Foreman from "That 70's Show": "work isn't supposed to be fun, work is work ... otherwise it wouldn't be called work, it would be called 'happy fun time'." Every instructor has their own style and Tina's style is more holistic than I am sometimes comfortable with ... that doesn't mean I can't learn anything from the course. Also, I am getting to know my classmates, and I very much enjoy that.
Cheers,
Craig
Today I contacted a couple of the businesses on my list (plus some that weren't). Of the four managers that I spoke with, three committed to donate something for the prizes. I made an effort to be polite and informative, as some of the managers I spoke with required additional info about the conference. I explained that I was a volunteer and a student of the FNBAC and also explained the purpose of the conference. Everyone I spoke with was very open to what I had to say and even the business that declined at this time only did so because they had already been approached by various high schools for similar donations.
One thing that I found helpful was to have a prepared statement to read to the managers. I referenced it to avoid any lulls in the conversation. Tomorrow I will go to the businesses with the requested letters. I definitely owe Blossom thanks as she basically warned me that I should call ahead first. God knows I don't have gas money to waste hahaha.
As for the 4664 class, overall I have warmed up to it. I know after our first class I was skeptical, but I am glad that I stuck it out. I know from previous work experience that not everything you have to do will be right up your alley (5 minute video), but to quote Red Foreman from "That 70's Show": "work isn't supposed to be fun, work is work ... otherwise it wouldn't be called work, it would be called 'happy fun time'." Every instructor has their own style and Tina's style is more holistic than I am sometimes comfortable with ... that doesn't mean I can't learn anything from the course. Also, I am getting to know my classmates, and I very much enjoy that.
Cheers,
Craig
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Learning Journal Entry: 02/09/10
Group Question #1
Selling native American culture is the act of taking iconic native American symbols and ideas and selling them for profit. It is passing off artificial as authentic; without understanding the context and the true meaning behind these things that are sacred to native Americans, you are just selling a generic, fast-food version of their culture. Selling cultural "items" to a mass market usually involves playing up stereotypes and can sell short what a group of people actually stand for and believe in.
Selling native American culture is the act of taking iconic native American symbols and ideas and selling them for profit. It is passing off artificial as authentic; without understanding the context and the true meaning behind these things that are sacred to native Americans, you are just selling a generic, fast-food version of their culture. Selling cultural "items" to a mass market usually involves playing up stereotypes and can sell short what a group of people actually stand for and believe in.
Professionalism Entry: 02/09/10
Today's professionalism assignment was to discuss the link between professionalism and personal connection. In general, I think it's okay to have a semi-personal relationship with a professional colleague/partner, etc. However, if you are sharing too much information or getting too familiar with someone it borders on un-professional. You can talk about your favorite sports team, or a movie that you like, or how things are going in your life to an extent. If you are telling people about some chick you hooked up with at a bar or the last time you had diarrhea you have probably gone too far.
In terms of student/Instructor relationships, I think a personal connection can be mutually beneficial, but again must have guidelines. Getting to know your instructor makes for more casual classroom sessions. It is very important to me personally to be able to approach an instructor if I am having trouble with a certain subject. This is a lot easier to do when you have a personal connection with said instructor. It also benefits the instructor; they get to know their students and it makes for a more open learning environment.
One major downside could be that if the students are too casual with the instructor they may think that they can get away with not working as hard. This would lead to a lack of respect on the part of both the instructor and the student and could effect what could have been learned in the course. There has to be a level of professionalism that allows the instructor to do their job and the students to learn what the instructor is trying to teach.
Cheers,
Craig
In terms of student/Instructor relationships, I think a personal connection can be mutually beneficial, but again must have guidelines. Getting to know your instructor makes for more casual classroom sessions. It is very important to me personally to be able to approach an instructor if I am having trouble with a certain subject. This is a lot easier to do when you have a personal connection with said instructor. It also benefits the instructor; they get to know their students and it makes for a more open learning environment.
One major downside could be that if the students are too casual with the instructor they may think that they can get away with not working as hard. This would lead to a lack of respect on the part of both the instructor and the student and could effect what could have been learned in the course. There has to be a level of professionalism that allows the instructor to do their job and the students to learn what the instructor is trying to teach.
Cheers,
Craig
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Learning Journal Entry 02/02/10
Today's Learning Journal Entry assignment is to discuss what we learned from listening to one of the other group's presentations. Group 1 summarized the article "The 10 Questions Entrepreneurs Should Ask But Don't". They talked about all the work that has to be completed even before you develop a business plan. They touched on the benefits of a feasibility study and how answering a few simple questions before you start a business can increase the chances of success. It seems like most people fail because they don't do the initial prep work.
What I took away from their presentation is that there is a lot more work to coming up with a successful business idea than some people realize. That makes sense to me, you often hear about how people try to start a business and end up over their heads because they either didn't realize how much work is actually involved, or were not set up to deal with the "unforeseeable".
Cheers,
Craig
What I took away from their presentation is that there is a lot more work to coming up with a successful business idea than some people realize. That makes sense to me, you often hear about how people try to start a business and end up over their heads because they either didn't realize how much work is actually involved, or were not set up to deal with the "unforeseeable".
Cheers,
Craig
Professionalism Entry 02/02/10
Unofficial Contract
For the remainder of this semester, I plan on:
For the remainder of this semester, I plan on:
- attending class regularly (unless I have a legitimate reason for not being there)
- completing the assigned work WHEN it is due
- actively participating in classroom discussions/assignments
- assisting any classmates if they ever need help and I am capable of helping
- hopefully learning something that will help me in my future endeavors
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
