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

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.

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

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

Professionalism Entry 02/02/10

Unofficial Contract

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

-Craig