A main competency that is a must in my current profession is to be able to communicate effectively. I also need to be a good listener and at times that is hard. Listening skills are important in communication and at times when my office is super busy with students having registration issues it's hard to take the time to effectively listen. I also have to communicate and produce visual materials for students to fully understand all the requirements in order to graduate. If this information is not communicated effectively it can cost someone time and money. At the same time I must comply with ethical and legal standards. I feel I do a fairly good job in establishing and maintaining professional credibility. I see hundreds of students every year and over time they gain your trust and credibility as long as you provide the correct information.
I feel a strength of mine is my strong work ethic. I am striving to learn how to update my skills and stay current in educational technology. I continue to update my knowledge base and stay current in my field by attending conferences and other professional development opportunities.
I would like to work towards doing some sort of needs assessment in my office. This would be a competency I would have to work hard to develop. Conducting a needs assessment in my office would be tough. For starters it is totally out of the norm. I don't think a needs assessment has ever been done. I am not sure senior staff members would agree to or cooperate with the idea. Selling the idea would be the first hurdle. I think developing and implementing a needs assessment in an academic office sends a strong message to all members of the college community that advising is an extremely important responsibility. Again, this would be a competency I would have to work VERY hard to develop.
Another competency I would like to continue to develop is to use technology to enhance the advising experience. This class has inspired me with great ideas and I plan on continuing this competency.
If I was in a position of power a competency I would really like to develop would be to plan and promote organizational change. In the last few years so much has changed technologically that if organizations are not willing to become more technology driven, they are not going to survive. I would like to see changes occurring with in the organization such as utilizing facebook and blackboard to get messages out to students. A few in the organization like the idea, but for the most part think email is fine. Students are instructed to read their school email everyday, but in reality most do not. However, most students check facebook 3-4 times daily. Many also check blackboard more than they do their school email. Another change would be to create more visuals and more tech related resources such as podcasts. I would also like to see more on understanding of the diversity of learners that come through the organization. This is a touchy subject, so it would be extremely difficult to achieve this change without some professional consultant on the issue of diversity.
The website I have created is for the Loy Norrix High School Band. The band director has talked about having a website, so I decided to base this assignment on creating a website for the band as a surprise to him and the students. I like the idea that they can also have access and add and delete information. Included is a calendar and a schedule of events that will have to be faithfully updated. Hopefully, the band students can incorporate this into the school day and make updates as needed. Here is the link:
http://sites.google.com/site/loynorrixhighschoolband/
2 comments:
I want to encourage you to step out and do the needs assessment. No change can happen if you sit on the sidelines. I know that it will be a huge responsibility and that there are people that would be resistant, but in order for good things to happen, someone has to make the first move. Good luck and I hope that you are able to make some of these changes happen in your department.
Very inspiring! Keep working toward your goals and you will achieve them. I wanted to make a quick comment on what you said about how important it is to be a good listener. I think so many people miss this concept in communication, but I'm glad you think about it. Everyday I attempt to be a good listener and consciously think about how well I actually do it. You've got the vision... now go get it! Good luck.
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