Gretchen Heath

May 1, 2007

I. "MY SYNTHESIS PRODUCT SHOWS THAT..."

A. I can convey who I want to influence/affect concerning what (Subject, Audience, Purpose).

a. I feel that many people are influenced by my writing. I have had co-workers and top executives interested in my findings and a few have read draft copies already and found the paper useful and insightful.

b. I want to further see what my findings have done for others in transition and long term effects of understanding transitional dynamics. I want to further this work through original studies.



B. I know what others have done before, either in the form of writing or action, that informs and connects with my project, and I know what others are doing now.

a. I have learned 3 major theories of organizational culture
b. I want to work further on practicing this goal in the workplace



C. I have teased out my vision, so as to expand my view of issues associated with the project, expose possible new directions, clarify direction/scope within the larger set of issues, and decide the most important direction.

a. I have learned that culture is everywhere and can be changed with a structured approach in organizations
b. I want to work further on learning about other national cultures and how they fit in an organizational setting.



D. I have identified the premises and propositions that my project depends on, and can state counter-propositions. I have taken stock of the thinking and research I need to do to counter those counter-propositions or to revise my own propositions.

a. I have learned more about organizational structure and how culture fits in.
b. I want to work further on practicing this goal in the workplace as well.



E. I have clear objectives with respect to product, both written and practice, and process, including personal development as a reflective practitioner. I have arranged my work in a sequence (with realistic deadlines) to realize these objectives.

I have learned personally to involve people in my thinking
b. I struggled with motivation and fluidity of clear ideas



F. I have gained direct information, models, and experience not readily available from other sources.

I interviewed executives during my initial research of acquisitions and transitions, including a friend and a work client.
b. I lacked first hand research. I would like to work with focus groups regarding organizational behavior.



G. I have clarified the overall progression or argument underlying my research and the written reports.

a. I feel I proved my hypothesis and gained further progression through new ideas that arose as conclusions.
b. I struggled with finding an initial hypothesis and next time would need to plan out my conclusions better to follow the paper.



H. My writing and other products Grab the attention of the readers/audience, Orient them, move them along in Steps, so they appreciate the Position I've led them to.

a. I feel that my paper is interesting for any reader and any audience, as it can apply to anyone regardless of gender, nationality, or career field. I feel that the paper reads easily and allows people to hold a position and feel comfortable with where I have left them in the conclusions. They can still find new places to go after this paper for further research if they so desire.
b. I want to work further on the study that I stated to conduct regarding surveying, focus groups, and individual interviews of those in organizational transitions



I. I have facilitated new avenues of classroom, workplace, and public participation.

a. I feel that I’ve opened up a lot this semester and gained a professional outlook for the classroom and a more academic standing at work.
b. I struggled with prioritizing work and school this semester.



J. To feed into my future learning and other work, I have taken stock of what has been working well and what needs changing.

a. I realize that my work is better done at certain times of the day, depending on my work schedule for that day. I’ve learned to prioritize according to deadlines and timelines. I’ve also learned when I can push myself to achieve actual results and when pushing myself does not create results.
b. I need to learn how to maintain motivation, regardless of my mood or triggers that may occur.

II. DEVELOPING AS A REFLECTIVE PRACTITIONER, INCLUDING TAKING INITIATIVE IN AND THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS

1. I have integrated knowledge and perspectives from CCT and other courses into my own inquiry and engagement in social and/or educational change.

a. I have achieved this goal by using my CCT skills to further rethink ideas that I would have normally paid no mind to. I find that I can have a scholarly conversation regarding my program and what I have used it for.
b. I could further use practice to enhance my inquiry and engagement with others.



2. I have also integrated into my own inquiry and engagement the processes, experiences, and struggles of previous courses.

a. I have used Nina’s promotion of perspectives to my full advantage
b. I could not be lazy and properly use evaluations to redesign



3. I have developed efficient ways to organize my time, research materials, computer access, bibliographies, etc.

a. I have achieved this goal by means of being tolerant to long stints of studying and researching without getting overwhelmed.
b. I still need to organize my research materials better and practice reading others research past the point that I gain a new idea/thought, as I tend to think of something brilliant, and write it down, to later find out in my reading that the author had already considered that, or that the author actually theorized the thought already.


4. I have experimented with new tools and experiences, even if not every one became part of my toolkit as a learner, teacher/facilitator of others, and reflective practitioner.

a. I have used evaluation many times in my current career and free writing and metacognition have played large roles in my toolkit as a reflective practitioner
b. I struggle with maintaining a thought, due to unorganized used of notes and free writes.



5. I have paid attention to the emotional dimensions of undertaking my own project but have found ways to clear away distractions from other sources (present & past) and not get blocked, turning apparent obstacles into opportunities to move into unfamiliar or uncomfortable territory.

a. It took me 2 months of frustration, but eventually I learned to take my paper one section at a time and not to get overwhelmed. I can now simply write down a thought and know that I need to go back to it to research at another time. Often, letting the thought marinate, allowed for clarity of where to find the proper information to further develop the thought.
b. I struggled with the broadness of my idea. I realized that I could not solve world hunger tomorrow and that putting my skills to use on a smaller scale was acceptable and helpful to myself and others.




6. I have developed peer and other horizontal relationships. I have sought support and advice from peers, and have given support and advice to them when asked for.

a. I have learned to work with the support of my professor and advisor and listened to other classmates advice.
b. I struggled with trusting others to understand my realm of thinking and emotional rollercoaster. I often need help with direction and should keep this in mind in the workplace as well.



7. I have taken the lead, not dragged my feet, in dialogue with my advisor and other readers. I didn't wait for the them to tell me how to solve an expository problem, what must be read and covered in a literature review, or what was meant by some comment I didn't understand. I didn't put off giving my writing to my advisor and other readers or avoid talking to them because I thought that they didn't see things the same way as I do.

a. I have achieved this goal more so in the workplace, but as I researched, I feel I used this in class and with professors.
b. I always put off giving writing assignments in and will need to work on that as a lifelong goal. I never avoid talking to people, I just learned that it was ok to come to class even if I was unproductive.



8. I have revised seriously, which involved responding to the comments of others. I came to see this not as bowing down to the views of others, but taking them in and working them into my own reflective inquiry until I could convey more powerfully to others what I'm about (which may have changed as a result of the reflective inquiry).

a. I put most comments to use from my readers and advisors. I was careful when disagreeing and not using comments to further my paper to be sure that I understood the person’s perspective and intentions. I also feel that I used many readers and profited from their individual comments, as they all had very different approaches and perspectives to the paper.
b. I need to further work on recognizing some of the comments made, myself, before someone else can mention them. There were pieces I feel I could’ve edited without others and saved the major pieces for the readers. I also feel I did not allow enough time for readers as I got started on the actually synthesis researching and writing very late in the semester. Next time I would leave more room for improvement.




9. I have inquired and negotiated about formal standards, but gone on to develop and internalize my own criteria for doing work—criteria other than jumping through hoops set by the professor so I get a good grade.

a. I think I did a great job with the ambiguity of the situation and utilized it to my advantage. I have never jumped through hoops to please anyone but myself and hope that others are pleased in the meanwhile.
b. However, I did struggle with the idea last year during my evaluation and practicum class, of what was expected of me. I still need help with direction at times to be sure I am staying within the appropriate criteria for the courses, but I’m not afraid to veer off from others. Usually I prefer it.



10. I have approached the CCT synthesis course and the CCT program as works-in-progress, which means that, instead of harboring criticisms to submit after the fact, I have found opportunities to affirm what is working well and to suggest directions for further development.

b.I struggled with the point of my degree for the past two years as well. It took me two years to understand why I went into this program to begin with.


a.yes, I see this program as a work in progress. I feel that I have achieved quite a bit, but have recognized that my skills will be most utilized through my experiences throughout my life. I believe that my appreciation for the program will intensify with each new experience, as it has over the past two years.