Another Class has ended.

This makes me a little sad. I love school and with the end of this class I am now one third of the way through my masters program. It is going too fast!

As I look back on the entirety of the class, I feel as though I did accomplish the goals of the class. A personal goal I had was not accomplished to my satisfaction. I wanted to master the research paper. I have struggled for the last four classes with that darn research paper that every class seems to require. I did alright on this one and am improving but I wish my improvement was faster. I finally feel like I have a handle on the format, one huge step in the right direction, now I need to get better at finding information that is relevant and organizing it in a way that is germane to the subject and makes sense to the reader.

The commercial was enjoyable to create and it was a fun way to get a glimpse into what my classmates papers were about, even though some of the commercials left me wondering. I did not use the commercials to decide what papers to read but I enjoyed them none the less.

I am looking forward to my next class. Hopefully it will be as much fun and as entertaining a learning experience as this class has been.

Becky

How was the 2nd book?

Hello All,

In the beginning of the second book for this class, “Judgment In Managerial Decision Making” by M. Bazerman and D. Moore, there is an illustration of two tables. They look to be different sizes but, in actuality, they are the same size. That is the one thing that stands out the most to me in the book. It is a simple thing but it was astounding to me that I could not trust my own eyes. They say seeing is believing, not always.

The part of the book that was interesting but overwhelming was the part with all of the problems, chapter 2. While the problems were interesting and I am sure they explained the concepts, they were filled with more math than my non-math brain can comprehend. They were just confusing. I could figure out some of them but a few were beyond my ability and even with a math person trying to explain them to me I had no luck.

I enjoyed the part about improving decision making. I like when tools are set forth that can be used in a practical way. Theory is nice but it is even nicer to have an idea that is attached to an action.

Becky

The First Four Weeks

In looking back on the class thus far I cannot bring to mind one individual thing that stands out. There are many things that have caused me to question just how ethical I really am. The strongest emotion I feel is one of confusion. I am in a situation at work where I could be a whistle blower of sorts and I thought I had made my decision but after the reading and discussions for this class I am rethinking the course I have chosen.

I wrote an explanation of what was going on but then erased it. Obviously I am conflicted. How do you decide a course of action when doing what you think is right could hurt others? I just finished a book in which one of the lead characters tells himself to always do the right thing even when it is the hard thing. Easy for a fictional character to say.

Hopefully the remaining weeks of class will enlighten me and the best course of action will become startling clear.

Becky

Self Assessment Blog Entry

The learning objectives for this class are what I expected and look like they will be fun. I am always eager to learn new things.

The hardest part of this class for me will be the research paper. I don’t do well with research papers. First, I have a hard time selecting a subject. I am much more comfortable when I am given a subject and told to write about it. Second, I get overwhelmed with the amount of research that I do and lose track of where I found what information. I then have a problem sighting the information correctly. I will need to create some kind of an organizational system to keep it all straight. Third, my writing style is not structured enough for research paper writing. I write to speak instead of writing to read. Finally, I get bored to easily and start to write just to get it done versus to do it well. I prefer writing prose over research and need to find a way to make research writing an enjoyable experience.

I am looking forward to the commercial. I think it will be hard but it will also be a lot of fun. It is an opportunity to be creative.

I enjoy the blackboard experience. It is fun to have interesting discussions with people. I enjoy being challenged by the point of view of others. Often a posting will lead me to think of an issue in a new way. I get bored with the postings that just repeat the question and then answer it with quotes from the book. I read the book; I want to hear what your thoughts are. I tend to ignore the postings that don’t add something new which is probably a little rude.

Hopefully my classmates will enjoy my company as much as I am already enjoying theirs.

Becky