A500.5.3.RB_MyersCatherine

When thinking about how, or even if, my critical thinking skills have changed throughout this course, I noticed that they actually have grown. I feel that I am able to be more open minded and view certain ideas from a different perspective. It may not change my opinion or view of the subject matter or idea, but I am definitely more open to the new ideas. I have enjoyed the discussion posts the most because it gives me another perspective other than my own. I feel like this is the part of the course that I benefit from the most. I would have to say that the portion of the class that has changed my views and perspectives the most would be the Claim vs. Fact discussion post. I feel that this particular discussion post allowed my critical thinking to get a ‘kick start’. I was able to look at facts from a different perspective, and to take certain ideas with a grain of salt until I am able to look at it from a research based perspective. I feel that this course is going to be a memorable one.

A500.4.3.RB_MyersCatherine - Ballet Slippers or Adorable?

Upon the completion of watching the TED video about choices as told by Dr. Iyengar, I was very intrigued by her research. I agree with her perspectives on choice. Having choices is not always a good thing. Additionally, enjoying and appreciating choices are different depending on your background and how you were raised. Americans tend to feel freedom in making choices. Americans tend to be apprehensive when they discover that their choices are removed. This to me, is due to the mindset of Americans. Americans tend to feel like something is taken from them when they do not have the ability to make their own choices. But often times, it may be easier to not have a choice, for example, when Dr. Iyengar was speaking about taking your baby off the ventilator. I feel that this point rang true when Dr. Iyengar did her action research on the children selecting their activity. The American children did better when they were able to choose the activity as well as the color of the marker they used. Asian American children on the other hand did better on their activity when their parents chose for them. This is due to how choices are viewed in their culture or society. This ties into leadership because certain people thrive better when they are directly told what, when and how to do something. Others thrive when they are given a choice and when they can be creative. I really enjoyed Dr. Iyengar’s final action research project when she was talking about the nail polishes. Names and descriptions of the nail polishes affected how you views them, basically, how they ‘looked’ to the consumer. I don’t think that is something that I would have thought about before. Her perspective is completely different because she is blind. She needed to rely on what others said about the nail polishes. When she decided to find out why they described the nail polishes in that particular way, she found out that the polishes were actually almost identical, leading me to believe that this was a marketing ploy. Ultimately, I agree with the points that Dr. Iyengar made about choices. I did not think about them in the perspective of how culture depends on how you react to choice.

A500.3.4.RB_MyersCatherine

Based on previous experience in higher education I understand and appreciate the benefits of using a school’s library as a means for research, and looking through the Hunt Library was no different. The Hunt Library will be extremely beneficial for me throughout the Master’s Program. Being able to search through the databases and gain access for full text articles online is something that will become very useful in the weeks to come. I have learned that through databases and the Hunt Library you can trust the information you are using. For example, when looking through Google on the topic of Leadership Communication, the first link that pops up is a Forbes link with a “Top 10” type article. While this may be useful, it is not something that is scholarly in context. This is the benefit of using the Hunt Library, you know the articles that you are using are scholarly in nature. In the Hunt Library while searching under the exact same search of Leadership Communication, I found many peer reviewed journal articles. Personally, I have more confidence in using these articles as a means for research than Google. In my opinion, there is a place for Google in education, maybe to get a basis of general information, but it is easy to fall into the trap of finding incorrect information from a website that is not scholarly. To avoid this, it is crucial to use the school’s library for research. I enjoy looking through the articles because I find a wide variety of opinions and information. You can get a well-rounded set of information when using the Hunt Library.