tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84837686362603436102024-03-13T08:19:05.789-07:00SLLO BlogSLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-66548412620784652832014-01-16T10:55:00.000-08:002014-01-16T10:55:00.086-08:00SLLO Where Are They Now: When You’re Reminded Why You Do What You Do<div class="MsoNormal">
I like to consider myself a very intrinsically motivated
individual. I’m the first to admit,
however, that sometimes I get tired.
Tired of feeling like I’m beating my head against the wall… Tired of
feeling like the students <i>just aren’t
quite getting it…</i> Tired of consecutive late nights at work…just tired. But then every once in a while, out of the
blue, someone pops back into my life for 5 minutes, an hour, or as a new
colleague, and reminds me why it’s all worth it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The latest instance of that happened for me the weekend of
graduation. Knowing that thousands of
people were going to be heading straight for campus, I very strategically chose
to drive in the opposite direction and ran all of my errands that stayed outside
a very intentional radius distance away from Reed Arena. Nevertheless, as I was filling up my car at
the gas station, a friendly but clearly lost woman stopped and asked me to
point her toward Reed and all the festivities.
After a short conversation with her which involved a lot of pointing on
my part and some near hysterical laughter on hers, I turned back to my car…only
to be interrupted once again. This
interruption, however, turned out to be one of my former students who graduated
over 4 years ago!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was a great deal of laughing and hugging and quick
catching up (I imagine the other people in line at the Kroger station were
ready for me to fill up my car already), but one of the comments that he made
in passing changed my entire weekend. After
answering all of my questions about his life that Facebook hadn’t been able to
keep me apprised of, he looked over and said, “I just have to tell you, I use
the skills we learned in those advisor time activities every day in my
job…especially using my Strengths to work with my team!” That, naturally,
earned him yet another hug.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I reflected on his quick comment later in the day (and
for the rest of the weekend), it occurred to me that moments like that are what
make it worth pushing through the tired and not just dropping those items off of
the meeting agenda as life gets busier and the major event gets closer. He didn’t once mention the conference we
spent a year planning together with the other members of his team, or the
specific duties of his job…it was the supplemental activities that stuck with
him. I would imagine that his was just
an off-handed comment in a quick interaction, but the ripples made a
difference. So, thanks to all the former
students everywhere who take the 5, 10, or 60 minutes to drop back by and tell
your former advisor what’s going on in your world. And, to all my future students, thank them
for the fact that you, too, are going to continue to be supplemented with
advisor time activities…and one day you might appreciate it!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Sarah Edwards</div>
SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-55531820512199524242014-01-14T11:00:00.000-08:002014-01-14T11:00:01.133-08:00SLLO in Action: Flaky Communication<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">At the beginning of each semester with a new team of
students, I have one activity in particular that I LOVE to incorporate. Partly, this is because I don’t have as many
kinesthetic activities as I do the “think about it and talk to your neighbor”
ones, so I like to optimize the few that involve actually DOING. But also, I just love how the students
respond to this one. It’s called
Snowflake, and it’s a great exercise in processing the importance of clear and
specific communication when working with others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Supplies Needed:</span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1
square sheet of paper for each participant (can be any size, but use fewer
folds in a smaller sheet) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Activity Directions:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Give each
participant a blank sheet of paper, and instruct them to close their eyes and
be silent<b>. Not talking is very important for this
activity, so stress to them that they just need to listen and follow
directions…no speaking.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Their
instructions are:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Fold the paper
in half; (This first time will be your greatest risk of someone blurting out
“hot dog or hamburger”, thus causing people to start wondering about how their
neighbor is folding it…you can anticipate this with another reminder of silence
and to keep their eyes shut)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Hold the folded
half toward the front of the room and tear off the left-hand corner;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Now fold the
paper in half again, and tear a section out of the center;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Now tear a small
piece off of the right hand corner;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Fold in half
again, and tear a small piece off of the right hand corner.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Now instruct
everyone to open their eyes, unfold their papers, and hold up their snowflakes</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Reflection/Debrief/Discussion: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Everyone heard
the same instructions, but just like real snowflakes, no two are exactly the
same. Why did this happen? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What steps could
have been taken to make this turn out differently?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Can you think of
a time of another time where this has happened?
(You said one thing or set of instructions that you thought was clear,
but the person heard and did something different)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Process with the
group how this is a reflection of communication, how two people can hear the
same thing and interpret it differently, what would have been helpful for the
listeners (the ability to ask questions and get feedback, the ability to have a
visual idea of what was expected, etc), and how this can be applied to their
group.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-57028655414452732312013-12-12T11:03:00.000-08:002013-12-12T11:03:03.647-08:00SLLO In Action: How Do Your Students Learn?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you’re like me, you approach advising or supervising or
navigating the freeway in the way that makes the most sense…to you. I LOVE to learn and for a long time I was
THAT kid in school (let’s be honest, I sort of still am) because I assumed that
everyone liked learning as much as I did.
The realization that this wasn't the case sent me into a bit of a
developmental tailspin…but I digress.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When choosing activities to facilitate with my students, I
strive to be very intentional in selecting resources that push me beyond my
comfort zone of learning and facilitating.
I’m very much a “give me a worksheet, let me think about it and write
down my answers, then discuss with a neighbor or as a group” kind of
learner. But, personal news flash,
that’s not how everyone prefers to approach every activity. Some people enjoy those activities where you
have to draw something (mine invariably ends up as a page covered in
words). Others enjoy building
things. Some people actually even LIKE
IT when you’re forced to act out a scene ** introvert shudder**.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A very informative activity, and one that I've had lots of
positive feedback from my students after conducting, is the VAK
Assessment. This is a learning style test
that the students take, and then you can process with them as a group to learn
more about themselves and each other: how they prefer to give and receive
information, and the best ways to keep them engaged in meetings. There’s a free, online tool that I routinely
use that can be found at: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessballs.com%2Ffreematerialsinword%2Fvaklearningstylesquestionnaireselftest.doc">http://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessballs.com%2Ffreematerialsinword%2Fvaklearningstylesquestionnaireselftest.doc</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But if you don’t like this one, just google VAK Assessment
and you’ll see that there are tons to choose from.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
This past year, 6 of my 8 executive officers were
Kinesthetic learners. At the start, my
highly Visual/Auditory self was a bit terrified at the prospect of keeping the
team engaged and focused through their planning meetings. But with the benefit of advanced knowledge
and a summer of strategic activity planning with the Director, it ended up
being one of the best years yet!<br />
<br />
- Sarah Edwards<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-30264607742044573542013-12-10T11:04:00.000-08:002013-12-10T11:04:00.556-08:00SLLO in Action- Reflections of Morgan Hiser<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">As a
student leader with Aggie Representatives Educating About College Health
(REACH), I had the opportunity to teach other students about health through
leading meetings and doing presentations on health topics. I currently
work for the WilCo Wellness Alliance, a county health coalition in Williamson
County,</span><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"> which is closely
associated with Williamson County and Cities Health District. I focus on
healthy policy and environmental changes throughout the county. As a
leader of this group, I am responsible for leading and organizing group
meetings of a large group of community members and supporting healthy changes
throughout the county. The peer educator training I received as a member
of REACH allowed me to better relate to the community members in the coalition
and be a more confident leader in the programs conducted. REACH also gave
me the opportunity to apply for a grant on behalf of the group. Many
programs or job positions need grant funds to support work being done.
The experience of the process in applying, and ultimately receiving the grant,
helped me to understand the importance of making that effort for a program you
care about. Overall, I had many experiences with Aggie REACH that taught
me how to be a well-rounded leader in the working world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span style="color: #943634; font-family: "Andalus","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Morgan Hiser, CHES</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Healthy
Communities Project Specialist</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">WilCo
Wellness Alliance<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Highland
Lakes Health Partnership<o:p></o:p></span></div>
SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-52175962919882295002013-12-05T11:05:00.000-08:002013-12-05T11:05:00.187-08:00SLLO In Action: Reflecting on Student Learning <div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do you want to know how students feel about their
involvement experience? Do you wonder if
students’ experiences are similar in different organizations? We wondered the same things about involved
students at Texas A&M. But how do
you go about answering these questions on a campus of 50,000 students with
almost 900 student organizations?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We decided to take an approach combining reflection and one
minute papers. We asked advisors to
participate with their student groups to have them complete a series of one
minute papers throughout the academic year.
Students would reflect through these one minute papers each month from
September through April. After advisors
administered the one minute paper, a group of staff members would read each
reflection and score it based on an AAC&U rubric for integrative learning
or lifelong learning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, how did it work?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had almost 1,400 students involved in the project as it
started, and about 1,100 during the spring semester from about 70 different
student organizations throughout the Division of Student Affairs. We were able to capture information from
students in a variety of different roles and groups to learn about our
students. However, it was a lot of work
to get forms back from all advisors each month and we did drop a few groups
early on because they had gotten so far behind in the monthly reflections.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The reflection prompts we gave students each month were:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">What brought you to this particular student
organization and why is it a good fit for you? (September)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Beyond building friendships and networking, what
do you personally hope to learn through this student involvement experience?
(October)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">What connections, if any, can you make between
this student involvement experience and your classroom experience?</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">What connections, if any, can you make
between this student involvement experience and your career path? (November)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Based on this student involvement experience,
please give an example of a time when you expressed your views, solutions, or
opinions on an issue.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If you have not
expressed your views, solutions, or opinions on an issue, please share your
thoughts on why not. (December/January)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">How does this student involvement impact your
life experience? (February)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">How have you applied skills or abilities gained
from previous experiences to solve problems or explore issues in this student
involvement? (March)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">How do you see yourself now compared to who you
were at the beginning of this student involvement experience? (April)</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Would we do anything differently?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While this project was a great initiative looking at a large
number of involved students from across the division, we did learned a LOT. We would spread out the reflections to a
couple times a year, but ask that students spend more than “a minute” on them
to get at some deeper concepts. The
monthly pace was challenging for advisors in administering the one minute
papers and students reflecting on the question asked. We would also plan more staff time for
reading and scoring the reflections and only ask one question per time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The concept from this project could easily be applied to
individual groups or even during one-one-one meetings with students. There are easy ways to build in reflection
with your students and help them develop the skill to look back at what has
happened in order to look ahead with better clarity and direction. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
- Kelly Cox</div>
SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-50247113822591222522013-12-03T11:07:00.000-08:002013-12-03T11:07:00.132-08:00SLLO In Action: Wasting Time <div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wasting time – I do not enjoy wasting time at all! Waiting time in lines, waiting time at stop
lights, being in meetings that have no purpose…okay you get the idea. When I look at how I spend my time, I try to
find activities that have meaning or purpose for me. I try to find activities that do not feel as
if they waste my time. Oh sure, I have
those occasional tasks that do not seem as if they have any purpose and I do
them, but I try to not have my day filled with those type of tasks. I use this idea when looking at organizations
to join as well – what organizations provide meaning to me or fit with values I
have?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Students getting involved may be deciding which organization
to join based what provides meaning to them or fits with their values. For some, they value feeling connected on
campus and want to meet people. Some may
look for opportunities to give or help others.
Others join an organization to grow and gain new skills that will help
them when they graduate. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Texas A&M has over 900 recognized student organization
plus dozens more that are connected with departments. Do you make it easy for students to match
what an organization offers with their own personal values? Do students know what they might gain through
your organization before they join?
Students selecting specific organizations based on what it can offer will
look for this information. Yet it is
easy to overlook providing this during recruitment. Here are some suggestions to help students in
making decisions of what organization to join:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-right: .6in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Identify learning outcomes for your
organization.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If you have differences by
positions, breakdown outcomes that way to let students know what they might
gain if they stay involved over time.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Share learning outcomes with students and make
it part of the recruitment process.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Really talk with interested students and be
honest with them about your organization and what you do.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Be less competitive with other organizations –
getting the most number of incoming members is not beneficial if it is a bad
fit and they don’t participate or drop out.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Don’t assume students know about your information
or at least know accurate information.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Be intentional with your recruitment to identify
students who are a good fit for the organization and the organization is a good
fit for them.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If you have an interview process, ask what
students are looking for in an organization.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Decide in advance what you will do if there seems to be a disconnect
between what a student looking for and the purpose of your organization.</span></li>
</ul>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Helping students identify the right organization for them is
a benefit for that individual student and for that organization. It also helps students not “waste time” trying
various organizations that really are not for them.<br />
<br />
- Kelly Cox</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-52257751928288867442013-11-26T11:09:00.000-08:002013-11-26T11:09:00.054-08:00SLLO In Action: Exit Interviews<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They seem like such an easy concept yet when it comes to
actually doing them, I’m a bit apprehensive. Maybe I don’t want to hear
what the student employee has to say. Maybe they hated their job and now
that they’re leaving, they will feel the need to unleash multiple semesters
worth of pent up frustration. I have a sensitive ego. What can I
say? However, in conducting exit interviews for the past 3 semesters, I
have actually learned quite a bit from my graduating student employees. I
learned our students want more to do than just to be an office lackey.
They get tired, I assume, of making copies for presentations or trying to
figure out how to put restroom newsletters in the boy’s bathrooms without
getting yelled at by the occupants. Our students want
responsibility. They want to take on large projects where they can learn
new skills. And yes, they want to learn how to be leaders outside the
classroom. How has this new knowledge led me to be a better
supervisor? When I hire student employees, I ensure them this job is not
just a job where they can surf Facebook or Twitter all day or where they can
just sit and read history textbooks. They will learn something at this
job. They will use their academic knowledge and finally, they will become
leaders in the health field. Am I still scared to do Exit
Interviews? Not even a little bit. Bring it on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Rhonda Rahn<o:p></o:p></div>
SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-49693363878353766722013-11-21T11:11:00.000-08:002013-11-21T11:11:00.150-08:00SLLO Reflections: How Do We Reflect?<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
Reflect: among other definitions, Dictionary.com defines
to reflect as to think, ponder, or meditate. I know that I do not take enough
time to reflect: I'm too busy moving on to the next project, meeting, or
activity. At the same time, I know that action doesn't role model positive
behavior for the college students and colleagues we work with. How can we
expect others to reflect (well), if we don't do it? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
I even admit that I started this article while waiting
for my car to be serviced at the dealership, and I'm now working on it (a
couple of months later) waiting for others to show up to a meeting. Not much
time to seriously reflect on life and learning, is it? On the other hand, maybe
we can reflect in smaller chunks of time. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
What's the point of us reflecting anyway? I do think that
some of our learning and integration takes place after some event--not always
in the moment. Those of you that work with students regularly (especially those
that may have made a poor decision at some point) know what I mean. I also advocate that in this day and age, we
need to know how to think, not just how to perform a specific skill (that may
be outdated in a couple of years). But how do we know how to think? It takes
practice and challenge. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
Marcia Baxter Magolda has researched the area of
self-authorship, which includes reflection as a major foundation. Table 1,
below, illustrates the journey of self-authorship (from <i>Authoring Your Life</i>, 2009, p. 4). You can see that there is a
process of development as we get older and have more experiences. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div align="center">
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 29.95pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 29.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.45in;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b>External <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Formulas<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 29.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 220.5pt;" valign="top" width="294"><div class="MsoNormal">
Trust
authorities to decide what to believe, follow others’ visions for how to
succeed. External voices (those of others) in the foreground drown out
internal voice. <o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 28.3pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 28.3pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.45in;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Crossroads<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 28.3pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 220.5pt;" valign="top" width="294"><div class="MsoNormal">
Torn
between following others’ versus own visions and expectations<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 29.95pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 29.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.45in;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Listening to Internal Voice<o:p></o:p></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 29.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 220.5pt;" valign="top" width="294"><div class="MsoNormal">
Recognize
the importance of hearing one’s internal voice and begin work to identify it.
Attempt to get internal voice into conversation with external voices. <o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 28.3pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 28.3pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.45in;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Cultivating Internal Voice<o:p></o:p></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 28.3pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 220.5pt;" valign="top" width="294"><div class="MsoNormal">
Use
internal voice to sort out beliefs, establish priorities, and put the puzzle
of who you are together. Work to reduce reliance on external authorities. <o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 29.95pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 29.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.45in;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Self-Authorship<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 29.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 220.5pt;" valign="top" width="294"><div class="MsoNormal">
Trust
yourself to decide what to believe, follow your vision for how to succeed. Internal
voice in the foreground coordinates information from external voices.<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 28.3pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 28.3pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.45in;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Trusting the Internal Voice<o:p></o:p></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 28.3pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 220.5pt;" valign="top" width="294"><div class="MsoNormal">
Realize
that reality is beyond your control, but you can control your reaction to
reality; use internal voice to shape reaction.<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 29.95pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 29.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.45in;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Building an Internal
Foundation <o:p></o:p></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 29.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 220.5pt;" valign="top" width="294"><div class="MsoNormal">
Use
internal voice to make internal commitments and build them into a foundation
or philosophy of life to guide action.<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 29.95pt; mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 29.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.45in;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Securing Internal Commitments<o:p></o:p></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 29.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 220.5pt;" valign="top" width="294"><div class="MsoNormal">
Live
out internal commitments in everyday life.<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 33.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 8; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td colspan="2" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 33.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 324.9pt;" valign="top" width="433"><div class="MsoNormal">
Key:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Bold</b>=phases<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Italics</i>=elements within phases<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;">
Table 1: Key
Locations in the Journey toward Self-Authorship<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
In her longitudinal study, Baxter Magolda also explored
how good partners helped in that development. The study participants said a
good partner “respected their thoughts and feelings, helped them sort through
their experiences, and collaborated with them to help them solve their own
problems” (p. 12). In student affairs, that’s where advisors and supervisors
come into play. They can help others in that reflection and interpretation
phase without taking over someone else’s life. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
Here are a couple of tips for reflection:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Schedule time to do it--have a meeting with
yourself. We are all very busy people,
and I know if something doesn't get put on my calendar, it doesn't get done. Even
if it is 15-30 minutes a week.</li>
<li>Schedule time with others. The last SLLO meeting of the
year asked staff to reflect. We provided people with some questions, but they
could also go down their own path as needed. We provided paper, markers,
snacks, etc. to help people get into their own flow. The staff who attended
seemed to like it, and shared some really great ideas and reflections.</li>
<li>For some, reviewing the current day and planning for the
next day helps them briefly reflect-what did I learn today? What do I intend to
learn tomorrow? What resources do I need to learn? What opportunities do I have
to help others in their journey?</li>
<li>Read. Whether it's <i>The
Chronicle of Higher Education</i>, a book, a journal article, or a blog, read
something once a week that makes you think. What does this mean to me? My work
with students? My own professional or personal development? My future?</li>
<li>Cultivate your internal voice. I’m giving you permission
to talk to yourself, without others thinking you are crazy.</li>
</ul>
<o:p></o:p><br />
- Darby Roberts<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<br /></div>
SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-18715348296446281002013-11-19T10:30:00.000-08:002013-11-19T10:30:03.628-08:00SLLO Reflections: Liking Isn’t Helping<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In preparing for the semester ahead, I've done a lot of
looking into social media and various news outlets to seek inspiration for
leadership moment prompts. Perhaps is it
my own natural bias at play, but I usually gravitate towards those which don’t
require a thorough knowledge of current world events. I mostly choose those which can be set up
quickly and then we can move into the conversation and reflection part without
anyone feeling like they've attended a lecture at their exec meeting. But in seeking out those inspirations today,
I came across the following brief post which challenged me to reconsider my
approach to those moments:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.upworthy.com/id-ask-you-to-like-this-photo-if-you-agree-with-it-but-then-i-think-that-proves-the-photo-right?c=ufb1">http://www.upworthy.com/id-ask-you-to-like-this-photo-if-you-agree-with-it-but-then-i-think-that-proves-the-photo-right?c=ufb1#</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In processing the meaning behind this marketing campaign
“Liking Isn't Helping”, I’m struck with the question of whether or not I've
fully done my part (for myself or my students) to challenge us to move beyond
just surface awareness of need in the world and into actual committed
assistance. Now, it bears stating here that
one thing I absolutely LOVE about working with Aggies is that when they see a
need, a very high percentage of them will mobilize to try to address is (thus
the origin of Big Event, The Red, White, and Blue Out, etc…). Nevertheless, we are all guilty at one time
or becoming caught in the Aggie Bubble and not seeing what is occurring beyond
the campus proper. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although social media news reports and heart-wrenching
images can be distributed practically instantaneously, sometimes another
instant is as long as we spend to click the Like button or “show support”
without it ever actually breaking into our subconscious. This might be a slight balm to our spirit to
feel like we've “done something”, even if it’s something small, but I think
what this campaign seeks to remind us is that we can’t stop there. Basic awareness that the realities behind
these images actually exist just isn't enough.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Therefore, my commitment for the coming semester is to push
beyond the surface and not to shy away from the conversations and reflections
that might take a bit longer but that help my students realize that these
issues are very real in the world. They
will probably take me out of my own comfort zone, and I might have to work
twice as hard to keep my personal politics out of the conversation, but if even
one of my students leaves this year and chooses to commit themselves to the
higher purpose of making a difference on a national or global scale, then it
was all worth it.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
- Sarah Edwards</div>
SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-59288086282440457692013-11-14T11:15:00.000-08:002013-11-14T11:15:00.624-08:00SLLO Reflections: The Best Laid Plans...<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
So it never fails – you set out on a big scheme that you
have planned perfectly only to be laughed at by the universe that is clearly
“anti-planning.” Well, at least that is how I always feel. Whether it is a
morning routine gone array, a planned mental health day that turns into me or
one my kids actually getting sick, or a Pinterest project gone wrong – life
just happens. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Such is the case with my work in SLLO. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I clearly had grand plans of changing lives. Of making my
students think harder, work smarter and be excited to discuss… wait for it…
what they were learning outside of those hours spent “learning.” This work was
going to change them. I was going to aid in their personal development,
celebrate with them after they get that dream job, listen to their stories of
discovery and then wait for the applause that follows on a job well done. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I got was something I could have never expected. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All the time I spent evaluating rubrics, spell checking
leadership learning contracts, facilitating leadership moments and sitting in
on feedback sessions – ALL of that time, I was expecting to see a change. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And I did. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
I saw a student determined to
improve public speaking skills speak to a crowd of thousands. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
I saw students afraid to give
feedback evaluate friends and peers with objectivity.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
I saw students connect classroom
knowledge to leadership skills. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are many more examples just like these where I
witnessed change. But in all of that, the biggest change came from the most
unexpected place. Me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>I</i></b> changed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I became more attentive. I reignited a passion in my work. I
polished my own skills of prioritization and time management. I ran meetings
more effectively. Every time I set the bar higher for my students, I did the
same for myself. And together we grew as a team.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I even interacted with my children with more intention and
discovered new ways of integrating learning into their lives. And while my
husband hates it when I “student develop” him – I think he would even say that
while my planned creation of a rubric for our children’s ability to potty
train/brush teeth/follow instructions sounds crazy, it’s better than the money
we spend <s>bribing</s> rewarding them for good behavior. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Much of the discussion of “should I or shouldn’t I” in terms
of adopting SLLO into work practices revolves around the extra time it adds to
work. And all those discussion are true – it does take time. But in the words
of the often quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The reward of a thing well done is
having done it.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
So do it. And make plans for the unexpected.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
- Katy King</div>
SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-71889111717897029692013-11-12T11:26:00.000-08:002013-11-12T11:26:00.093-08:00SLLO Where Are They Now: A Public Speaker<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<o:p> </o:p>About 11 months ago I packed up my (too many) belongings and
moved to Waco, TX to start the next chapter of life…graduate school at Truett
Theological Seminary. As I look around at my life I realize I have come to love
this place. I get to spend my time reading and studying God’s word and learning
about the church, my “work life” consists of engaging with the community at
Waco Habitat for Humanity and doing research on the topic of missions for an
incredible professor and mentor, and I am in love with my church. My free time
is spent reading books and really digging deep into community with the people
God has placed here in my life.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I sit here now writing on the same laptop that carried me
through my last semesters at Texas A&M University and an experience that
when I look back upon I can only describe as surreal…serving as 62nd President
of the <a href="http://msc.tamu.edu/">Memorial Student Center</a>. I was thinking
about this chapter in my life the other day and realized that what I love most
about my time as President is that it wasn't something that I wanted to do. In
fact, I turned down the opportunity multiple times. I’m not trying to be
arrogant when I say this. I know and appreciate that there are many people who
wanted the job…I just didn't feel equipped. I knew, in detailed description,
the intensity of what I would be agreeing to do. Yet, as I look back on the
experience I realize that I was prepared. It was something I was preparing for
years before I even knew what an MSC President was. I attribute a vast amount
of my preparation to the Student Leader Learning Outcomes. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My first interaction with SLLO was via trickle-down contact.
I was a shy freshman in <a href="http://fish.tamu.edu/">MSC FiSH</a> and the
student staff in the organization engaged with the rubrics and tools behind the
scenes and incorporated them into their leadership. I think I probably filled
out a survey or two. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fast forward to my sophomore year and I found myself in
their shoes. Sitting around a staff table setting goals for myself and marking
off boxes where I felt I landed in skill level at project management. Then I
sat and talked with my Chair and Vice Chair about where I would like to be and
what tools and practices could help me get there. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Fast forward once more and you find me as a junior, back on
the other side of the table. This time I was serving as Chair and my Vice Chair
and I spent hours brainstorming with our advisor, Katy King, about how we could
push this project even further and engage deeper with our staff and freshmen.
We simultaneously focused on our personal growth and each picked specific
rubrics to follow, drafted learning contracts, and developed staff activities
to get everyone thinking beyond just planning programs. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The rubric I picked to focus on personally was public
speaking. My learning contract included signing up for a speech class. Two
years later I found myself sitting in front of a news camera the morning that
the newly renovated Memorial Student Center was to be rededicated and reopened
after a $120 million renovation and expansion. The next day I was on a stage
speaking to an estimated 3,000 people as we opened the doors and invited our
Aggie family back into the campus living room for the first time in three
years. Life is weird and unexpected. <o:p></o:p></div>
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What I love about the SLLO project, and where I think its
primary impact lies in my life, is the focus on utilizing small steps and
choices. I am a huge advocate for intentionality and reflection—and this is
what I consider to be the core of SLLO. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I am a big picture person, often I really don’t want to
recognize that the little choices I make can actually prepare me for the next
opportunity. The SLLO tools required me to slow down and to examine my
long-term goals and think about what I can do now to prepare. It is a model
that relies on honest self-reflection and a willingness to be open to feedback
from others. The funny thing is that it prepared me for far more than any of
the goals I ever conceived. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Not only did SLLO prepare me for student leadership at Texas
A&M but interacting with the project instilled skills within me that I
continue to utilize every day. These are things that I don’t often even think
about because they have become so ingrained in me. When I allow myself the time
to sit and reflect I am always surprised at how far I have developed since I
entered this season of life as an 18 year old freshman. I am comfortable
receiving constructive criticism at my job. I am willing to provide feedback to
peers and superiors. I am willing to step out of my comfort zone and challenge
myself to do the things I think I can’t. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If I were to offer one piece of advice to people considering
engaging with the SLLO resources it would be: just start. Choose one tool or
practice and help your students implement it. And then challenge them to do a
little more, and a little more. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I am so grateful for Katy King’s passion. She not only
provided me opportunities to engage on paper and in the safety of her office,
but she actively pushed me to do the things I didn't think I could do. She
never doubted that I could stand on a stage in front of 3,000 people and
represent our student body…even though I questioned my ability. The SLLO
project gave me an avenue to practice little things every day. It was these
seemingly little things that ultimately gave me the confidence to go boldly and
serve in ways I never considered possible. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
- Liz Andrasi</div>
SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-37619696591925247622013-11-07T10:00:00.000-08:002013-11-11T13:12:09.507-08:00SLLO Where are They Now: Dedicating Time to SLLO<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Times, serif;">As a graduate student, my use
of SLLO, best described as restricted exploration, was challenged by limited
hours, stress from classes, and 9-month stents with a specific organization.
Given those constraints, I have still been able to utilize several tools
effectively and seen significant impacts.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, serif;">Having been exposed to SLLO (without knowing it) as an undergraduate student
and getting the opportunity to attend a SLLO orientation at the start of my
graduate assistantship with Student Activities, I was eager to test the waters
of student leader learning. I spent the first year of my assistantship advising
a freshmen mentorship organization. With a moderately sized executive staff of
fifteen students, I primarily utilized 1-minute papers (or more accurately,
note cards) to encourage the staff to reflect on two key areas: 1) the impact
they wanted to make on the organization and 2) the personal growth they wanted
to achieve as a result of their work with the organization. I also worked with
my chief student leader attempting to work through a rubric but struggled with
buy-in from the student. I found the 1-minute papers to be moderately effective
as we revisited different ones throughout the year.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, serif;">As I, myself, reflected on my
year in the shallow end of SLLO, I discovered two key obstacles. I struggled to
obtain buy-in from students, which I believe to be a product of my limited time
with them. I also found my intentionality to be lacking. With these two
obstacles in mind, I set some goals for my advising position with a different
organization the following year. I resolved to be more intentional in planning
out how I would use SLLO tools and more receptive to my students’ reactions to
the tools I introduced.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, serif;">During the second year of my
assistantship, I stuck with the same tools as before; 1-minute papers and
rubrics. The difference this year came from my goal of increasing
intentionality with SLLO. I took time at the start of each semester to select
1-minute paper prompts to introduce throughout the year that related to their
experiences with the organization at a specific time. For example, I prompted
them to reflect on transition, both as it relates to the organization and to
their life, in April. I also exposed my chief student leader to all of
the SLLO rubrics and outcomes, allowing that student to choose a rubric they
wanted to work on. That ownership led to significant student investment and
improvement in our work with the effective meetings rubric. In addition to
1-minute papers and rubrics, I also employed leadership moments in weekly
director staff meetings, disguising them as “advisor times,” a seemingly more
fun agenda item from the students’ perspective.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, serif;">I achieved much more success
with SLLO in my second year, compared to my first, and I found the main cause
of that increased success to be intentionality. I sacrificed extra time
to give real thought and attention to finding the most impactful way I could
incorporate SLLO into my advising experiences. That extra time made all the
difference.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">As I transition into my first full-time professional position,
when it comes to SLLO, that extra time is what I will remember. I know the
principles. I have been exposed to the tools. But, if I do not make time to be
intentional with how I align my work with those principles, if I don’t take the
time to strategically plan out how I will use the tools, my efforts will be, at
best, diluted. And, while students will change and my personalized style with
SLLO will develop, without the dedicated time and attention, my student impact
suffers. Time will tell exactly how I use SLLO in my next role, but the one
certainty I know and keep in those regards is that time will be spent to
intentionally figure that out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">- Leo Young</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-74576821409895898692013-11-05T11:37:00.000-08:002013-11-11T13:18:39.265-08:00The Downlow on SLLO: The Importance of the First Follower<br />
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So, the universe has been trying to teach me something this
week. And, as is so often the case, it
has taken more than just once or twice for the message to sink in…but I think
I've got it now. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It all began earlier this week when, as a personal
celebration for surviving another semester of my own academic pursuits, I
convinced a friend to go see The Hobbit with me. For the most part I was just decompressing
from the Fall and enjoying the sheer magnitude of the film, but I also, as is
so often the case, heard that voice in my brain interject at a few key points
in the story with “This would be a great leadership moment”, and “You could
weave that into a social justice module for class, etc”. As I was in relaxation mode, I promptly
ignored those voices...but the lesson wasn't over.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fast forward to Thursday, and I am sent this clip:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW8amMCVAJQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW8amMCVAJQ</a></div>
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Although the message from the TED talker sounded a little
bit more like “Transform a Lone Nut into a Leader”, what really stuck out to me
was his emphasis on the importance of the first follower. I began to reflect on how often I talk with
my students about the courage and strength it takes to be the first follower,
rather than the leader, and I couldn’t come up with much. That’s just not a conversation we have (or
have had before…). As I prepared to
leave for the night, these thoughts continued to swirl around in my brain
looking for a place to latch on and mesh into next year’s assignments.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And then, the universe delivered the final blow: My
grandparents wanted to go to the movies for Grandparents Night (our Thursday
night tradition), and of course…we were going to see The Hobbit. This time, with actual sleep having been had
this week and my brain not still fried from writing a final flurry of papers, I
watched the film for the lessons. And I
found a ton!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I won’t go into too many, but the one that stuck out the
most that I knew needed to be addressed here was the moment when Bilbo Baggins
did his own version of running up and joining the crazy guy dancing in the
park. Bilbo, who spends the first two
hours of the movie reminding Gandolf and the dwarves that he’s never been a
fighter, watches as the leader of the dwarves rushes away from the group and
faces down his nemesis. But rather than
being paralyzed by fear or awe like the others, he braces himself to follow. When the leader is struck down, Bilbo and
Sting charge down the Orcs and, in doing so, bolster the others to fight back
as well.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was struck with the parallels to what I see in my own
organizations. While the dynamics rarely
involve Orcs or Dwarves, they do often involve one or two leaders who seem so
confident, that many of the other students sit back and watch in awe rather
than stepping up to join in. It’s only
after one or two additional students break away from the pack and vocally
support the “leader”, that the momentum builds and others fall in line. <o:p></o:p></div>
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And so, this morning I find myself plotting with more
intentionality about where this lesson in followership will fall into Spring’s
curriculum. And reminding myself to stop
resisting the teachings of the universe…it always wins in the end.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
- Sarah Edwards</div>
SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-7286708728885906902013-10-31T12:02:00.000-07:002013-11-11T13:19:05.135-08:00SLLO Reflections and Action<br />
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I
remember in my first year as a graduate student at Texas A&M, the first
time I heard any mention of SLLO. I was in one of my first Residence Education
meetings and the Associate Director was talking about this incredible program
that can help us, as professionals, gauge how much our students are learning.
As she went into explaining what SLLO was, I immediately felt out my league.
Being a kid from small-town South Dakota, I don’t know if, to that point, I had
thought about something like that. To me, complex guiding thoughts on practice
were how to plot out farmland or what I needed to in my student organization to
maximize the funding we were granted. As it turns out, exposing myself to SLLO
and challenging myself to use it with my student staff was one of the best
career decisions I've made in my limited time as a professional.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In my time at Texas A&M, I utilized Student Learning Contracts with my
student staff. My first experiment using these was, as could be predicted,
disastrous. But, as I stuck with it and used feedback from the students I was
working with to guide how I used them in the future, I started to get the hang
of using them. By the time I was being forced to leave College Station (curse
you, graduation!), I felt really comfortable using them and knew that as I
continued to work with students, Learning Contracts and the assessment of
student learning were going to remain a staple of my practice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I started my time here at the University of Iowa, one major question was
constantly floating around in my head: How can I, as a first-year employee,
help guide our department in focusing on the assessment of learning in our
student leaders. As committee assignments came out and I found out that I was
on the Student Staff Training Committee, I had a realization: If we outline
major competencies our student staff will both need in their position and gain
through their time in the department, we can set up our training, supervision,
and evaluation process to, in a natural way, assess student learning. Once I
was able to convince the powers that be of this, the work could begin.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As we are still in the beginning stage of piloting the use of our competencies,
I will share a bit of the thoughts that went into creating our departmental
competencies. Luckily, as I was talking about competencies in one of our first
committee meetings, I was able to land a partner in developing them. As we sat
down and began discussing the use of competencies and what we would need in
order for them to be used effectively, we both came to the same conclusion: For
ease of use, the department should have rubrics for each competency. The first
step that we took was looking at the Resident Assistant job description and
evaluation. From there, we were able to identify the seven overarching topical
areas (i.e. Leadership). Next, we outlined individual competencies that would
fall under certain topical areas (i.e. Takes responsibility for one’s own
decisions and actions). The final step was outlining the rubrics that would be
used in assessing students’ progress across the various areas. For this, we
adapted Bloom’s Taxonomy to use different terminology that, in our minds, more
directly correlates with students’ movement in knowledge as they stay in a
student staff role for multiple years(Figure 1). Not only did we use Bloom’s
Taxonomy as a guiding framework, but we also broke down where the student staff
should be in the learning process based on how long they have been a Resident
Assistant (e.g. training, 1<sup>st</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>year,
2<sup>nd</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>year).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Upon finishing the first few stages of my first major student learning project
as a full-time professional, I came to the realization of how much being
involved in SLLO has impacted my knowledge base and practice. Without the
exposure to SLLO and the outstanding professionals involved in and leading it,
I wouldn’t have had any clue to even think about student staff competencies,
much less outline this process. To folks new or unexposed to SLLO, I encourage
you to get
involved and learn all you can while you’re at Texas A&M. For those of you
currently or previously involved in SLLO, thank you for the great work you do
and have done in guiding our field and keep it up!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Carson D.
Dinger, ‘12<o:p></o:p></div>
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Residence
Life Coordinator<o:p></o:p></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
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<u1:p></u1:p>
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<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
University
of Iowa<o:p></o:p></div>
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SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-13210153842084438942013-10-29T10:00:00.000-07:002013-11-11T13:19:49.339-08:00SLLO Reflections: What’s the Big Idea?<br />
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As the director of Student Life Studies, I have a
unique perspective on student learning. I see the departments, advisors, and
students coming to our office for student learning assessment help. They want
to improve their programs to meet the needs of today’s students. I also see
what’s happening on the institution level: Accreditors want to know what
students are learning in their college career.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For many years, staff in student affairs were not
really plugged into student learning assessment. They were focused on student
services and student development, both of which are necessities on college
campuses. In recent years, though, there has been a shift in higher education
that demands we also focus on what students are learning. It’s not always just
about putting on a great program or providing a needed service; it’s about what
students are learning from those activities. In addition, it can be about what
the student leaders are learning from being in charge of those programs and
events. We know students are learning; we need to be able to show the learning.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Universities are being asked to provide evidence
and documentation that students are, in fact, learning something, not just in
their classes, but also in the rest of their experiences. Obviously, students
should learn their discipline, but they should also be able to communicate
effectively, work well with others, and make good decisions. Faculty may have
an easier time assessing learning, particularly as it relates to discipline
knowledge. They are seeing students for an extended period of time, require
some sort of artifact (test, papers, projects), and provide feedback along the
way for students to improve performance. Depending on the situation, faculty
may incorporate communication opportunities (written paper, oral presentation),
group projects, and ethical dilemma case studies in the courses. I like to
think that students then have the ability to transfer that information to
different settings and improve over time. Student affairs staff can also
develop these skills in students, beyond the confines of the classroom walls. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So, what is the Big Idea? The big idea is that
learning takes place in all kinds of settings, all the time, and in all kinds
of ways, and we need to make it our focus and reason for being. The future of
our country (and the world) depends on it. In <i>We’re Losing Our Minds: Rethinking American Higher Education</i>,
Keeling and Hersh argue that America is being held back by the quality and
quantity of learning in college. Graduates can’t communicate, solve problems, comprehend
complex issues, accept responsibility, understand others’ perspectives, or meet
employer expectations (p. 1). There is a crisis in student learning (“there is
not enough higher learning in high education” [p. viii]) that we need to
acknowledge and address in new ways. In brief, some of their principles
include: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Higher learning requires the collective effort
of the entire faculty and staff. We need to agree on ends (outcomes) and means
(rigorous thinking, writing, reading, ethical behavior, etc.).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Higher learning occurs horizontally, across
experiences in and out of the classroom, as well as vertically within major and
disciplines, and in ways that are necessarily cumulative. Higher learning is
synergistic and requires integrated design.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Assessment is an intentional process of helping
students learn, including how to seek, use, and internalize assessment
processes and results.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">All learning—intellectual, developmental,
social, and emotional—happens through changes in the brain. There is guidance
about developing pedagogies to help students learn more effectively.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The individual learner matters in the learning.
Students’ readiness is a complex construct that influences persistence,
achievement, learning, and success.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Students’ individual levels of engagement and
investment in their college education are also fundamental factors that affect
achievement, persistence, and success. (pp. 21-22)</span></li>
</ul>
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All of us should be concerned with the value (rather than
just cost) of higher education and how to improve the learning among college
students of today. Student affairs professionals have a significant role in preparing
students to be the thinkers, learners, and leaders of tomorrow. It is a big
idea that requires new thinking and engagement, right here, right now.<o:p></o:p></div>
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- Darby Roberts</div>
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SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-67119581286826089062012-10-22T09:21:00.000-07:002012-12-17T14:03:58.041-08:00When the Learning ClicksThere are times in our student affairs careers where our outlook on life and student learning are positive and full of hope. Then there are times like Justin mentioned earlier this month, when students just don’t get why tracking and documenting their learning is so important. But when the “ah-ha” moments do come, they come in such an awesome way it deserves a poem.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>The hustle and bustle of each day can sometimes cause students to forget<br/><br/>How they learn, how they grow, what makes them tick<br/><br/>But life provides several moments of awe, where their brain wipes off the dust<br/><br/>And they open their minds to the world around them<br/><br/> <br/><br/>With no bright lights or crowds of cheerleaders students step cautiously into the unknown<br/><br/>And they begin the dance of trial and error as they navigate challenges they face along their journey<br/><br/>And they dance and dance until it all makes sense<br/><br/>This is when the learning clicks<br/><br/> <br/><br/>-Tracie LoweSLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-51861275967221656952012-10-09T10:36:00.000-07:002013-05-21T08:29:31.322-07:00“waHeat” Thins to the Karate Kid: When Students Don’t Get It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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“waHeat” Thins. An interesting comic relief between Baby Stewie and the dog Brian, from the Fox show, Family Guy for the troubles we see when two people do not see eye to eye on pronunciation.<br />
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However, it is easy to see the analogies we can come up with for our students<br />
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Many times as student affairs professionals we have close contact with students whether in 1:1 situations, general meetings, or exec team meetings. We tend to have these moments when students don’t get it. That “it” is sometimes defined as the big picture or the purpose, programming activities<br />
<del datetime="2012-10-08T16:13">,</del>of a student organization, or the intent verses the impact in an opinion or belief in leading the team or student organization effectively. Sometimes no matter how hard we try, when working with SLLO, there are times we find our students not getting the concepts or how SLLO can be beneficial.<br />
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I think back to my undergraduate years when I was a resident advisor and one of my duties was being the secondary advisor to my hall council. It was tough trying to run a meeting and or trying to let the Hall President know how to effectively delegate tasks and put on hall/campus programming. For me it was a lot of trial and error that gave me the experience on how to talk with the exec team to assist (coax them) to get things done. I also found myself not realizing what I was getting out of this position/collateral assignment that was given by my Hall Director. I more so saw this as busy work.<br />
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However, during this time, I would have meetings with my Hall Director giving her updates on what was going on with the Hall Council and also myself<br />
<ins cite="mailto:Lowe,%20Tracie" datetime="2012-10-08T16:16">,</ins>being the secondary advisor in conjunction with being a Resident Advisor/student. My Hall Director would continue to tell me that I should try this and that and be more intentional with tips and strategies to better impact my students and get more out this position. However, I found myself sticking to my own ideas, beliefs, and realizing that I could handle this. I began to give myself pressure not to fail. And fail we did, but winning happened as well near the end of the year.<br />
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In hindsight, I know I could’ve started off winning if some of the resources that SLLO offers now in terms of the rubrics were available to me back then. So now being someone in the field with experience and knowledge that believes that the SLLO rubrics do work, I find my old undergraduate self in these students. I can not tell you how many disagreements I have been in on where the “WaHeat Thins” commercial was a real life example of getting students to understand that their experiences and interpretations are important. However, the lesson that needs to be learned is that going your own way sometimes can set you up for a hard fail. Yet, when we use the SLLO rubrics in developing our student leaders, the student and the advisor can track their development and the see the “Ah-Ha!” moments come through loud and clear.<br />
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That “Ah-Ha” moment reminds me of the original “Karate Lessons” from Mr. Miyagi. Need a refresher, check this out.<br />
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It was interesting to see how frustrated Mr. Miyagi got when trying to teach Daniel that the most remedial tasks have a plan and purpose in the scheme of things. How many times do we lose our patience when teaching students that there is a purpose? Only if we had more obedient Daniels in real life where they didn’t get confused, or blow up and get frustrated to see what the purpose of the SLLO rubrics is. Documenting their progress; giving examples of how they completed the rubrics in SLLO is purposeful and can be eye opening. As we’ve talked about before when discussing SLLO, learning is not a sprint and students are not going to immediately get the reasoning behind doing the rubrics. But if you can help students persevere like Mr. Miyagi did with Daniel; that revelation can come at the end. And that end is when all of the activities, documenting, and or conversations you have done with your student leaders comes together in one fluid form allowing them to know Karate or in our case, know leadership and life skills.<br />
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- Justin VargheseSLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-86710310301241819042012-09-25T11:48:00.000-07:002012-12-17T14:03:58.050-08:00Contracted Learning: How does it really work?Perhaps it’s just my temperament, but I love learning contracts. To me there are few greater ways to chart out learning with students (be it in an organization, on your staff, or in a classroom) that to give them a format to decide what they want to, and are committed to working towards, learning this year. Now, I’m the first to admit that not all of my students get quite as enthused about this process as I do, and some required downright wheedling at the beginning, but I’ve never interacted with a student who made the commitment to try a learning contract on the front end that didn’t value the experience in the end.<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration:underline;">The Process</span><br/><br/>In my experience, the first step to effectively integrating learning contracts into your process is to consider how you can use them as the framework for learning in your group, rather than as an additional to-do list item. If you have never used any sort of intentional learning tools or measurements before, think about what you want to achieve and/or measure with your students, and modify the template to suit your needs. If you already have an outline of the leadership and personal development learning that you conduct with your groups, plan to incorporate this as one week’s assignment, or be intentional in how you present the rest of the semester’s leadership moments to highlight or build upon what’s already planned. Again, I can’t emphasize this enough: incorporating learning contracts with your group really should not be something you add on, but rather something integrated into your plan.<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration:underline;">What’s In a Name?</span><br/><br/>If, like I did, you have students who totally balk at the sound/idea/concept of a learning contract, have hope…there are a few tactical options you can explore. The first and probably the most basic but in my experience the most successful is to consider changing the name. Some groups call them Leadership Learning Contracts. Others call them just plan Learning Contracts. My groups hated the term contract, so I represented the same material under the new moniker: Intentional Learning Plan. It was the exact same content, and really all I did was go through the guidelines template and replace LLC with ILP, but there was so much angst and push back against the idea of students having to enter into a contract about learning with me, and for some reason designing a learning plan just wasn’t as scary. And, to be sure, I’m not mocking my students with this story. The history of Higher Education is riddled with examples of ideas that when first presented were shot down unilaterally. However, when the same idea came back with a new set of words describing exceedingly similar behavioral requirements, people jumped on the band wagon without looking back.<br/><br/>Another option you can consider if groups are really resistant is to use one meeting to write a contract for the whole exec team, or for the organization, rather than for any individuals. Then, you’re really using it as more of a guide to strategic learning throughout the year, rather than anyone feeling any singular pressure. If you can make that sell and help students see how beneficial and user-friendly the learning contracts can be, then you’ll be in a much better position to consider moving the team to accepting the option of completing them as individuals in the following year.<br/><br/><span style="text-decoration:underline;">A Cautionary Tale</span><br/><br/>One final warning and one I learned the hard way: Remember that if you actually do succeed in motivating the individuals in your group to write up learning contracts, you have now created the responsibility for yourself to read, edit, and help them rewrite their contracts into actual working plans. Much like the teacher who approaches her first classroom with the belief that students just don’t write enough in school to develop those skills and thus plans to assign weekly papers, that seems like a great approach until the mountains of grading block out the sun. This caution shouldn’t deter you from encouraging your groups to do them, but I would strongly suggest having a deadline for each draft, and blocking out sections on your calendar ahead of time to reserve for reading and editing. It’s not required, but you’ll thank me if you do :-)<br/><br/>Written by: Sarah EdwardsSLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-80778017200323940442012-08-27T07:26:00.000-07:002013-05-21T08:37:21.300-07:00Interview with Darby Roberts: Learning Is Not A SprintWelcome back to another Fall school semester! As you're getting started on a new semester, we'd like to share a great new resource that has been recently published.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Learning is Not a Sprint: Assessing and Documenting Student Leader Learning in Cocurricular Involvement </strong>offers multiple perspectives and a framework to establish and document student learning in the cocurricular environment, with a specific focus on student leaders and student employees. It provides student affairs professionals with a theory base on student learning and student leadership, but also addresses the realities of the current state of higher education.</span></blockquote>
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This book has proven to be a very interesting read, and we asked Editor Darby Roberts to give us the inside scoop on the book.<br />
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<em><strong>Can you give me a brief overview of the book and why a book was written on this subject?</strong></em><br />
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The book begins with an overview of the current context of higher education and why student affairs should be concerned with student learning, then describes the theoretical foundation of leadership. The book continues on with what employers expect from graduates, the role of advisors and supervisors in student learning and change, and methods to assess student learning in the co-curricular. The book finishes with the challenges of creating change in organizations, assessing projects like SLLO and aggregating student learning, and where we see this topic going in the future.<br />
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We thought that this was an important topic because student affairs is now expected to engage in the student learning process, assess programs and learning, and demonstrate effectiveness in those areas. Although there are other books about leadership, student learning in the curricular, and assessment, there was not a book that addressed the unique learning opportunity that student leaders have in the co-curricular.<br />
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<em><strong>How long did it take to compose the book?</strong></em><br />
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It took a little over a year or so from the initial proposal to NASPA until the final version to be approved. Once we got the concept approved by NASPA, we had a fairly aggressive timeline to ensure the book would be ready for the 2012 NASPA Assessment and Persistence Conference.<br />
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<em><strong>How were the chapter subjects chosen?</strong></em><br />
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Kathy and I brainstormed what topics we thought would provide context for the project, in addition to more tangible information that student affairs professionals could use in their daily lives. We knew that we needed to expand on the current literature and broaden the perspective from the Texas A&M SLLO project to student learning in the co-curricular at a variety of institution types.<br />
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<em><strong>Technology was mentioned in the book as a pivotal part of student learning. How do you see it influencing student learning and the student affairs profession?</strong></em><br />
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Technology influences how we communicate with students, how students experience college and learning, and how we can document student learning. It will only become more ingrained in what we do. We see the potential for students to use technology to document their learning, record their reflections, and access resources. Think about how smartphones can be used for interacting with websites, taking videos and pictures, tweeting, and blogging. Students who are expected to participate in electronic portfolios can upload examples of their leadership and learning outcomes.<br />
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<em><strong>What is the most important preparation a student affairs professional can do to contribute to the goals of student learning (providing proof of impact)?</strong></em><br />
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I would say that student affairs professionals need to keep current about the priorities of higher education in general and their institution in particular. In addition, they need to be knowledgeable about the concepts of learning outcomes, assessment, advising/supervising, and other areas that appropriate to their responsibilities. Really, student learning is everyone’s responsibility, so it is important that we know what we are doing.<br />
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<em><strong>What would you recommend as the first steps for student affairs professionals to begin to integrate these tools?</strong></em><br />
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As Nike use to say, “Just Do It.” In reality, advisors/supervisors should understand the culture of the students/organization they work with to tailor their approach. Not all students appreciate the value of a rubric, but may like the individual approach of a learning contract. Others get excited about the creativity of photography, while others really like to reflect in the form of a journal entry. From the beginning of the relationship, the advisor/supervisor can be more intentional about their conversations with the student workers/leaders. For example, instead of asking students what they did this weekend, they could ask students what they learned in class last week that they could apply to their leadership position/work environment. Advisors/supervisors should start where they are comfortable to build their own confidence. And, if one approach does not work, they should have the freedom to try something different.<br />
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<em><strong>How can staff/faculty utilize these concepts in the academic environment?</strong></em><br />
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Some of the tools we talk about in the book actually come from the academic environment. Some students are familiar with rubrics because they have seen them in their courses. Examples such as one-minute papers come from a book about classroom assessment techniques. The classroom lends itself to direct measures of knowledge through tests, papers, and projects during a set period of time with a cohort of students; student leadership is not that structured.<br />
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<em><strong>Is there a benefit to students reading this book?</strong></em><br />
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I think that would be a great idea. The book is written in a tone that would appeal to students. It would also give them insight into what the institution, employers, and advisors expect from them. During the recent SLLO Orientation and Retreat, it struck me that we should give the book to the Student Body President.<br />
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<em><strong>What is your favorite SLLO tool and why?</strong></em><br />
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That’s a good question. They all have their advantages. The organization I advise is a little different that the traditional organization, so I’m still adapting. We have used rubrics for self-assessment and group discussion, but this year we will be trying learning contracts. I do appreciate that they give me opportunities at their executive meetings and general meetings to talk about leadership and their learning.<br />
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<em><strong>If there was one take away message you wanted folks to gain from reading this book, what would it be?</strong></em><br />
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It’s time to engage students in their learning. You don’t have to know everything and do everything exactly right the first time, but you have to start somewhere. There are lots of tools, people, and other resources available to help you.<br />
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Purchase your copy of the book at the <a href="https://netforum.avectra.com/eweb/shopping/shopping.aspx?site=naspa&webcode=shopping&shopsearchcat=merchandise&productcat=books&prd_key=e843038a-6d90-4155-94b8-ba4416a618ee" target="_blank">NASPA Bookstore</a>!SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-37363907668205378542012-08-03T08:13:00.000-07:002012-12-17T14:03:58.035-08:00Assessment<p>Assessment… the word often makes people cringe on the inside and sometimes visible sweat may start to form around parts of the temple and forehead area. But as the years have passed, for me personally, I have learned that assessing is not as scary as people can make is seem. (This statement also does not count the fact that I worked a whole summer as a grad practicum in an assessment office!)</p><p> If you examine the word assessment you will find the root word assess, which according to dictionary.com, means to estimate or judge the value, worth or importance of something. Who wouldn’t want to know the value of something in which they have invested time or effort, especially if it affects what they do on a daily basis? Well in the field of student affairs what we do on a daily basis involves students and most importantly, student learning. Each time we interact with a student our mission should be to facilitate an environment for learning that enriches the value of their overall experience in higher education. But we can’t know if we’ve achieved this goal without assessment!</p><p> Our students often tell us directly or indirectly the skills and knowledge they are looking to gain from the responsibilities they take on as leaders, student workers, or organization members. They look to us to help them structure their journey to achieve these goals. And most of them want lots of feedback to know how they are progressing along the way. So instead of running the other direction when you realize this may require you to break out your handy dandy <em>Assessing Student Learning </em>book by Linda Suskie, take a minute to stop and relax instead. There are several tools out there that can help both you and the students your serve.</p><p> Suppose your student wants to improve their communication skills. Both of you can take a look at the Interpersonal Communication Rubric that’s located on the Student Leader Learning Outcome Website (sllo.tamu.edu). There are several categories such as listening, eye contact, and voice that the student can reflect over using the rubric. And each category in the rubric is specifically outlined with detailed descriptions to help a student recognize where they are (novice through expert) in relation to their skills in each area. So you don’t have to create anything. It’s already done! Woo hoo! Taking the time to go through this activity with the student may seem daunting at first, but the best way to get over that fear is to just do it. We’re all constantly learning new things.</p><p> So have no fear, SLLO is here! And we want you to just take a leap as you work to show the value of the learning that takes place with your students every day. No matter how big or small, every bit matters. </p>SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-26518515570975417012012-07-11T07:35:00.000-07:002013-05-21T08:38:05.604-07:00The Summer SLLO Set Up Sampler<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="content"></a><br />
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As the great poet and prophet, The Fresh Prince aka Will Smith, once said, “Summer, summer, summertime. Time to sit back and unwind.” While the summer is a great time to relax, recover from the crazy semester, and regroup, it is also the perfect time to set you up for success in the upcoming school year.<br />
With that in mind, take this summer to commit to encouraging and assessing student learning in your work with students, and let SLLO help you. This post will give you a few basic items and ways you can get involved when the weather gets hot and the blockbuster movies get cool.<br />
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<li>Visit the SLLO website (sllo.tamu.edu) and look around. This may seem like an easy step, but have you ever just spent some time looking the website over? There are sections for advisors, for students, for rubrics and for activities. This is the first place you can look for SLLO resources, and the more you become familiar with it, the easier it will be to make it a part of your day-to-day work.</li>
<li>Attend the SLLO Orientation. Not only will you learn the history of SLLO, you will also get to meet with other people starting off their SLLO journey. Being able to bounce ideas off of others is vital for using SLLO.</li>
<li>Pick one aspect of the program and commit to trying it with your students. Whether it is using a particular rubric at the beginning of the semester, or learning contracts, or one-minute papers, just try something. Maybe it will work better than you ever imagined, or maybe it won’t, but you have to start somewhere.</li>
<li>Set manageable goals when using SLLO. It may not make sense for you to vow to use learning contracts for every student you advise, pull out learning outcomes for every meeting, and re-writing job descriptions. If you set a goal for using one resource for a handful of students, incorporating it into a larger group with more resources will become easier.</li>
<li>Talk about how your department or team is going to use SLLO in the upcoming year. Meeting agendas in the summer tend to have more room for discussion, so suggest to your supervisor a portion of your meeting to talk about student learning. If your colleagues are using the resources, chances are you will be more likely to use them as well.</li>
<li>Communicate with your student leaders and find out what they want to get out of their experience. Not only is your schedule freer in the summer, your students will have more time as well. Asking them what they want to get out of their experience will help you decide what areas to focus on in SLLO. If they want to improve their public speaking, use that rubric. Project management? There’s a resource for that. Ask them to think about their future careers and what they need to be successful in that.</li>
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Try these things over the summer, and before you know it, you will be amazed at how quickly it becomes a part of your everyday thinking.<br />
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<em>Authors Note: From this post on, I will be taking SLLO on the road and writing away from the Texas A&M campus as I pursue other opportunities in my career. I still plan to contribute to the blog, so if you have any ideas for topics, please message me on Facebook (Tom L. Fritz) or follow me on Twitter (@TomLFritz). Thank you to the SLLO Leadership Team for allowing me to stay a part of this great resource even from across the country, and a pre-emptive shout-out to the Create and Share team for keeping me in the loop on the progress.</em></div>
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SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-90153492920449092982012-07-11T07:34:00.000-07:002012-12-17T14:03:58.063-08:00SLLO Interviews: Rhonda Rahn<p>On of the ways SLLO endeavors to provide resources is to connect you with other SLLO users. One of the founding members of SLLO is Mrs. Rhonda Rahn, Health Education Coordinator for the Student Health Services. She graciously answered a few questions about her experiances with SLLO.</p><p> </p><p>1. How did you get involved in SLLO?</p><p><br />I was on the committee as a representative of Student Health Services in the beginning about 6 years ago and helped in creating some of the rubrics. After a time off, I was invited to be on the Leadership Team and began investing more in the project. <br /><br /><br /></p><p>2. What is the very first thing you’ve used SLLO tools for, and what was it?<br /><br />Exit interviews. I began conducting exit interviews with my student workers after they leave.<br /><br /><br /></p><p>3. Have you had an “a-ha” moment using SLLO?<br /><br />Yes. The learning contracts I have now implemented with my student workers have caused me to be increasingly excited about the opportunities we can provide them outside the classroom; opportunities that are directly related to what they are learning in class.<br /><br /><br /></p><p>4. If you had one sentence to describe SLLO to someone, what would it be?<br /><br />It’s a project that can aid you in ensuring your students are learning what they are supposed to learn and will become better leaders because of it.<br /><br /><br /></p><p>5. Can you share one activity or resource you’ve used that someone else might benefit from?<br /><br />Learning styles quiz. I use it in my class I teach in the health and kinesiology department and it enables me to see the variety of learning styles in the class. I can then tailor my lectures to the different learning styles to ensure optimum learning.</p><p> </p><p>Do you have more questions for Rhonda? Contact her at: <a href="mailto:rrahn@shs.tamu.edu">rrahn@shs.tamu.edu</a></p>SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8483768636260343610.post-1276713534088785052012-07-10T08:57:00.002-07:002012-12-17T14:03:58.030-08:00Welcome to the SLLO Blog<div><br/><div><br/><br/>By: Tom Fritz<br/><br/></div><br/></div><br/>In the beginning, there were diaries. Short stout books, adorned with stickers and cheap locks that we hid with our most trusted secrets where nobody would find them, unless they spent more than ten seconds looking for it. Then we decided that others may want to read what we had written, surely we were funny enough in our own minds, and others would think the same. So we flooded the internet; LiveJournal, Blogger, GeoCities, all of these were the recipient of our writing, and just like that, online blogs were born.<br/><br/>What began as a way to talk about everyday life concerns and issues, over time, changed into a medium that was powerful and informative in its own right. Major news outlets began quoting authors, famous bloggers were given their own shows on TV, and landing book deals. Blogs began reporting on major news events before anyone else, and the comments became news on their own. Blogging was changing the way American’s searched for information. They became a tool to reach new audiences and bring knowledge to every computer in America.<br/><br/>With this digital discourse in mind, the Student Leader Learning Outcomes Create and Share Team is bringing you the SLLO blog (<a title="http://sllo.tamu.edu/blog" href="http://sllo.tamu.edu/blog">http://sllo.tamu.edu/blog</a>). Our hope is that through regular reading, you will be able to keep SLLO in the forefront of your mind and receive little bits of information for your daily consumption. Think of it as the student learning Tapas to the daily meal of your job.<br/><br/><strong>What can you expect from this blog? Well, we are glad you asked: </strong><br/>• Ways to utilize the SLLO resources in your job. There are times of the year where many of us are doing similar tasks, and SLLO has resources that can help you make sure your students are learning through them. These resources include ways to help with recruitment, selection, running meetings, community service, and many others.<br/>• Interviews with your colleagues across the division using SLLO in their jobs. Sometimes it can seem like you are the only person struggling with how to introduce SLLO into your students’ lives. These interviews can talk to you about what worked, and sometimes more importantly, what didn’t.<br/>• Relevant news stories on higher education, and how they are impacting student learning. We will talk about different legislation or stories from around the country and how they can affect our jobs. If there are resources that may be helpful in adapting to this new reality, we will provide those to you.<br/>• Whatever else you can think of. The authors of this blog are your colleagues, and may be sitting in meetings with you every day. If there is something you would like to see covered, let us know, or send us an e-mail at <a href="mailto:sllo@tamu.edu">sllo@tamu.edu</a> with the subject line “Blog Idea”, and we may cover it in a future post.<br/><br/>Bottom line, we hope that this will be useful for you as you help us help you bring SLLO to all of our students. If we can all make a commitment to encourage and enhance student learning outside of the classroom, we will make Texas A&M University the premier place were students come to learn.<br/><strong>So how about it, what do you hope to see from this blog in the future?</strong>SLLO Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060195835479194257noreply@blogger.com0