Hi Everyone,
We know many students choose the interdisciplinary route because they want a program specially tailored to their needs, however there are some who choose this option because they have more than one specific interest and want to explore these different options. Like us, many of you began with one major and then changed to a different major, sometimes more than once. Let’s face it - not everyone knows what they want to be when they start their university studies and sometimes it takes a couple of tries before you get it right. Your major and career goals may change a couple of times throughout your time in undergrad and beyond.
The e-Portfolios we are doing for our Cornerstone and Capstone courses will be a good way to show your audience some of the changes you underwent in your time at UCF (and other schools). Using reflection you will be able to emphasize the areas you wish to draw focus to, how you went from point A to point B and how it all ties together.
For example, say you began as an English major because you wanted to be an author but halfway through decided you would like to write children’s book and would like to do your own artwork. So you chose to become an Interdisciplinary Studies major and focused on art and graphic design as well as English. When you complete the degree, you have a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies. But you started out wanting to be an author and your goal now is to write and illustrate for children's books. How will you tell your story to a potential employer? Are you able to connect the dots and show that your path was deliberate?
Reflection lets you do just that, it lets you paint a more personalized picture for viewers. You should find this especially helpful when doing your personal statement page where you can reflect on your experience and goals and give a reader a look as to “why” you choose this path rather than a simple description of ‘what” you did - that’s what resumes are for.
To compare reflection to description we'll use the above example again. When using reflection you can explain "why" you chose the educational path that you followed:
If you were using description rather than reflection, you would simply say "what" you got your degree in.I have always wanted to be an author and children’s literature has been a particular passion of mine ever since my first Dr. Seuss book. As a children’s book author I want to be involved in every aspect of my creation. In order to do this I decided to major in Interdisciplinary Studies and concentrate in English and art so that I can not only write my stories but illustrate them as well and truly bring my visions to life.
So with that in mind here are some questions to think about this week.
- How are you planning to use reflection in developing your e-Portfolio content pages?
- What’s your understanding of reflection? How is it different from description?
- Discuss your personal philosophy concerning your professional life.
- How is or isn't this philosophy interdisciplinary?
- How have your career goals altered?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete1. I plan to use the reflection in developing my e-Portfolio content pages by pulling all the elements of my content pages together to tell a story of how my journey through college has helped me prepare for whatever challenges may arise during dental school.
ReplyDelete2. A reflection is a chance to look back and analyze what you have done so far and explain how or why the events in your life have impacted you. A description merely explains the life events, without any analysis as to why the event is relevant.
3. My personal philosophy concerning my professional life concerns a high degree of respect. Respect for ones body, time, and mannerism. I believe that in order to be professional you must dress the part. I see many people who look like they are about to go to the club when trying to dress “professional.” Time is another big factor in my professional life. Being prompt is key to show that you are dedicated to your work. Lastly, mannerism reflects on a person’s character. Being of good character is important to the professional world.
4. This philosophy is interdisciplinary because the three characteristics I find most important all work together to create a professional look.
5. My career goals have been the same since I was in middle school.
Kasey-Marie Pike
Hello Casey, apart from informing the audience about how prepared you are to begin your studies in the dental school by using reflection in developing your e-portfolio content pages, you may also include how did you feel attracted by the dental profession and how it pushed you to get into your undergraduate studies. I think it would be easy to come up with that since you said that your goals have not changed since middle school. The rest looks great to me. Good Job!
DeleteHi Casey,
DeleteI liked your description of the reflection as a chance to look back. It's easy to forget how far we've come and all the things we've accomplished when we never look back to see where we started.
I also agree with your philosophy of being prompt. I have found that this lets people know that you take your work seriously and that their communication to you is important. Even if I don't have the answer, I usually reply that I'm working on it, so they know I received the communication and have started the process.
Sorry for spelling your name wrong, Kasey :)
DeleteKasey,
DeleteI really like your take on your philosophy concerning you professional life. Respect is strong word because there are so many things out there that people use as examples for what “should be”. When in essence just carrying yourself in a manner that you cannot be ashamed of. I also like the good character comment because if you try to do the right things and be a good person things will just work out better.
Lisette Cintron
Kasey, I too really like your philosophy in regards to your professional life. I think that in today's day and age, people approach their professional life too casually. There is a huge lack of respect, I find, with people today. Your mannerism comment is especially true, I have always found that a person's mannerisms, no matter what comes out of their mouth, is a true reflection of their character. I think you have a great philosophy concerning your professional life!
DeleteBrianna Gonzalez
Kasey, as Brianna mentioned, people's mannerisms, irregardless of what comes out of their mouths, is a true reflection of their character as most people are much less conscious of their body language than they are of their speech. I think it's great that you always keep that in mind.
DeleteKasey,
DeleteFirst off, congratulation for pursuing a career in the dental industry. I find that its a position where you certainly deal with many individuals and patients and need to have a composure of professionalism, mannerism and respect. Throughout life these are good skills to posses but sharing these in a working environment will get you much further in life.
I found your views on reflection and your personal philosophy very insightful. You made a clear distinction between reflection and description, and your personal philosophy highlighted some things that I need to work on myself.
DeleteBrett Strauss
I appreciate that you emphasize respect. If more people felt the need to respect one another, the workplace would be more functional as well as safer. You are absolutely right in your talking about "professionals" dressing as if they are going to a club. While the world is progressing, certain traditions should not be ignored. A workplace should be a place of mutual respect. Thus, one should dress as if they want to respect themselves and have others respect them as well. If you do not present yourself in the world in a respectful way, the world will not respect you.
DeleteElizabeth Elder
1. I have the potential to do a lot of reflection because I have changed my major so many times and it has taken me a lot to get to this point. All of those twists and turns can provide a lot to reflect on and detail how I got to this point.
ReplyDelete2. Reflection is more about the why; description is more about the what. In my opinion, reflection provides better information and more details.
3. My personal work philosophy is based a lot on work ethic. I have found that getting the job done and getting it done quickly and efficiently will go a long way. Obviously this is not specific to individual jobs so it can be applied to any profession. I know it sounds simple but it's easy to find excuses to not call someone back even for an hour or not reply to an email within a timely manner.
4. I wouldn't necessarily consider this interdisciplinary.
5. I have considered many careers since I've been in college. My goals have changed along the way, but I'm still unsure of what I want to do. So, I'd say that my career goals have changed in that I've eliminated many things, such as teaching.
Mary,
DeleteI really like your answer to number 1 because it shows that you have grown and appreciate the decisions that you have made. I also can relate to number 3 because at times with anything in life we make excuses for the "why nots". I know that I am a victim of that at times and do see that having a better work ethic can help you stay focused. Staying focused gets things done....
Lisette Cintron
Mary,
DeleteYour statement about getting things done as they come up is very insightful. I sometimes dread calling certain customers back or doing certain tasks - but they become much worse if I put them off. I've found that if I do it right away, it eliminates much of the stress because I don't have to think about it anymore once it's done.
My manager always has too much to do and is always stressed out. But I realized that much of it is his own fault. He won't answer emails I send him for 2 weeks, but he'll see me and say that he got it and "left it unread in his inbox" which he explained functions as his "To Do" list. My emails are generally just simple requests which would take 2 minutes at most to handle. But he just lets things pile up and then he gets stressed out when he sees me! Over nothing!
I just stopped emailing the poor guy but I look at it in respect to my own behavior and it helps me to face my responsibilities as they come so I don't turn into that sad sap.
Mary,
DeleteI agree with everyone else, your statement about getting a job done in a timely manner. Not only does it show your work ethic, but also how much commitment you have to what you are doing. No matter if someone doesn't like what he/she is doing, getting a job done quickly and efficiently shows a persons ability to get a job done no matter the circumstances. So if anyone were to be stuck in one of those working-just-to-get-paid jobs, the individual can stress how good hie/her work ethic is when looking for an actual job that the individual cares about. There are so many benefits that could be gained just by having a strong work ethic.
Kasey-Marie Pike
Mary,
DeleteI really like your post. You are honest and open about your changes throughout your college career. I can completely relate, as I to have had some curve balls on this journey, lol. But it is good to see that you are following your own beat, and not others. Just follow your heart, and it will all fall in place.
Also, you are so right about the importance of work ethics, very important. There are so many people that need to work on that. In the music industry, I have been working with musicians for about 10 years, and I always tell them you must work hard if you want to succeed. They want to be on the national circuit, but there is no way, without hard core work ethics. But that is with anything we do, work hard and it will pay off.
Suzanne Sanchez
Mary, I can definitely relate to your work philosophy! When it comes to anything relatively important, I'm a HUGE procrastinator, which as we all know is one of the worst things ever. I try not to let it get too out of hand, but I definitely agree with how easy it is to find excuses to not do a specific task. Work ethic is definitely crucial, so when it comes to my professional life, I try not to procrastinate too much. You definitely sound like you're on the right track though!
DeleteBrianna Gonzalez
Mary,
DeleteHaving strong work ethic is key. In my college career I've had three jobs and all have been successful due to possessing strong work ethics and being diligent with how I completed my tasks. Although you have jumped around many different jobs or career paths and degrees, I find that to be an advantage. You have experience in many fields and are multitasked. I believe its better to know alot about a little then just a lot about one specific, that's why myself any alot of other students are interdisciplinary.
I feel the same about my career goals. I started college with a clear view of what I wanted to do, but my goals changed as I progressed through my college career. Now I'm in the same boat as you, in that I don't necessarily know exactly what I want to do, but I now have a clear idea of what I don't want to.
DeleteBrett Strauss
Mary,
DeleteI too changed my major a couple of times that's how I ended with IDS. I didn't want to lose some of the work I'd done and start over. I started with Health Administration and after not finding even a filing job in health care decided that full degree was not worth pursuing and like you have eliminated things. Now while applying for graduate school I used this as in one of my essay to explain the transition of getting from point A to point B and weeding out the things I don't like. I am still not completely sure what I want to do. I am going to go to law school but that just opens up so many more possibilities do different concentrations within the field.
1-I plan to use the reflection to speak about the different elements that was in place throughout my educational path.
ReplyDelete2-I believe a reflection gives you a chance to express and appreciate certain things that have led a person through the path that they have taken to get to where they are at. Whereas a description is more like a play by play explanation of those same things.
3-My personal philosophy concerning my professional life has to do with growth. I believe that each person grows from every experience w\whether educational or personal. Each person can look at it as a lesson and take from them a learning experience which leads to growth.
4-This philosophy is interdisciplinary because it is looking at things in a different way which is an interdisciplinary characteristic.
5-My career goals have changed because it makes me more focus on going after what I really want to do versus what I should do.
Lisette Cintron
Lisette,
DeleteThe reflection is the best chance to express what led a person to where they are at now. The reflection should be an analysis of how your journey has made an impact on your goals or vice versa. You could even talk about your professional life in your reflection. I agree with you about growth being a big part of professionalism. A person must grow to improve. Everyone can use some improvement, even if it's the slightest amount.
Kasey-Marie Pike
Lisette,
DeleteReflection has been such a huge part of my life this year, looking back, and now we are graduating. You are going to love it! But now I have decided to keep going on to grad school.
Like you said we grow through our personal experiences, and our educational journey. I agree, I think we all learn more from the combination of these experiences.
In your career goals, you wrote about focusing more on what you want, than what you should do shows you have great character, and sounds to me like you are on a great path.
Suzanne Sanchez
Lisette, I agree that growth is crucial when it comes to our professional lives. I like how the growth characteristic is a major part of your personal philosophy. With every little job and experience we gain, we grow as a person, both personally and professionally. If you look at CEO's at major corporations, they wouldn't be in the position they are now if it weren't for growth. It takes a lot of growth and maturity to progress in the professional world.
DeleteBrianna Gonzalez
Growth through experience is something that you start noticing more and more the older you get. ;)
DeleteGrowth through experience is absolutely essential for your growth as a professional and even for the betterment of your personal life.
Hi Lisette,
ReplyDeleteI agree that every experience can be an opportunity for growth if you reflect on it. We might not always make the best choices, but if we learn what not to do, our decisions will get better as we grow.
Definitely go after what you want to do. Being successful at something you love might not make you rich but it will most likely make you happy. And you never know, it might make you rich!
1. I'm still figuring out how I'm going to use reflection in my e-portfolio. I suppose I'll look back on my academic life and highlight certain aspects that led me to where I am today.
ReplyDelete2. Reflection is taking a look at what you've accomplished and where you've been. A reflection summarizes the events that led to a particular outcome, whereas a description is more oriented toward describing details and isn't necessarily rooted in the past.
3. My personal philosophy is that you should do what you like, and not what others want you to do. Even though what you like may not pay as well, you'll be more inclined to succeed and do your best if you enjoy it.
4. I don't believe my philosophy is interdisciplinary. If anything its more a way of thinking, and its certainly been said before.
5. My career goals changed when I realized I didn't what to be an engineer in the traditional sense. I like to work with my hands and participate in constructing a product. It took awhile for me to accept the fact that most engineering work is limited to the actual design process and that I probably wouldn't be happy in the field I chose. Now I just need to figure out what it is I actually want to do!
Brett Strauss
Highlighting back on certain aspects of your academic career sounds like a great start to reflection. You could also add in some past experiences, personal and academic, that have impacted you with regards to the Interdisciplinary field of study. Plus the fact that you have realized what you don't want and how you want to change that as a career puts you in the right place. It sounds like you have a thought as to what you would actually like to do for a career.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHow are you planning to use reflection in developing your e-Portfolio content pages?
ReplyDeleteIn order to develop my e-Portfolio content page properly, I will use reflection of my previous experiences. My pervious experiences are what have developed the creation behind what I chose to study in the Interdisciplinary field.
What’s your understanding of reflection? How is it different from description?
Reflection is analyzing and developing and understanding of previous events, situations and feelings. It allows you to absorb and study the past, where description is only where you explain a situation, event and feeling. Description leaves out all analyzes and only develops the explanation.
Discuss your personal philosophy concerning your professional life.
My personal philosophy concerning my professional life must relate to my interests of my personal life. In order to fully improve and complete your career, you must enjoy and believe in what it is you do.
How is or isn't this philosophy interdisciplinary?
I believe this philosophy is interdisciplinary because not one person only enjoys one singular thing. It is a multiple of aspects that make up a person, therefore, multiple aspects that go into enjoying your career relating all back to an interdisciplinary philosophy.
How have your career goals altered?
My career goals have altered in the idea of becoming more realistic in the realm of my abilities. In that same way they have broadened with the help of an interdisciplinary outlook to allow myself to create avenues in order to integrate all that i love.
In the last part of your post, you mention becoming more realistic about your abilities. I'm glad you have had the opportunity to reflect on what they are. It's great that you have had an opportunity to realize what you are good at. I hope it makes you very happy. You are very right about needing to enjoy and believe in what you are doing. If you do not feel for what you are doing, you are in the wrong profession, and it's time to move on and let that space be filled by someone who does. Good luck in all of your endeavours.
DeleteElizabeth Elder
Caitlin i love your philosophy on your professional life! If you go down to my response our answers are shockingly similar! How can you go to work every day and not enjoy what your doing? I believe that is a recipe for disaster! Keep up the good work, you seem to be doing very well !
DeleteI plan to use reflection in the development of my eportfolio, by looking back at everything I have accomplished inside and outside of the classroom. When I do that, I will have more of an idea of what my life has meant for me and what it could mean for a potential employer. If I can find the skills and achievements I have made in my life, then I can formulate how I can apply them into my professional life. For me, reflection is different from description. A description explains what something is, as it exists in the literal sense. For example, Writing I, as a description might be an introduction to the writing profession and the various avenues in which writer's can choose careers. However, perhaps,a writing student wrote a paper that changed the way they view the world. Maybe they have a whole new insight because of this one class. A reflection looks back on the overall outcome of a course. Perhaps this course produced insightful individuals full of self knowledge. This course for me opened my ideas to my own thought processes. I realized that I like problem solving. I enjoy looking at an issue from various angles. I've actually officially transferred from one job location to the next. I will now be working front desk, where I will be able to help guests plan their itineraries and resolve guest complaints. I wouldn't have known that I enjoyed this if it weren't for this class. However, this class's description is not going to say "it will help you re-evaluate your current profession and change your life goals for the better." That is something I got out of the class through reflection.
ReplyDeleteMy personal philosophy concerning my professional life is that business's want dynamic individuals with many skills, both soft and interpersonal as well as operational and academic. I want to be able to demonstrate that I am all of those things. It's functional for me. It may or may not be interdisciplinary. For me, I am grabbing from everything I know and producing a job candidate that can fill multiple needs. So this is interdisciplinary.
Elizabeth Elder
You are exactly right when you describe being a dynamic individual as interdisciplinary. The ability to be soft and interpersonal as well as operational and academic is interdisciplinary. Isn't if funny that the characteristics that describe an inter disciplinarian are said to be the idea characteristics of an employee? If we can find and develop skills from inside and outside of the classroom, this just makes us as individuals more well rounded and equipped with the capabilities to accomplish more. You already have a firm grasp of reflection in the sense of you looking back on everything you have accomplished--looking back and analyzing the events or challenges you have overcome truly do make you who you are now.
DeleteYou make some great points Elizabeth! When you describe the ability to be soft and interpersonal as well as operational and academic i could not agree more. You seem to be thriving in this class and its very impressive! Keep up the good work!
DeleteGuys thanks so much to Everybody for your participation. I think this exercise was very positive for me, and I hope that it was positive for you as well. I learned a lot by having access to so many different viewpoints that are all applicable to all of the topics that were covered during the mentoring process. It opened my mind and ended up filling me with thoughts of possibility. Good luck to everybody. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteHow are you planning to use reflection in developing your e-Portfolio content pages?
ReplyDeleteI plan on using the reflection to further develop my e-portfolio. I will effectively highlight my past academic experiences that have developed me into the person i have become today.
What’s your understanding of reflection? How is it different from description?
Reflection is the why or how something happened. Where the Description is more of the what. In other terms, the reflection gives you an accurate description of feelings behind something. Where as a description just gives you the broad over view.
Discuss your personal philosophy concerning your professional life.
My philosophy concerning my professional life is very simple. If you enjoy what you are doing you will not only do that job well but you will prosper in that profession. With hard work comes success; you will continue to try harder doing something you enjoy.
How is or isn't this philosophy interdisciplinary?
This philosophy is interdisciplinary because it draws into play many different subjects or areas. Although you are doing something you love, is it necessarily right for you?
How have your career goals altered?
My career goals have not altered too much. I have seen that some of my goals are a little far fetched and i should concentrate on my strengths in life not just dreams. Always reach for the stars.
Madison,
DeleteI complete agree with you philosophy for professional life. The truth is you can make a life long career out of what you love, enjoy, or believe in. Whereas if you do not have one of those three things you will never see it as more than a job. When you enjoy your work you both you and the work your doing will be enriched by the experience.