Its no secret that I’m addicted to my blackberry; well maybe to some of you but for those people who know me well know that my blackberry is attached to my hand. Which is why I’m not surprised that I found a Blackberry Application that relates to my studies in this class. The application is the Deloitte Leadership Academy. It’s a free application on blackberries that act as a tutorial to teach people how to be leaders. Its an interactive tool that test your leadership skills. Some of the different courses are managing risk , turning around a business unit, take time to think strategy, finding the potential in people, promote from within, the power of story telling, Manage your time properly, Developing through application and study, Defining your culture, Building teams with common good, and the list goes on. The content in each of these tutorials is stored in your blackberry and your always allowed to go back and reference them. At first I was a bit hesitant about a blackberry application that taught me how to be an effective leader but I begin to see it as an innovated way to hone in on some of the skills you want to brush up on as a leader. This tool may even be a good presentation idea. Not only did this application solidify my love for my blackberry it also allowed me to continue to learn more about leadership in a different yet cool medium. Do you think a blackberry application can be an effective teacher?
Shawnta Washington
I like your post, Shawnta. I was just thinking the other day about how addicted I am to my phone and how lost I feel when I accidentally leave it at home one day!
ReplyDeleteI think that in an age where technology has penetrated our daily lives it's not out of the norm to see new ways that the technology industry has improved. For example, my brother who is a doctor is addicted to his iphone and constantly talks about how there will soon be a transition to having medical records be accessible by an application on a phone. Another example: a younger sister of a friend who recently told me about the introduction of complex math curriculum designed to reach students with handheld devices.
While in theory it does seem unusual to have a handheld device "teach" things we should be learning in school or on the job, it does seem to be a good solution for those who are constantly on-the-go. I think it is increasingly common to see applications for almost anything out there, and i'm not surprised there is one designed for leadership.. I'm a fan.
Shikha
Shawnta and Shikha
ReplyDeleteI am struggling to understand how all this should be incorporated into teaching and learning at Baruch. If you have any suggestions, pass them on and put them in/on the end of semester evaluation forms
John
Fascinating but not surprising that an application would be created for leadership. Blackberry caters to business professionals, so it doesn't surprise me that there would be such an application. I own a Blackberry but do not utilize its potential like I should. I'm sure it could be very effective in a classroom setting if you are a phone application junkie.
ReplyDeleteVictoria Warren
I am not sure it can truly replace (or come close to replacing) the mroe personable interactions and learning by "doing". Im supportive of technology in its various formats for the classroom, but I wonder if an application can work for most people. Interacting through a class or forum allows for learning by others' experiences, whether good or bad. While an application can certainly be informative, I am skeptical whether the attributes that MAKE a good leader can effectively be passed along.
ReplyDeleteValeria Bonanome
I have to say I am quite the opposite and I feel that I totally underuse my I-phone. So, after reading your post I got inspired and started checking my I-phone apps. I must say I got glued to it for good couple of hours. I checked some apps on management and leadership and found few. I wish I had done that earlier. Some of them are free, which is nice, for some you have to pay and it can be buying "a cat in a hat". Talking about apps in terms of learning tools. I downloaded an app called No Stress and it is essentially what we have read in Chapter 4, “Managing Stress” in Denhardt and Denhard. It basically gives you those advices that you know of already, but because it’s presented in a simple way and the fact that you can access it any time you want makes it a valuable tool. Phone beats books, kindles and other carry on devices, because you can put in your pocket-so it’s sort of knowledge in your pocket. The same can be said about pod-casts (public media presentation). Of course the selection is not there yet, but it can be a valuable learning tool. Latin proverb says: “Repetition is mother of all learning.” Your handheld friend can be either the source of reaffirmation or the source of on-going learning experience.
ReplyDeleteZana