I Am Change!

Selecting Media That Evangelizes

Video:

The Ideas & Trends Initiative: I Am Change, developed by The Center for Leadership Development at Seton Hall University.

http://acu.embanet.com/mod/resource/view.php?id=111139

This video, in interview form, embodies the excitement I feel about reinventing the methods I use to educate college students. As student affairs professionals, we are leading and guiding our students. The project, in which the students in this video were involved, depicts a wonderful example of how leadership and collaboration can evolve out of literally nothing. The professors advising this particular group stopped listening to their own voices and literally gave the voice to the students involved in the project. The advisors acted as facilitators and mentors and watched as an amazing thing happened. The students slowly began to take over. They read recommended text books, they tapped into available technology, they took advantage of the ease at which collaboration can happen and they all share similar sentiments – it was one of the best and most unique learning experiences they have had and that change is imperative, inevitable and something we shouldn’t be afraid of.

Applying this idea in student affairs doesn’t have to be a huge challenge. Most of us are so focused on creating the perfect class or program that we lean towards considering our own wants and needs and focus less on our students. By allowing them to come in and create their own programs with our guidance and support, they will have a final product that is not only tailored to their needs, but something they can take pride in being a part of. Intuition tells me the buy in from other students, who aren’t directly involved in creating the program, will be greater than ever because of the fact it was created by peers.

For further reading: http://www.educause.edu/Resources/IdeasandTrendsInitiativeEnabli/195315

References

Twal, R. a. (2010). Ideas and Trends Initiative: Enabling Leaders to Identify and Understand the Impact of Emerging Ideas and Trends. Mid-Atlantic Regional Conferences. EDUCAUSE.

University, T. C. (2009). The Ideas & Trends Initiative: I Am Change. Seton Hall University.