Digital Photography
Web address to my Flicker Portfolio Presentation:
Sports Insight and Analysis For The People
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Digital Photography Week 2 - 6/12
Intro To Digital Photography
Web address to Week 2 Landscape photos:
Math or Anxiety? 5/12
1. Do you have math anxiety? If so, how has it affected you in the past?
Going by Deb Russell’s definition of math anxiety (Russel, 2010), I do not suffer from math anxiety. Although my poor teaching and poor experiences have put myself behind in achieving great grades in math, this is not because of the lack of effort in trying to be great or any math anxiety issues. Unfortunately, over the last nine years I have had very little math situations within my jobs and the math that is used can be done with a few simple presses on a calculator.
2. What stresses you out the most about taking a math class?
Just like every class I take in college there are things that consistently stress myself out. The main stress issue is wanting to be the best at everything I finish and turn in. Having my name attached to a project, paper, video, or any other piece of homework related material has to be done perfectly. This is where the stress can multiply since unlike those projects that are done in an opinion or backed by an outside source, math has for the most part a cut and dry answer to what is wrong and right.
3. Do you belong to the school of thought that “you can’t study for a math test?” Please explain.
I do belong to the school of thought that “you can’t study for a math test”. For the most part you cannot go from being a D+ student to an A+ student by just studying right before the test. I feel that you can refresh yourself on the topics before the test and prepare yourself better but the basic concepts and core problems are either already learned or not mastered yet before the test even begins.
4. Why do you think other people fear math and what steps do you think people could take to overcome this fear?
I feel that other peoples fear about math revolves around the amount of material needed to pass the math courses and the sheer volume of concepts learned throughout the math classes. Sometimes the level of difficulty can go from a 3 to a 9 on a 10-point scale just because it is too much, too soon for some individuals. People can overcome this fear by getting a tutor and asking questions at every point possible of the class and tutoring sessions to make sure they understand what is being asked.
5. What suggestions do you have for your classmates to reduce math anxiety and improve math study skills?
As I stated before, asking questions is very important to mastering the fear of math. I would suggest to my classmates that one way to reduce their math anxieties is to always be questioning what is being taught and what is being learned throughout the lessons.
In the terms of improving ones math skills, repetition is very important. By doing the math problems over and over again this is a great way to have the basic understandings down pat and truly know the math that would lie ahead.
6. What suggestions have you read in the articles that you found helpful to reduce math anxiety and improve math study skills? Please cite the source.
A suggestion that I read in Fleming’s article (Fleming, 2010) is to not make the math too complex. She recommends breaking down complex formulas and breaking them down into smaller “little parts”. I agree with this as most people know the smaller building blocks of the formula but sometimes get caught up in the large formula that is before them on the paper. By concentrating on the problem in smaller pieces this will help in improving any math anxieties and aiding in an improved study skill set as well.
Another suggestion that I found helpful is Fleming’s advice to not fall into a procrastination mindset (Fleming 2010). Devoting more than enough time towards the completion of assignments is something that I feel would help with any built up anxieties and procrastination study habits, which could derail the completion of the assignment and the quality of the work submitted.
7. Create a detailed study plan for the month to help you be successful. Summarize your plans in a short paragraph. Include the number of hours you plan to study each day/week and the days you have available as well as the resources you plan to use.
My study plan for the month would to be going through all of my ALEK’s pies and practice the material over and over again. I plan on going through all of my readings and ALEK’s pies in the first week of the class so I can spend more time on the harder and more difficult coursework later in the month. I plan on spending at least 20 hours a week on the material.
I will be starting a new job this week, so the days and exact hours spent on homework are unclear at this moment. Depending on if I am working days or nights, I will be working on any of my coursework on the opposite schedule. I plan on working on my coursework everyday and really sticking to my plan, as I want to improve my math skills and abilities. I actually am looking forward to this class and the opportunity for myself to master more math skills.
Sources:
Russel, Deb. About.com. 18 October 2010. Retrieved from http://math.about.com/od/reference/a/anxiety.htm
Fleming, Grace. About.com. 18 October 2010. Retrieved from http://homeworktips.about.com/od/mathhomework/a/mathanxiety.htm
Art History Interview 4/12
For my Art History class here at Full Sail University, I completed an interview with an industry leader related to my sports marketing and media degree program. I interviewed Michael Gibbons, the Executive Director and Curatorial at the Sports Legends Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.
A little of background about Michael Gibbons, he is a life long sports fan that specializes in documentary sports films, the history of Baltimore sports through the Baltimore Orioles, Ravens, Colts, and the birthplace of a baseball player named Babe Ruth.
The museum he works at is actually two museums in one, with one side being the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum, and the other side the Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards. Below the museums is the John F. Steadman Research Center that preserves important manuscripts, artifacts, drawings, as well as audio and videotapes related to motion picture films about sports.
I interviewed Michael Gibbons on April 9th 2012 via iChat and followed up with e-mail correspondence.
Here are the following interview questions I asked Michael Gibbons.
Kyle #1: What do you see as the role of the visual arts in our mass-mediated world and particularly in your profession?
Michael #1: I work at a sports museum. In that capacity, we use visual arts (graphics, photos, paintings, etc.), in conjunction with artifacts and narrative text to 'interpret' stories in various exhibits throughout our museums.
We also employ visual arts in printed materials and our website.
Kyle #2: With new communications and media technologies, imagery is almost instantly available. Do you believe that this is having a positive or negative influence on the industry (provide example)?
Michael #2: We embrace the use of the new technologies. When we blog or email blast to our constituents, we often employ a photo or graphic to enhance our message. For instance, if I am writing about the opening day of the baseball season, I include a photo from a previous opening day.
Kyle #3: What popular images do you see that are frequently rechanneled throughout the entertainment industry?
Michael #3: In the sports entertainment industry of which I am a part, I see iconic images of many of the players and teams that fall within our mission statement, including Babe Ruth, Johnny Unitas and the '58 NFL championship game.
Kyle #4: Are there particular images that this industry has popularized, and or created?
Michael #4: The Norman Rockwell painting of Oriole great Brooks Robinson is often employed in articles or pieces relating to him. A life-size poster photo of Cal Ripken's "Drink Your Milk" promotion from years ago has become iconic.
Kyle #5: Who is one of your favorite visual artist/s, and or what is your favorite style of visual art?
Michael #5: Even though their work has fallen upon the rock heap of popular culture, I particularly like the work of illustrators like Rockwell and NC Wyeth and Robert Riger. A lesser-known artist I enjoy has the same name as myself, Michael Gibbons, and does wonderful oil paintings unique to his Portland, Oregon surroundings.
Kyle #6: How has your knowledge of famous artworks influenced your creative process?
Michael #6: As a young boy I had aspirations of following in the footsteps of several members of my mother's family who were wonderful artists. To that end, I concentrated on art in high school and even enrolled for a summer at the Maryland Institute of Art. But during that exercise I realized painting was not something I could do every day...and be happy doing it. Nevertheless, that strong art education has helped me in my professional life in terms of exhibit layout, color selection for galleries, and how to position paintings, photos and graphics in print and display layouts.
A big thank you to Michael Gibbons for the insight and knowledge. Thanks again for interview.
YouTube address for my podcast interview: http://youtu.be/1FJn_rbdAas
Sources:
http-//michaelmay.us/08blog/0104_wyeth_revere
http-//aaronpocock.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/giant
http//www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/wpcontent/uploads/joomlaimages/geethanksbrooks
http//3.bp.blogspot.com/_kl4VYh7R3Y/SJJ9HgfwWsI/AAAAAAAAAgs/ECi9Y6Q7G-s/s320/94cripkenm
http//www.michaelgibbons.net/images/Iris%20and%20Roses%2015x15%20t
http-//www.firstartsource.com/Art/AB40499
http-//images.art.com/images/products/regular/13213000/13213784
http-//blog.masslive.com/breakingnews/2008/07/Rockwell
http-//farm6.static.flickr.com/5298/5391463087_bb82720c06_o
http-//i.ebayimg.com/t/Robert-Riger-Drawing-Print-Babe-Ruth-National-BaseballHallFame1962/00/s/MTYwMFgxMjMz/$(KGrHqR,!h4E8J8)QdQFBPFYTd9CBQ~~60_57Babe Ruth Museum 216 Emory St
http-//farm4.staticflickr.com/3037/3044971068_f22e822497_z
http://baberuthmuseum.com/history/brbm/
http://baberuthmuseum.com/history/slmacy/
http://www.michaelgibbons.net/about.htm
http-//www.progshred.com/travel/baltmd08/pics/backeastvisit127
http-//ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51C6HEJ0SPL._SL500_AA300
http//baltimore.sportsthenandnow.com/wp/wpcontent/uploads2009/09/Johnny-Unitas-Colts-300x225
http-//store.cooperstownmusic.com/shop/images/uploads/58NFL
http-//www.popandroll.com/cokeart/GuyPeellaert_AlbertEinstein_BabeRuth
http//www.enderin.com/wpcontent/plugins/wpomatic/cache/61f2a_mica_17db42573ba17fc7f6ab97bb828c90eb0.200
07f83ee1153cd6e3767aa9f5b0d2a5ff.200
http//discoverblackheritage.com/wpcontent/uploads/2009/10/Camden_Station_Baltimore
http-//images.eversave.com/websites/12971/Save_460x305A_59794
http//image.cdnllnwnl.xosnetwork.com/pics32/800/ZR/ZRCLAURHHRBVJKE.2012021421521993a1e196c859805001e61c56d72db686.200
http//www.ballparkeguides.com/resources/Camden%20Yards%20Babe%20Ruth%20Museum.JPG.opt389x313o0,0s389x313
http-//www.bmoremedia.com/galleries/Mastheads/Sports_Legends_Museum
82a73f20636550a9c3cdd9a3340fef56.200
High Renaissance Art History 4/12
How does Raphael’s the School of Athens exemplify the High Renaissance?
Raphael’s School of Athens represented a culmination of artistic works from the previous age - the Early Renaissance. During the High Renaissance artists no longer dwelled on the distant past and classical pieces of previous eras but were using their advanced tools, technology, and training to build that perfect piece of art that displayed their level of high talent and confidence.
Using the images from the text, what work/s do you think best represent/exemplify the High Renaissance and why?
Art: A Brief History Stockstad, Cothren (Fig. 13-1 page 334)
The piece of art that best represents the High Renaissance is Raphael’s School of Athens. According to Art A Brief History, Stockstad, Cothren page 340, “Rome rose to become the most active Italian artistic and intellectual center” during the time of the High Renaissance. This is why so many of the Popes sought for architectural changes and paid large amounts of money towards artistic decorating that artists of this era were able to convey with improved thoughts on philosophy, theology, arts and laws upon other core values.
With that being kept in mind, the work Raphael did with the School of Athens painting is a perfect mix of everything that was going on throughout the sixteenth century with religion, science, and the arts. The School of Athens displayed sweeping arcs and with the composition of the statues in the background, the group of people separated by a central axis, and such great detail with even the way Plato was pointing to sky and holding one of his books demonstrating the scholarly knowledge and use of geometry in this era.
If you were to create a Modern Day School of Athens from leaders in your fields of study whom would you include and why?
As I continue to pursue my Sports Marketing and Media degree, I would have Sports Agents the topic of my “School of Athens” painting. Just like the High Renaissance had in its three great artists (Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael) I would pick three legends of the sports agents’ world and include them into the painting. For this painting I would pick Dr. Lynn Lashbrook of Sports Management Worldwide, Drew Rosenhaus of Rosenhaus Sports, and the deceased Mark McCormack an American golfing agent. All of these individuals lifted the sports agents’ world to unseen wealth and prosperity. With the combination of book smarts and aggressive tactics, these individuals helped make up the sports agents’ market go from individual entrepreneurial business success to a giant corporate structure.
Upon further research of the painter Raphael, I would also do a second painting of those same three sports agents. For the second painting I would follow the painting “The Fire in the Borgo” done by Raphael’s assistant-Giulio Romano. I would have the sports agents’ be surrounded by athletes, fans, team managers, and the media in the same style as “The Fire in the Borgo”.
Sources:
Art: A Brief History, Stockstad, Cothren page 334 & 340
Giulio Romano image of painting:
Information about Drew Rosenhaus below:
Information about Dr. Lynn Lashbrook below:
Information about Mark McCormack below:
Art History 4/12
Hello,
Ancient Egyptian civilization was based on religion. The Egyptians belief in rebirth after death became their driving force behind their funeral practices, artwork, and overall way of life. The Egyptians believed that each human consisted of a physical body or spirit called the “ka” that lived on even after the physical body had passed. The preservation of the physical form was achieved through Mummification. Egyptians believed that being mummified was the only way to have an afterlife. Ancient Egyptians thought that the afterlife was a continuation of the life as they knew it, thus regardless of social status, they included goods for the deceased. Some of the richest individuals that were buried such as kings and queens had larger quantities of luxury items and more elaborate coffins. The craftsmanship and time put into these coffins is shown in young king Tutankhamun’s tomb. (Image: Art A Brief History, Stockstad, Cothren page 72). The inner coffin of Tutankhamun’s tomb had a gold inlaid with glass and semiprecious stones and weighed nearly 243 lbs. The symbolic inscriptions and different displays on the tomb were specific to that individual inside and showed what was their status in society was and what they represented.
The ancient Egyptians view on the afterlife in regards to burial rituals and beliefs is not that far off to what is accomplished in today’s society. After death, the Egyptians looked forward to continuing their daily lives as an invisible spirit among their descendants on Earth in Egypt, enjoying all the pleasures of life with none of its pain or hardships. In today’s popular burial process of cremation, ones ashes are spread around within the countryside, letting the individuals be one with the Earth and live on with family members in the form of an invisible ghost or spirit.
As a society we try to commemorate the life of the tomb owner with the supplies necessary for the afterlife. Whether we have simple burial sites in the form of graves, urns, or even coffins sometimes just as expensive as those gold coffins of yesteryear, we mimic a lot of traditions from ancient Egypt.
A specific object that is around today that I personally associate with the afterlife is the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The sheer size of this statue makes it stand out and the location at the top of a small mountain is two important aspects to this piece. The way the arms are open signifying acceptance and forgiveness to the clean and simple lines with the only color being white, which signify purity. The Christ the Redeemer statue has been portrayed in several movies such as the animated movie “Rio” for the kids and for adults in the video game franchises Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. This structure and many more just like, symbolize something in some form or another with the afterlife being the main message throughout.
Kyle Thompson
Commercial Pitch of Product 3/12
Hello, Name is Kyle Thompson President of P.A.S.S. Personal Assistant of Secure Systems. Today is your lucky day sir, I have a brand new product that will revolutionize everything YOU do in life. Have you ever wondered why you even bother learning that new electronic gadget when it is just going by outdated months after you purchase it?
If you answered YES then I have the perfect all in one product for you.
TED – (Technology Evolved Device) is about the size of one grain of rice and holds over 5 Yobibytes of memory. This little device is imputed in behind either ear by a our skilled surgeons in a simple out patient procedure. This device acts as a replacement to each and everything that is electronic in your life. No more cell phones, PDA’s, laptops, organizers, cameras, and pads of scratch paper with that little Hunny To Do List written on it. This little baby can do all of those products jobs with ease and because TED is already inside you, you never have to worry about not having it.
TED is going to be featured in this next month’s issues of New England Medicine and Money Pro.
All of these features and starting at 2 very low price points. Buy this machine now and you are guaranteed a $9.95 price for adults and $19.95 price infants and the elderly. Both come with our limited multi-year guarantee.
So I ask you this what do you have to lose, this is the product that will revolutionize the human race. So how many can I sign you up for?
Internal Notes below
1. Hook - With a catchy intro
2. Sell - What makes it unique
3. Request - Feedback, advice or business card
USA Budgets & Debt 3/12
Well, this is about state budgets. This is probably the most boring topic of the whole morning. But I want to tell you, I think it's an important topic that we need to care about. State budgets are big, big money -- I'll show you the numbers -- and they get very little scrutiny. The understanding is very low. Many of the people involved have special interests or short-term interests that get them not thinking about what the implications of the trends are. And these budgets are the key for our future; they're the key for our kids. Most education funding -- whether it's K through 12, or the great universities or community colleges -- most of the money for those things is coming out of these state budgets.
But we have a problem. Here's the overall picture. U.S. economy is big -- 14.7 trillion. Now out of that pie, the government spends 36 percent. So this is combining the federal level, which is the largest, the state level and the local level. And it's really in this combined way that you get an overall sense of what's going on, because there's a lot of complex things like Medicaid and research money that flow across those boundaries. But we're spending 36 percent. Well what are we taking in? Simple business question. Answer is 26 percent. Now this leaves 10 percent deficit, sort of a mind-blowing number. And some of that, in fact, is due to the fact that we've had an economic recession. Receipts go down, some spending programs go up, but most of it is not because of that. Most of it is because of ways that the liabilities are building up and the trends, and that creates a huge challenge. In fact, this is the forecast picture. There are various things in here: I could say we might raise more revenue, or medical innovation will make the spending even higher. It is an increasingly difficult picture, even assuming the economy does quite well -- probably better than it will do. This is what you see at this overall level.
Now how did we get here? How could you have a problem like this? After all, at least on paper, there's this notion that these state budgets are balanced. Only one state says they don't have to balance the budget. But what this means actually is that there's a pretense. There's no real, true balancing going on, and in a sense, the games they play to hide that actually obscure the topic so much that people don't see things that are actually pretty straight-forward challenges. When Jerry Brown was elected, this was the challenge that was put to him. That is, through various gimmicks and things, a so-called balanced budget had led him to have 25 billion missing out of the 76 billion in proposed spending. Now he's put together some thoughts: About half of that he'll cut, another half, perhaps in a very complex set of steps, taxes will be approved. But even so, as you go out into those future years, various pension costs, health costs go up enough, and the revenue does not go up enough. So you get a big squeeze.
What were those things that allowed us to hide this? Well, some really nice little tricks. And these were somewhat noticed. The paper said, "It's not really balanced. It's got holes. It perpetuates deficit spending. It's riddled with gimmicks." And really when you get down to it, the guys at Enron never would have done this. This is so blatant, so extreme. Is anyone paying attention to some of the things these guys do? They borrow money. They're not supposed to, but they figure out a way. They make you pay more in withholding just to help their cash flow out. They sell off the assets. They defer the payments. They sell off the revenues from tobacco. And California's not unique. In fact, there's about five states that are worse and only really four states that don't face this big challenge. So it's systemic across the entire country. It really comes from the fact that certain long-term obligations -- health care, where innovation makes it more expensive, early retirement and pension, where the age structure gets worse for you, and just generosity -- that these mis-accounting things allow to develop over time, that you've got a problem. This is the retiree health care benefits. Three million set aside, 62 billion dollar liability -- much worse than the car companies. And everybody looked at that and knew that that was headed toward a huge problem. The forecast for the medical piece alone is to go from 26 percent of the budget to 42 percent.
Well what's going to give? Well in order to accommodate that, you would have to cut education spending in half. It really is this young versus the old to some degree. If you don't change that revenue picture, if you don't solve what you're doing in health care, you're going to be deinvesting in the young. The great University of California university system, the great things that have gone on, won't happen. So far it's meant layoffs, increased class sizes. Within the education community there's this discussion of, "Should it just be the young teachers who get laid off, or the less good teachers who get laid off?" And there's a discussion: if you're going to increase class sizes, where do you do that? How much effect does that have? And unfortunately, as you get into that, people get confused and think, well maybe you think that's okay. In fact, no, education spending should not be cut. There's ways, if it's temporary, to minimize the impact, but it's a problem. It's also really a problem for where we need to go. Technology has a role to play. Well we need money to experiment with that, to get those tools in there. There's the idea of paying teachers for effectiveness, measuring them, giving them feedback, taking videos in the classroom. That's something I think is very, very important. Well you have to allocate dollars for that system and for that incentive pay. In a situation where you have growth, you put the new money into this. Or even if you're flat, you might shift money into it. But with the type of cuts we're talking about, it will be far, far harder to get these incentives for excellence, or to move over to use technology in the new way.
So what's going on? Where's the brain trust that's in error here? Well there really is no brain trust. (Laughter) It's sort of the voters. It's sort of us showing up. Just look at this spending. California will spend over 100 billion, Microsoft, 38, Google, about 19. The amount of IQ in good numeric analysis, both inside Google and Microsoft and outside, with analysts and people of various opinions -- should they have spent on that? No, they wasted their money on this. What about this thing? -- it really is quite phenomenal. Everybody has an opinion. There's great feedback. And the numbers are used to make decisions. If you go over the education spending and the health care spending -- particularly these long-term trends -- you don't have that type of involvement on a number that's more important in terms of equity, in terms of learning.
So what do we need to do? We need better tools. We can get some things out on the Internet. I'm going to use my website to put up some things that will give the basic picture. We need lots more. There's a few good books, one about school spending and where the money comes from -- how that's changed over time, and the challenge. We need better accounting. We need to take the fact that the current employees, the future liabilities they create, that should come out of the current budget. We need to understand why they've done the pension accounting the way they have. It should be more like private accounting. It's the gold standard. And finally, we need to really reward politicians. Whenever they say there's these long-term problems, we can't say, "Oh, you're the messenger with bad news? We just shot you." In fact, there are some like these: Erskine Bowles, Alan Simpson and others, who have gone through and given proposals for this overall federal health-spending state-level problem. But in fact, their work was sort of pushed off. In fact, the week afterwards, some tax cuts were done that made the situation even worse than their assumptions. So we need these pieces.
Now I think this is a solvable problem. It's a great country with lots of people. But we have to draw those people in, because this is about education. And just look at what happened with the tuitions with the University of California and project that out for another three, four, five years -- it's unaffordable. And that's the kind of thing -- the investment in the young -- that makes us great, allows us to contribute. It allows us to do the art, the biotechnology, the software and all those magic things. And so the bottom line is we need to care about state budgets because they're critical for our kids and our future.
Thank you
Public Speaking - Beating the Fear 3/12
Beating the Fear
PSP Week 1
Discussion Material
Fear of public speaking is very common. Unfortunately, knowing you’re not the only one who’s scared probably won’t help you get over your speech anxiety. While you’ll have to find your own way to relieve the stress associated with public speaking, we’d like to offer some tips to help you get through the class (and all of the public speaking you’ll do afterward) without fear making the job even harder.
Feeling Anxious or Afraid
There are a number of reasons people become anxious or fearful about public speaking. For many, it happens before the presentation ever begins. We can worry about our preparation, our appearance, the sounds of our voices and much, much more. Others of us might not feel it until we see an audience looking back, or consider the importance of the moment. Each person will have a different source of anxiety and fear, and even the best speakers may never completely overcome their anxiety.
Turning the Bad Into Good
The good news is that feeling a little anxious or fearful can be helpful. As long as we don’t let it get it of hand, it can serve as a reminder that we need to prepare ourselves carefully and give our best efforts.
If you find that your anxiety is hard to control, think about your strengths. Practice your presentation with family and friends to see what parts they like. Those are the parts you do well, and you can build your presentation with similar moments. Playing to your strengths will not only improve the experience for your audience, but will increase your confidence, as well.
The Last Minute Rush
Just before your speech begins, you will probably feel a rush of energy. If you feel anxious or afraid, this may be when it becomes most bothersome. Keeping your cool just before you begin is the best way to beat the fear.
Try not to over-analyze your prepared notes. Fretting over phrases or reworking your remarks at the last minute will only make you appear confused or lost when the time for your speech comes. Remember that unless you question yourself, no one else will doubt you. The audience hasn’t seen your notes, after all, and won’t notice if you miss a minor point or two.
Instead of making last minute adjustments, try to calm yourself. Take deep breaths and put your mind at ease so that you can think clearly when you need to focus on your presentation.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Remember that rehearsal is your best friend. The better you know your material, the less likely it is that you’ll run into complications before or during your speech. If you’ve practiced enough, you’ll find that you can focus on engaging your audience and refining your delivery without having to worry about what you’re going to say.
Beating Your Own Fear
Fear and anxiety are personal feelings, so you’ll have to identify and address them on your own. Once you know where they come from, though, you should be able to overcome them.
Business Goals 2/12
Kyle Thompson
Setting Professional Goals
IDM
Maryanne Harkins
February 24, 2012
Goal Number One: To graduate from Full Sail University.
1. Have an overall grade between 95-100% for a Cumulative GPA of 4.0
2. Graduate Full Sail University by March 2014.
3. Complete as many Grants and Scholarships to avoid working a full-time job
4. Connect with former and presently enrolled students at Full Sail, for encouragement and knowledge.
5. Research “how to” videos and articles. Do personal interviews and read books pertaining to my Industry. Be in the top 5% of my graduating class.
6. Find Volunteer Opportunities, and locate Job Fellowships and Internships
7. Achieving my goal would allow my to pursue my passion of sports. I would by living a more enriched life and a life of actual meaning in my opinion.
Professional Goal Number Two: You want to achieve within one year from when you graduate.
1. Be working for a top notch and established company in a position higher than entry level.
2. By March 2015, I will be either organizing or running a team.
3. Getting my foot in the door and having the opportunity to do an internship. Setting myself apart from all of the other applicants with my unique skill set and real desire to succeed. Being on the constant look out to improve my skills with more readings and communications within my industry and my peers.
4. Establishing more and more connections within the industry with individuals higher up in the corporate ladder.
5. With my extensive knowledge of the Apple MacBook Laptop and the programs associated with it- iMovie & GarageBand, I will have the knowledge capable of handling the current market place of technology within my industry.
6. Working with other professional peers in the industry and with my knowledge, I will have a successful plan of action in my career path. Staying up to date and relevant with what the competition have to offer and what it takes to stay on top.
7. The benefits are a competitive industry that provides myself with a drive to be the best and to be happy for what I have accomplished.
Professional Goal Number Three: You want to achieve within five years from you graduate.
1. In five years I will be the manager at my job or I started my own company and I am the president of operations. In either case I will be the boss.
2. By March 2019, I will be a successful boss in my dream career job.
3. Rising competition and new technology. I will have to combat these issues by being one step ahead and always being relevant.
4. Having connections built within other competing companies and a support system of peers that has been groomed and established through years of successful work together.
5. Being five years removed from my completion of my BA degree, I will have gotten my Masters degree and have shown excellence and mastery of my industry once again.
6. In my plan of action, it requires furthering schooling (Masters degree) and an even deeper attention to detail in my schooling.
7. The benefits in this five-year plan would be immense. I would have the creative control of my team and could in return express my ideas and thoughts through a large medium. I will reach out to the young generation that is going to school with the opportunity for the students to intern at my company to give back and continue the higher education of my industry.
Business Models 2/12
Problem Solving Assignment
Problem Example Two
Kyle Thompson
IDM
Maryanne Harkins
February 11, 2012
The Basic Steps Applied In
This Problem-Solving Case Study “Sparkle”
Sparkle is a small business owner that operates an event planning company. Even though the company has been around for two years now, her business is starting to take off and has resulted in new workers, new clients, and new demands.
Clearly define and state the problem. Due to Sparkle’s business expansion, Sparkle has three new part-time workers. These new workers are not handling their aspects of their jobs duties correctly.
Inaccurate dates and times have been sent out.
Extracurricular activities are occurring by the new hires on the job.
The three part-time employees are not giving 100% of their time towards the coordination of events.
The problem going forward is not to have those little mistakes and the lack of attention to detail by the new workers.
Analyze the problem.
Completed work needs to be reviewed by co-workers or by Sparkle herself and then signed off on so that the wrong concert dates and times are not being sent out to the clients.
Sparkle is not use to having workers, which has lead to the three new workers not being held accountable for their extracurricular activities on the job.
Listening to music devices when tasks need to be completed and the communication developed between co-workers.
Browsing the Internet through non-work related websites.
Using cell phones to make personal phone calls instead of the phone strictly for business calls.
3. Formulate at least two possible solutions.
Move one of the part-time workers into a personal assistant position under Sparkle, which will look over and double check any information by the other two workers before it gets submitted.
Change the browser settings on the computers to allow only certain websites to be displayed.
Implement a no cell phone policy while at workstations.
Provide more training to the workers to establish more of a concrete set of rules, guidelines, and task acknowledgement.
Re-establish what rules need to be followed with a zero tolerance for workers not following the rules.
Fire workers not listening to direction or constantly making mistakes.
4. Evaluate possible solutions.
Moving one of the part-time workers into an assistant position to Sparkle, takes away from the initial idea of having three part-time workers.
Changing the browser settings, having a no cell phone policy, and not allowing music are cheap ways to control distractions.
Looking into doing a training program, it takes Sparkle away from her managerial duties and puts off the potential of adding any new clients during the training process.
Replace the workers with new workers that are better skilled and trained to handle the job. Transition period between new workers might have some problems with established communication lines with already established clients and new workers could be as inept as the first crew was.
5. Choose a solution.
Keeping in mind that Sparkle is a small business owner, the most viable option is to have no cell-phones or music devices and the installation of browser settings on the computers. All of these options are free or relatively cheap and can be implemented very fast so business can keep going on schedule. This solution is a short-term and a long-term solution for Sparkle. After assessing the other options they were too costly and time consuming for Sparkle and were not an option at this moment.
4-Step Managerial Process 2/12
Tower Heist (2011)
Kyle Thompson
MAN2020 IDM Section 01
Maryanne Harkins
February 5, 2012
A Demonstration of the Four-step Managerial Process
The movie I’ve selected for my planning, organizing, leading/directing and controlling (POLC) assignment is Tower Heist (2011). This movie was released under the direction of Brett Ratner and had a cast including Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck, Alan Alda, and Matthew Broderick. Tower Heist’s movie plot line provides perfect examples on how the four managerial processes can aid in the completion of set goals within any proposal, idea, concept, or scheme.
Step one of the managerial process is planning. Planning is defined as “establishing the main objectives or outcomes of the work” (Thomas, 2007, p. 10). In today’s business world we can see the effects of not having a solid foundation of planning and not sticking to a main devised plan. If companies stray to far from their initial business plan the results can be devastating to the company. In Tower Heist, the steps of planning were set in motion in the early stages of the movie. As the building manager, Ben Stiller recruits his fellow co-workers and a petty crook to plan the ultimate robbery from one of the high-rise apartment complex tenants to get back their stolen investment money. The planning process helps the team not get caught and to retrieve the stolen property back.
The second step in the POLC process is organizing. Organizing is defined as “establishing formal structures of authority so that tasks and activities can be defined and coordinated amongst the people involved” (Thomas, 2007, p. 11). For the building manager, he required all of his hired accomplices to have set steps in the robbery process that were specific to the teams background work. Having a strong organized process ensures that every part of the team would have the best chance of completing their individual goals correctly and the first time. Organization is key for any business as it provides an environment for the individuals to work within and avoid the pure chaos of miscommunication that is brought upon with the lack of an organizational structure.
In the third step of the process is leading/directing. According to Thomas, this part of this process is a combination of decision making, communicating, motivating and aligning people, and developing people. Even with a solid plan drawn up from the first step in the POLC process, plans do not always go as they were initially devised. With so many variables out there, the way the manager leads and directs the crew through turmoil makes up a great manager. A great leadership example from the film would be when the team saw one of the team members go off on his own to complete the mission and to take the money all for himself. The business manager re-grouped the team and re-directed them to the original plans end result. In this instance the manager motivated the team to not let one individual dictate what they had worked so hard on completing. By communicating this newfound plan to the team, the team members were able to communicate better and accomplish their goal albeit in a different approach.
The final step to the POLC model is controlling. In this function it “involves monitoring any work in progress so as to ensure results are ultimately delivered” (Thomas, 2007, p.12). During the course of the movie it became apparent to the business manager that the initial plan would work but someone would ultimately take the fall for the robbery charges. To ensure the results would be what they had planned, the manager was able to provide some dirty details on the rich tenant that provide the manager getting only a two year jail sentence and the team free on all charges. In this example the team accomplished what it set out to retrieve, which was their stolen investment money.
After reading about the POLC model as told by Thomas, I viewed the Tower Heist movie differently with a keen eye towards the managerial process and all of the steps attributed towards that model. Whether it is in movies or in “real life” the business process is the same and is broken down quite effectively through the use of planning, organizing, leading/directing and controlling. When starting a project and the manager is developing a team, following the POLC model is the most efficient way to avoid errors, miscommunication, team angst, proper completion time, and good overall moral.
References
Thomas, Mark (2007). Mastering People Management. Location: London
Business Management Informational Interview Guidelines 2/12
Kyle Thompson
Introduction to Management - February 2012
Ms. Harkins Class
Informational Interview Part A
Name and company of potential interviewees with website addresses:
1. Eric Metz - President of LMM&P Sports Management LLC
Website to LMM&P - http://www.lmmsports.com/about-lmm/our-team/
2. Dr. G. Lynn Lashbrook – President and Founder of Sports Management WorldWide (SMWW)
Website for SMWW - http://www.sportsmanagementworldwide.com/lynnbio
3. Adam Nisenson - Principal, Creative Director of Active Imagination Sports Marketing & Vice President at the Captivate Group, Inc.
Website for Adam's companies - http://www.marketingforsports.com/content30.html &
http://captivate.publishpath.com/about-us
List of three background questions that will be used for the interview:
1. What was your career path to this position?
2. What are the basic prerequisites, training, and education requirements for this position?
3. What entry level positions would I hold before I would be qualified to hold your position?
List of the three open-ended questions (out of the six needed) for the interview:
1. In my Introduction to Management class we study planning, organizing, leading and controlling, problem solving processes, decision-making and delegating as well as motivating, influencing, communicating and managing conflict. What do you consider the most important qualities for a supervisor?
2. Describe a time you had to introduce an important change? What was the result?
3. What part of your job do you find the most satisfying and also the most challenging?
4. Speaking about work management take me through a short-term plan you developed and implemented for your department. And what methods you used to prioritize work assignments?
5. Communication is key to any business; give me a specific example of when you had to clearly communicate your expectations to a subordinate. Tell me about the steps you took to establish a rapport with a new staff member.
6. What important trends have you picked up in your industry?
Problem Solving Business Management 2/12
Problem Solving Assignment
Problem Example Two
Kyle Thompson
MAN 2020 IDM Section 01
Maryanne Harkins
February 11, 2012
The Basic Steps Applied
In this Problem-Solving Case Study “Sparkle”
Sparkle is a small business owner that operates an event planning company. Even though the company has been around for two years now, her business is starting to take off and has resulted in new workers, new clients, and new demands.
Clearly define and state the problem. Due to Sparkle’s business expansion, Sparkle’s new part-time workers are not handling their aspects of their jobs duties.
The three part-time employees are not giving 100% of their time towards the coordination of events.
Inaccurate dates and times have been sent out as well as extracurricular activies are occurring by the new hires on the job as well.
The problem going forward is not to have those little mistakes and the lack of attention to detail by the new workers.
Having a small business, word of mouth and referrals are the main keys to continued growth and a larger client base.
Analyze the problem.
Completed work needs to be reviewed by co-workers or by Sparkle herself and then signed off on so that the wrong concert dates and times are not listed.
No one has held the three new workers accountable for their extracurricular activities on the job.
Listening to music devices when tasks need to be completed.
Managing the visits on social media websites through blocking of certain websites and content.
Using cell phones to make personal phone calls instead of business calls.
3. Formulate at least two possible solutions.
4. Evaluate possible solutions.
5. Choose a solution.
Top Management Videos 2/12
How to Interview – Strategy from Harvard Business School. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oakHl6Z0wE8
Innovate Like google
Tom Davenport, Professor Technology & Management. ten minutes
General Management Focus – Lynn Paine, Professor Business Administration and Ann Moore, CEO, Time, Inc.
Managing UP –
Lauren Mackler – Business Consultant
Grow Your Stars – Don’t Buy Them
Boris Groysberg, Professor, Harvard Business School
The Crucial Skill for Tomorrow’s Leaders
Management thought leaders share their ideas on what future leaders can't live without. Featuring: Angel Cabrera, Bill George, Daisy Wademan Dowling, Andy Zelleke, Batia Mishan Wiesenfeld, Evan Wittenberg, Dr. Ellen Langer, and Scott Snook.
CSI: Final Group Podcast 1/12
CSI: Final Group Podcast – Group Podcast Overview
Description Group Project Information
This month you will be working on a group podcast, the final version of the group podcast will not be due until the last day of class. During the month you will be creating and submitting the assignments that will build the final podcast. You will not begin work on the group podcast until the second week of class. For this assignment, you will work together in teams to collaborate and produce a multi-media presentation in the form of a podcast. There are no deliverables this week, this week will be used to familiarize yourself with what the project will entail. Your instructor will create and assign you to a group on Tuesday of week 2. For detailed instructions on the Group project you can download the instruction from this page or from the CSI web site.
Reasoning for the Assignment
Online collaboration has become common in the entertainment industry. Project team members are often located in multiple cities. This new dimension to the project group adds additional challenges for both students and professionals. This project will help you become familiar with some of the tools available to allow collaboration over great distances via the Internet and produce a finished product that you can be proud of.
Please note: the listed schedule is only for the Group Project; you will have additional individual FSO assignments due through out the month.
This month you will be working on a group podcast, the final version of the group podcast will not be due until the last day of class. During the month you will be creating and submitting the assignments that will build the final podcast. You will not begin work on the group podcast until the second week of class. For this assignment, you will work together in teams to collaborate and produce a multi-media presentation in the form of a podcast. There are no deliverables this week, this week will be used to familiarize yourself with what the project will entail. Your instructor will create and assign you to a group on Tuesday of week 2. For detailed instructions on the Group project you can download the instruction from this page or from the CSI web site.
Reasoning for the Assignment
Online collaboration has become common in the entertainment industry. Project team members are often located in multiple cities. This new dimension to the project group adds additional challenges for both students and professionals. This project will help you become familiar with some of the tools available to allow collaboration over great distances via the Internet and produce a finished product that you can be proud of.
Please note: the listed schedule is only for the Group Project; you will have additional individual FSO assignments due through out the month.
Schedule of tasks for the project (Please note our weeks run from Monday to Monday)
Week 1
Read the overview of the project and the assignment to become familiar with the task you will be responsible for.
Submit your introduction assignment, this is an individual assignment used by your instructor to assign you to a group.
Week 1
Read the overview of the project and the assignment to become familiar with the task you will be responsible for.
Submit your introduction assignment, this is an individual assignment used by your instructor to assign you to a group.
Week 2
Tuesday - the instructor will assign you into groups and invite you to Wiggio based on your groups.
Tuesday thru Friday – on your assigned day attend a scheduled online Wimba session at fullsail.wimba.com . The session will cover the basics of what the project will entail, what is being looked for, and offer a chance for you to ask your instructor any questions you may have at this point. If you cannot attend the WIMBA session you can watch the archive of the session also located at fullsail.wimba.com.
End of the week - There are a short set of question that will be based on the WIMBA session that you will need to answer on FSO
End of Week – Each group member will have accepted a Wiggio invitation sent to him or her in email. Posted contact information in Wiggio. Post times they can work on the podcast on wiggio’s calendar. Picked a group coordinator and alternate. Submitted a word document with a link to your wiggio group page.
Week 3
Tuesday-Friday - Attend a scheduled Wimba session. The session will cover the where the group should be at this point, discuss the outline of the project and how it will need to be presented, and offer a chance for you to ask your instructor any questions you may have a this point. If you cannot attend the WIMBA session you can watch the archive of the session also located at fullsail.wimba.com.
End of the week - There is a short set of questions that have to be answered in FSO based off the WIMBA session.
End of Week - Each Group member will create and submit they own podcast segment as well as the citations for the segment
Tuesday thru Friday – on your assigned day attend a scheduled online Wimba session at fullsail.wimba.com . The session will cover the basics of what the project will entail, what is being looked for, and offer a chance for you to ask your instructor any questions you may have at this point. If you cannot attend the WIMBA session you can watch the archive of the session also located at fullsail.wimba.com.
End of the week - There are a short set of question that will be based on the WIMBA session that you will need to answer on FSO
End of Week – Each group member will have accepted a Wiggio invitation sent to him or her in email. Posted contact information in Wiggio. Post times they can work on the podcast on wiggio’s calendar. Picked a group coordinator and alternate. Submitted a word document with a link to your wiggio group page.
Week 3
Tuesday-Friday - Attend a scheduled Wimba session. The session will cover the where the group should be at this point, discuss the outline of the project and how it will need to be presented, and offer a chance for you to ask your instructor any questions you may have a this point. If you cannot attend the WIMBA session you can watch the archive of the session also located at fullsail.wimba.com.
End of the week - There is a short set of questions that have to be answered in FSO based off the WIMBA session.
End of Week - Each Group member will create and submit they own podcast segment as well as the citations for the segment
Week 4
End of Week – submission of the completed Group Presentation Podcast and individual peer reviews.
Wednesday - submit peer review of other student segments
Please note: the listed schedule is only for the Group Podcast; you will have additional individual FSO assignments due through out the month.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)