During the two-day event, over 45 Iraqi special immigrants took part in resume development, job search strategy, networking and interviewing skills workshops, while interacting with more than 100 volunteers and employers.

These new Americans were some of the most brave, intelligent, skilled, and optimistic people I have ever met. If you aren't familiar with The List Project, Upwardly Global, or immigrant & refugee issues, please get involved or ask questions. We've all got a lot to learn. Knowledge and understanding are great first steps.

-Tadd

The first step is welcoming our Iraqi allies into our communities.

I attended the Valedictory Ceremony this week at Radio City Music Hall and it was quite an event. I was honored to receive the Pi Lambda Theta Rho award for leadership and service to my school. I certainly tried my best to support my classmates. Honestly, anything I did for my classmates was my pleasure, given the intellectual stimulation and challenge they provided me with over the last 2 years.

Finishing my masters degree is quite bittersweet in nature. While I feel a great sense of accomplishment and closure, I also feel strange and sad to transition into an alumni. Being that I've take classes each of the past six semesters (including summers), it's quite strange not to be thinking about my upcoming classes.

Can it be the case that I DON'T have an assignment I should be working on over the weekend? WOW!

In closing, I have to thank Professors O'Connor and Bronner for all their support, guidance, and wisdom. I truly developed and learned so much here at NYU Steinhardt, and am proud to call myself a Business Education graduate!

Prospective students: what do you want to know?
I'm a wealth of knowledge for you.

-Tadd

I woke up a little late and arrived to work slightly later than expected ~9:30am.
I checked in with my boss and the team on a variety of subjects including: the increased flow of clients, bottlenecks in the resume revision process, and VOLUNTEER recruitment.

I made some calls to tomorrow's new class (cohort) of immigrant professional job seekers and the class is set to be my biggest yet (25 people).

Rushing out of the office, I just slipped into class as it was beginning. I got to work through a major conflict that occurred between myself and another classmate (and the entire group). Group dynamics is never just what it seems on the surface.

In my second class, I witnessed a surprising display of unprofessionalism by a professor. This isolated incident of a professor silencing one of my classmates really left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm not sure exactly what my reaction to the event will be, but I know the entire class was appalled by the way the feedback was delivered.
I really hope this does not reoccur. And don't doubt there will be some scathing comments on his course evaluation!

Sorry for the lack of detail, but it's late, I don't want to write anything I'll regret tomorrow and bedtime approaches.

Hasta manana,
Tadd

I look forward to the reflection.

-TEW

-Tadd

After just writing a long update I lost the text when I accidentally navigated away from the page. So instead, I'll just share a picture of the beach in Playa del Carmen, Mexico where I recently took a break of my own. Spring break for me (this year) is being spent working.
-T

So I decided to celebrate President's Day by taking a look at our current president's website. You should do the same.

Just take a look at the recent Judicial Nominations (and confirmations) listed on the official White House
Website. I'm not going to even comment on what I think of his choices. However, I ask you to scroll through the list, and ponder if these choices at all represent the demographics of the American public. I find the lack of diversity shocking and horrifying. How can any minority expect to find justice when those nominated and confirmed to the executive judicial branch include extreme gender uniformity? And where is the ethnic diversity?
I'm just not sure that there is ANY effort being made to align these choice with the population they are meant to represent. This is a major problem.

Hopefully, the fact that the Democratic Presidential nominee will be either a Black man or a woman shows that the American public does not support this disregard for diversity and accurate representation.

Of course, if you prefer to celebrate Presidents day with a little retail therapy,
you could head out and charge up those anticipated "tax credits". I wonder if we'll have to pay them back like last time?????

-Tadd

Also, my sister is defending her PhD. thesis (NYU-CAS) this Thursday.
Exciting week!

(I'm already a bit exhausted!)

Ah well, early to bed this evening and let's see if I make it to work for 9am.

Wish me luck?

-TW

Specifically, please consider their relevance to our current state of affairs.

Truth and wisdom are timeless.

Tragically, Dr. King's wise words need only very minor changes in order to bring them up to date.

A of the many reasons Dr. King is one of my heroes is that his words are timeless and his wisdom is limitless.

I find such hope in the fact that 2008 brings American's the choice between two Presidential candidates possessing integrity and wisdom, and who just happen to be a woman and a black man. Why is this even remotely an issue?

The state of journalism and the media?

Any journalist who even touches upon these characteristics reveals him/herself to be tragically ignorant and discredits him/herself..

Can they not inquire into the candidate's values, priorities, and aspirations instead?

Please.

Can we demand that our long ignored opinions (and votes) cease to be ignored or nullified?

Let us please consider the words of Thomas Jefferson in our own Declaration of Independence:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."

The 19th Amendment to to Constitution (horribly overdue) awarded equal rights to women.

Previously, Abraham Lincoln had ruled out the injustice of slavery in his written word:

"That on the first day of January in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any state, or designated part of a state, the people whereof thenceforward, and forever free; and the executive government of the United States [including the military and naval authority thereof] will, during the continuance in office of the present incumbents, recognize [and maintain the freedom of] such persons, as being free, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.

I do not understand why race and gender are even issues.
Ha! I wonder who will be the first gay (Presidential) candidate and what "shock and awe" will they encounter?

We still desperately search to find an individual who can express the truth and wisdom found in the words of America's Patriot Minister, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men."

I wish good riddance to the misguided men of 2000-2008. I am still dumbfounded that such a cowardly man as Dick Cheney will never have to answer for his actions.
At least this presidency has a common theme: lack of accountability.

So after you finish listening to Dr. King' speech, I offer you the hopeful voice of Donny Hathaway. Please listen.

">"Someday We'll All Be Free"

I am avidly enjoying my break...working.

The job at Upwardly Global is going very well, and we've got exciting plans for expansion and growth in 2008. However, I've got to say, it is a huge relief that the semester is finished.

It's an interesting experience to begin a new position while simultaneously finishing a challenging semester in grad school.

Luckily, it will likely never be repeated (at least, personally).

However, I cannot complain. I enrolled in NYU Steinhardt because I wanted to combine and grow my educational, analytical, and business competencies for an instructional position within a stimulating and challenging work environment, particularly serving a diverse, professional community.

"be careful what you wish for"

Good Luck in 2008 and Happy New Year!

-Tadd

Except when just afterwards, grabbing a cup of coffee across from East Building, a former Northwestern alum taps you on the shoulder and says hello. It is the best 10am surprise to bump into an old friend (and now fellow NYU grad student).

Too bad Jim hadn't finished his finals like me; Stern works you until the last moment!
Regardless, it was great to run into Jimbo.

Now, I joyfully wish you a Happy New Year,
and ask you to remember that this is:
The Deadliest Season

The holiday season is one of the most deadliest times of the year for alcohol-related crashes. MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) estimates that “each year nationally, more than 1,000 people typically die during Thanksgiving to New Year’s in drunk driving crashes” (MADD, 2006). Because of increased consumption of alcohol and an increase in the number of special events and parties, drinking and driving is more prevalent. Ironically, drinking and driving crashes are one of the most easily preventable catastrophes. Drinking and driving is a choice each driver makes.

I can tell you presently my life has deep components of sadness and joy.

Tragically, one of these senseless tragedies occurred on Dec. 8th 2007 and two lives were lost.

Each and every one of us has the responsibility-
to try and prevent this type of pointless loss & tragedy.

If you are too drunk to drive home,
Lie down on the couch and drive home,
---In the morning.

Or risk taking someone else's morning,
---Away from each and every one of us.

2008 is dedicated to the life and memory of Samuel Robert Cassel

This is (finally) his year.

And this is our year. To give and to achieve (in his image).

Best wishes,
Tadd

Who will be able to figure these complicated devices out????

The next generation of students, that's who!

Consumer goods and market preferences are driving the development of these technological advances and interfaces. However, educational applications will inevitably trickle down and be fully incorporated into the academic experience.

The next generation of students will likely have difficulty imagining how learning occurred absent these innovations. However, as educators, it is our job to stress the importance of utilizing and respecting well-founded learning theories. We all know that just because something is brighter, faster, and more cutting-edge does not necessarily mean that it results in more effective learning and educational discovery or development.

The first rule when incorporating media/technology into instruction is: 1) Be sure it doesn't distract from the learning objectives.

In conclusion, I must say that as educators, it is our role to stay focused on the learning objectives and to incorporate technological application only as they closely align with the learning goals and intended outcomes. Bigger, brighter and faster does not mean it is necessarily better.

However, as 21st century educators we have countless new educational technologies at our disposal and it is our responsibility to use them as best we can, for the benefit of out students and academic pursuits.

Well here I am again, finishing my final assignment/paper for my Workplace Learning course this semester. The assignment is a series of article reviews, a book review, website review, and concluding essay on the topic of coaching. I'm very pleased with the chosen articles, and I found the ICF (International Coach Federation) website extremely helpful. I encourage you to take a look at their philosophy, definition, and ethical standards for the coach/client relationship. "Coaching" is a word often misused and/or stretched to fit the needs of the person doing the "coaching."

However, it is the client, the person being coached, who must be the focus of any successful coaching relationship. Coaching should never be a punishment or be compulsory. Coaching should be focused on enabling and sustaining personal and professional development of the client. Take a look at their code of ethics and tell me about your experiences with coaching relationships within your organization.

Interactive Storytelling has come a long way in the past twenty years.
New Millenium, New Media (NM2) Project is taking interactive storytelling to a whole new level.

It seems that in the very near future, technologically-enhanced storytelling may allow a highly interactive and adaptive narrative to be played out for (and with) the reader/viewer. Interactive storytelling may prove to have new and exciting educational applications based on discovery and experiential learning theories.