Reflection of the Four Action Learning Sessions - Essay Example

Reflective Essay Introduction Our es in action learning have been very instrumental as well as helpful to us with regard to our career developments. Indeed, I have enjoyed most of them and found it very practical and enthusiastic sharing what one has learnt or knows in his area of study. I did not want to miss any of these presentations once I became familiar with the whole procedure and the mode of presentation. Even though I didn’t like it at the beginning, I guessed it all required my utter attention which I had not fully invested in the course I was pursuing. I realized I needed to exploit the full potential of my ability and the need to uphold the best standards of my interests in order to fully satisfy my ego. I had to put in all I could in ensuring that I achieved the best of the result that I could appreciate. The presentations made me learn that people only like what they know and the knowledge of our abilities is the beginning of the development in the interests invested in different areas of specialization. The practical aspect is as well the best way to demonstrate the knowledge of a particular activity in the area of interest. Besides group learning is very important as people get to share what they know with other people and in this way, the others get to know and understand whatever they do not know by observing these from the other people who might know them. It is very educative watching other people present their ideas before the class and other experts trying to convince the others that the perspectives they have taken in looking at a particular phenomenon is the right way and which needs to be agreed upon (Hale, 2004). This paper is an account of reflection of the four action learning sessions we participated in during our classes; it highlights the experiences in my first four action learning sets (ALS) in the medical field, what I learned about myself and the entire ALS. First Session The morning of the first ASL presentation was accompanied with a lot of rain which of course lasted for long. It was freezing cold and unfit for the lazy and uninterested men to wake up for the classes. Being that I didn’t enjoy my previous encounters and that the previous ASL presented a total loss for me, I lost interest in attending the presentations and when the rains exceeded its usual pounds, I decided to bury my head under my blanket and intentionally skip the presentations. Moreover, the rains were just too much and we could not be able to drive to school since the roads were somehow impassible. I and my friend are not good experts in driving and therefore, driving all the way to school when it had intensively rained proved a big challenge to us. We feared that the vehicle would skid and land us in a ditch or just cause a fatal accident due to our inability to control the vehicle. Besides, using public transport proved uneconomical and time wasting as we had to wait at the bus station for about an hour. Above all, we were very much disgusted during the first presentation and our discouragement mainly stemmed from this. However, we managed to get the little bit of the gist from our friends and classmates who actually attended the presentations some of whom came from places farther off than us. The narrations from them regarding the presentations were very discouraging and we felt it was all useless attending these classes where we actually did not benefit from. We had a feeling of complete lack of interest as our friends kept on pounding the large doses of loss and inability. Stranded and perplexed they left us still thinking of whether to continue attending the classes or stop it all over. There were two contrasting sides of the coin here and making the right decision wholly depended on our means and interests. Decide to leave the course and fail the exams or attend the classes and make them more interesting so as to develop the charisma in getting along with the hard to do experiments. It was all about knowing why we actually came to school and why we chose medicine as a course to pursue at the university, to know whether we loved the course or found ourselves doing it as a matter of chance. I don’t believe in chance happenings and I had the task of convincing myself and my friend, who had totally lost hope in going to be attending the action learning session. He argued he had to identify the area he was good at and concentrate on that. He actually went ahead and proposed he was good at reading and made up his mind to read the exercises during the presentations in order to acquaint himself with the operation being carried out in his absence. It was not an easy to do task making him understand the need of attending these classes. After a long chat we decided we would make the classes more interesting to us despite the loss and concentrate by asking questions for clarification as well as answering the questions even if we did not understand so that we could be corrected on the spot. In the long run, I managed to convince him and we decided to continue attending the sessions. I and my friend therefore decided we would put in more efforts in our class work and gain the least experience and interest which we were lacking right from the beginning. My friend and I in conjunction with our classmates encouraged each other and we actually made up our minds to attend the learning session however difficult and challenging it would be. We realized that if we failed this chance; we wouldn’t be able to like it again contrary to what actually brought us to school. We therefore deemed it the right and most appropriate time to make the grand decision, to cut out our destiny or spoil it like the little brats who have actually brought down their education literally to the ground. Second Session I woke up very early in the morning to attend the second session of the ASL presentations; I didn’t want to have any excuse for my absence, even though it rained as well this day, I decided I will not let the chance go with the wind and spoil my future. I had to participate and like the sessions since it was just for some time and then it would be over. Besides, the sessions were very important as an eye opener for the development of the whole task. The presentations were like the on the task experimental learning which actually equips the learners with all the necessary skills and knowledge required for effective and efficient development of our medical career. I have been very happy yet afraid of making any mistake before my facilitators, despite the much I tried to acquaint myself with the presentations, I could not be able to understand the whole process and as a result, the session again presented a complete loss to me. I didn’t know what to do once I was set to carry out my presentation, the task seemed enormous and too involving and confusingly, the steps actually seemed intertwined and one after the other they looked different and I was not able to distinguish which one made a difference or they remained actually the same. Despite all these shivering and shaking out of the fear that I would actually make a mistake, I ended up making the big mistakes I was preparing for and this discourages me even more. The good thing with action learning is that you do the things practically under the guidance of your facilitator and in the presence of all your group members who at times may help with some ideas where one gets completely lost. Reorganizing ones self for the task, I realized was the biggest lack, the gaining of confidence and contentment was the best way to go and I had to go for both. My group members started asking questions which made me realize my simple mistakes and find my way through despite the difficulties there before. I was able to identify the mistakes, one after another and work with them while on the task. My facilitator as well encouraged me to gain the confidence and make more inquiries on the task before coming to present so that I could be more confident and up to the task as I developed along the way. Putting all these efforts together, I was able to realize my mistakes and reorganized myself to be up for the task and I promised my facilitator I would do it even better in the next presentation since I had realized my mistakes. Third Session The third session presented a drawback to me. I had gathered to courage and the knowledge in the field I was carrying out my research. I had developed the interest and charted the way forward with my facilitators and the group members. I had as well prepared the presentations and harmonized my findings. The unexpected however, happened and I was not able to attend the presentations. I contracted a dangerous flu some three days of the presentation and by the day of the presentation, I had the worst of it and I spent the rest of the day in bed, unable to turn up for the presentations. However, my work was approved by the experts concerned and my facilitator. He actually assured me that I was now on the right track and that my project work was right and interesting. The hospital management where I was basing my research told me I should change and do a task on some type of x- ray since they were actually having a shortage in the area. This was difficult for me since it meant starting it all over again the entire hard task. Besides, I had not done any task on x- raying and I did not actually understand the whole process. This presented a total loss on my side and I was not able to picture how it would be. However, the hospital co-operated with me and provided me with the necessary input and requirements and with the help of my facilitator and friends; I was able to make the task up to the levels required. I was ready for the fourth presentation with the new project which I made within the limited time but to the best of my ability. Fourth Session The fourth presentation was very interesting to me and my friends; I had fully prepared my slides and ready for the task. I was more familiar with the steps and carried out the presentation with a lot of enthusiasm leaving everyone curious to know how I actually made it to that point everyone in my group was stunned at the ease with which I carried out the task despite the much fear that I had at the beginning. My x-ray project was actually the best that season and was to proceed to submit after the presentation. I was confident of the results though a bit worried about the outcome of the scrutiny by the facilitating judges and experts. Even though I was confident enough, I was a bit worried of the outcome but kept going and hoping for the best out of it. The whole process of trying to realize my potential by engaging in the presentations was a good experience for me and my group members. Starting from a total loss and inability to cope with the whole process was the most interesting and lesson bound project I have ever undertaken in my life. The whole process was a realization of the hidden potential in me and my group members and which actually remained unexploited up to the moment I identified it. When I realized the facts I was missing during the entire process, I made up my mind fully from the task and decided I was going to make it. The first and the second presentations presented a great loss to me and I was close to losing hope on the course. I learnt that I needed to do my best and realize my potential which I did and as a result, the third and the forth presentations were very okay as I was actually up to the task. I was able to make an easy transition from one project to another just with a little help from my mates and facilitators Conclusion In conclusion, I would like to reiterate here that the ability to do well is dependent on the amount of efforts invested in the entire project. One may not realize the hidden potentiality in him or her until you decide to do so. I can testify today that it is not enough giving in before the whole process is complete. One has to try things out of the latter and make sure he succeeds. Bibliography Hale, R. (2004). Adding Real Value with Work Based Learning Questions . Training Journal , 34–39. Read More