Reflective Learning Account (Ref) - Assignment Example

Reflective Learning Account al Affiliation Reflective Learning Account PART A Motivation to Study IT Choosing the type of degree to study can be a daunting task at times. This is especially the case when one has nothing in mind or any background information about a discipline he wants to go into. As for me, I did not find myself in such a situation. My decision to pursue an IT course was influenced by the interest I had in technology especially on the role that it has played in the lives of people. Technological advancements have given human beings power that they did not have before. In addition to this, it has played a very big role in the dynamic history period of men, a factor that made me pursue the degree so that I can explore and understand the impact information technology and computer science has had on men and how I can contribute to this advancement. The other motivation was the desire to transform people’s lives through IT. IT is a discipline that touches on almost all aspects of human life. It influences how we learn, communicate and even how we socialize and work. This means that without it, a lot of transformations that have been witnessed in the world may have not been seen. Business, entertainment, education and finance sectors all require IT in their operations. The PIIT unit provides an in-depth analysis of different professional issues that IT practitioners face in the course of their day to day duties. When I first enrolled for the unit, I did not have prior knowledge on the various issues encountered by those who practice in the IT field. I believed that what was important was having the knowledge on IT itself and then practicing it. However, the unit has changed this thinking and I have come to appreciate that IT is not only about the knowledge itself, but also requires one to understand the various issues that may affect professional practices. PIIT unit has strengthened my career aspirations and goals. It has made me understand the legal, behavioral, cultural and current market issues that I will have to face and deal with in order to transform other people’s lives through Information Technology. The unit has given me an idea of what to expect once I become an IT professional and join the job market. Behavior and Qualities Needed by Those Working in a Team Working in a team where the members have different backgrounds in terms of gender, age, ethnicity and religion can be a very hard undertaking. This is due to the fact that each member portrays a certain kind of behavior, which the other party may deem to be inappropriate. This in the long run affects the overall performance of the team. Moreover, it might cause conflicts, making it difficult to accomplish the goal and objectives that brought the team members together. To avoid such situations, the team must possess certain qualities and adopt some behaviors that will ensure that they succeed in the undertakings. The group must be made up of members who have the appropriate requirements for the projects. Such requirements may be in terms of technical, artistic and managerial skills. I, however, believe that the success of the project depends heavily on the behavior of the group and its individual members. To be able to solve the challenges faced, communication skills, punctuality, meeting of targets, sharing positive and negative work related experiences is required. Each member of the team must strive to portray these behaviors and qualities throughout their duties. Moreover, team members must be able to appreciate that they are all different, but must work together for the success of the project. This will entail treating each other right and respecting each person’s views, beliefs and ideas. When working in a team, I believe that each member must play his role in ensuring that the other members have the right environment to work in. It is also important to enlighten them on how they can use their diversity to benefit the team. As a member, I would also ensure that I maintain communication with the rest of the team as it is the only way through which people can share ideas and also understand each other better. In doing so, it will also be helpful to the other party as he will be able to understand me better, thus reducing the possibility of conflicts arising during the course of our work. Finally, I can make other people to be better team players by listening to them and appreciating whatever skills or knowledge they have to offer. When an individual sees that he is valued in a team and his points and ideas are listened to, chances that he will be a better and useful member are high. This is because he will see himself as a key member to the activities of the group. Every person has something unique to offer and it is important to listen to them even if their ideas will not be used in making the final decisions. Key Professional Roles and Responsibilities for a Modern ICT Professional ICT is an industry that keeps growing from time to time. With this growth comes new roles and responsibilities for the professionals in this field. ICT professionals are found in all employment levels and managerial ranks from the top management to new employees. This is due to the fact that it is key to the success of an organization. Apart from ensuring that the network infrastructure of a company and other computer related systems are functioning, IT professionals may also be team leaders in a project. Such individuals must have technical, leadership, financial and ethical skills, which are key in the success and completion of a project. Almost all the departments in an organization require the services of an IT professional (Schwalbe, 2013). This group of employees ensures that a company’s data is safe and secure and that effective communication is taking place. They also provide avenues through which an organization can be in touch with other stakeholders (Schwalbe, 2013). This diversity, in terms of roles, will for sure affect my future work. This is because when I get the opportunity to handle certain duties at work, I will have to interact and work with other ICT professionals who also have different roles and responsibilities. I will, therefore, have to collaborate and work closely with them in order to meet my targets. PART B A Small Tech Business One of the studies I found to be very helpful was one on small tech businesses. It is normally rare to find people looking into the small tech businesses, which at times receive little attention until they grow and become big enterprises. This study enlightened me on the various challenges as well as success factors that such businesses experience and how entrepreneurs and IT professionals can transform the challenges into success. Among the challenges identified were credibility issues, financial constraints, rapid growth, offshoring and lack of resources. Despite all these, the businesses find a lot of satisfaction in winning their first customers and also going ahead to have a regular client base. Another section of this study that I found to be very helpful was the area that concentrated on what leaders and professionals in such enterprises need to do in order to ensure that they succeed. Before starting a business, one must first understand why he is doing it. Open mindedness and delegation of duties was also identified to contribute to success of these businesses and startups. It is also important to remember that the goal is to do business with individuals who believe in the company. Even though I have not thought of starting a small tech firm, I find the lessons from this study very helpful and applicable in almost all areas of practices. Lecture 2: Stakeholder Engagement This particular lecture talked about engaging various stakeholders during the course of professional practice and work. I have always known that working in any kind of field requires one to interact with different people and also engage different stakeholders. However, since the number of stakeholders may be high, it may at times be difficult to engage all of them. This lecture, therefore, provided a much needed insight into how this can be done. It enlightened me on how I can be able to interact with different people of different ages while also learning from previous experiences. It points out that one needs to be considerate of the input of others and treat them well when working together. This lecture further states that it is not good to always neglect the contribution of others just because one thinks he knows all. I find this lecture helpful considering the career path I would like to take. I choose to pursue IT as I want to use it to transform the lives of others in various areas. This may require the participation of several stakeholders and also working in teams. From what was taught in this lecture, I will be able to develop the right skills needed to be able to engage stakeholders and work with them in achieving my goals and objectives. Lecture 10: Legal issues in IT Prior to undertaking the PIIT Unit, I had very little knowledge on the relationship which exist between the field of law and IT. These two areas appear to be very much different and one may assume that they are not related in any way. However, Lecture 10 on the legal issues in IT changed my perspective on this topic. Among those areas identified were negotiation plans, insurance covers and trade-offs. However, the section I found to be very important and of interest to me was on the IT contracts.IT contracts, just like any other project agreement, have several legal issues and implications. This is because they are enforceable in the court of law. As an IT professional who may be working with different stakeholders in a project in future, it will be important for me to have this knowledge before getting into such contracts. Several legal issues need to be addressed in contracts and this lecture provides a foundation which allows for understanding of the related issues and the implications they have. As a professional, one may end up dealing with customers who seek the IT services. These customers have their own rights that are provided for by various regulations and legal frameworks. As such, it is important to recognize the rights in order to be able to deal with any legal issue or challenges that may arise in the course of duty or project. When on has this knowledge, it easy to avoid practices that may result in litigations and payment of damages in future. Field Services Group: ICT in a developing country/NGO context Just like in developed countries, the developing nations have embraced and incorporated IT into their practices. However, there are some challenges that continue to be experienced which impact negatively on the success of those companies using such technologies. This study on the use of ICT in an NGO in the developing world provided a clear picture on the state of the field in these areas. Among the things identified to affect the use of IT include the size of the organization, organizational overheads, different expectations on ICT infrastructure and staffing problems. Some of these problems may also be encountered in the developed nations. They must however be dealt with in time and effectively. This study and undertaking was in line with my career goals and aspirations. As indicated earlier, I got into the field of IT to be able to transform lives through various ICT solutions that are available. This study talked about World Vision and how it continues to transform lives especially in the developing countries. The organization has heavily relied on IT to be able to connect with its various stakeholders in different locations. This connectivity is key to its success. This study therefore gave me an idea and example on how IT is used in change lives by NGOs in developing countries. Reference List Schwalbe, K 2013, Information Technology Project Management, Cengage Learning, Boston. Read More