WEEK 4 (mentoring)

Feb 7, 2014

I had my second meeting with Dr. Value on Friday morning. Prior to this meeting I had prepared a summary of the features and pricing that 4 applications offer for website designing. I emailed this summary to Dr. Value so she can have a look at it and start thinking about which one she would like to use. I also prepared myself on how to create the websites using those tools. Because I have this very fixed belief that I need to know everything in order to guide my mentee in her process of learning and adopting a technology innovation, I had spent quite a lot of time last week learning about as much as possible about the website applications.

Minutes before my meeting with my mentee I received a lot of email messages in which Dr. Value and other members of the SIG were discussing about the project we are going to work on. At first, I was really happy that we had the support from some of the SIG members. However, I then felt shocked to start getting messages back and forth about the ideas for the website. And it was even more shocking to read in one of then that I was "the expert". I felt this huge responsibility on my shoulders that I need to be perfect so other people feel supported by "my expertise". I know that I do not know as much as I wish. But I thought that this was going to be ( and is!) my great chance to learn even more and I am so enthusiast about it. Besides, it will give me the chance to know other people in other areas of study as well.

At the meeting my mentee was so nice and friendly and she talked to me about the message she has been sending and receiving about our project. I saw her enthusiasm and relaxing attitude that I started to feel at ease as well. (probably my level of adrenaline lowered enormously, ha-ha). At the meeting we discussed the pros and cons of the applications. We navigated through the features of the first two applications and discussed how and what information will be posted. As it was predicted by the experience of the mentoring program, an issue arose and I did not know how to solve it!!
It was not a complicated situation: my mentee switched her idea of a website for information purposes to a website with option to log in and become a member!. I had prepared myself for everything, except that! However, I acknowledged that I did not know if that could be possible with the tools we were looking at in that moment.

My mentee was very supportive and understanding about the fact that I needed to check that information first. I actually felt fine to say "I don't". I believe that rather than pretending to know something, it is always better to say that I need time to check information or that simply I don't know. Dr. Value told me that it was fine and I could figure that out for our next meeting meanwhile we could have a look at the other features of the applications. Then, I cleared my mind, relaxed and started looking for information about the login part. Successfully, I found information about it, and guess what? It can actually be possible to do the login/membership option with one of the applications we were thinking to choose. So we both felt happy that we could find that information quick so made the decision about which tool to use for designing the SIG website. We decided to use WIX.

Then we started to have a look at other websites and have an idea for the design. As we advanced in our ideas about the features and design, we realized that there are certain features in WIX that can be done at an extra cost. In that moment Dr. Value emailed her colleagues in the SIG group asking for
opinions about how to go about the cost.

I have this pleasing feeling that even though we did not end up doing what I had planned, we had a great progress. We:
* chose the application
* have a rough idea of what features we want the website have
* consulted the SIG group about payment
* set up a meeting for next week to start work
* prepared an agenda of work next week:
   - buy the Pro version of WIX
   - start the design
* prepared an agenda of work for the whole project
   - first, work on SIG website
   - then, work on the design of the newsletter
   - next, work on links for AERA and other professional sites.

It is even better than what I had planned!!

This is going to be a great experience and I am so looking forward to it, and to find more issues so I can learn more how to solve them. And the most important things:
* support my mentee and help her on her way to integrating technology in her work
* support my classmates with the things that I learn on my way to creating this project.