This is the second post in response to question prompts in Seth Godin's Freelancer Course, found on Udemy. Please feel free to comment or include your answers to these questions in the comment section.
Who do you want to change? People who think they can't. Can't change. Can't understand. Can't find value. Right now, my scope is limited to education. Given the right lens, I think that could be expanded.
How do you want to change them? Prove that technology isn't scary. That it has value. That is can be and needs to be used in the classroom. If for no other reason than to get students to ask questions, and feel comfortable searching for the answer. I want to encourage different thinking. Show examples. Connect others.
All of this is difficult because I am not in the classroom now. I've debated on whether I should go back to school so I can have that classroom experience. If I could guarantee that I would be like the great educators I follow and read about, I think I would. I'm not sure I'm brave enough right now.
How much risk are you willing to put at stake to make the change you seek? At this moment, I would have to say not much. I have a job I enjoy that allows me to do most of these things, and I am still learning new things regularly. However, there is a bit of a shadow looming personally and professionally and I, in all my Type A splendor, need prepare myself for more risk. At the moment, I am willing to risk other commitments and free time in order to connect with those people and companies who are thinking about the industry in new ways. As the shadow gets closer, I need to be willing to risk more financially, and step a bit further out of my comfort zone.
How much work are you willing to do? When it's interesting, it's not work. In the short term, networking, listening and learning is the unstructured "work" that I need to do to really discover the needs and determine how I fit. I'm lucky that my company allows me to attend conferences and doesn't mind my affinity for education-related Twitter chats. The proliferation of education-related webinars, MOOCs and other learning opportunities allow me to learn on my time and at my own pace. In the future, it is likely that I will need an advanced degree to prop up my Journalism degree.
Does this project matter enough for the risk and effort you are putting in to it? It's my future. Understanding what will make me engaged and excited. What will make me one of those mythical creatures who wakes up eager to get to work. Does this matter? Yes.
Is it possible? Has anyone with your resources ever pulled off anything like this? Individuals and companies do it every day.
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