SMART Goal Setting

In order to help you set and meet your individual goals, we are going to look at protocol for goal setting that professionals use. The idea is to set smart goals that you can accomplish. So why do we call them SMART goals? Take a minute right now and think about each letter in the word SMART: S-M-A-R-T. What word might each letter stand for that would help you set and meet goals? Try and figure out at least one and leave your inference as a comment.

SMART goal indicators

• S - Simple - keep your goals directly related to the task at hand. Use your backwards plans.
• M - Measurable - your goal should show growth with demonstrable evidence.
  
• A - Achievable - your goal should be something that you can accomplish with effort.
• R - Realistic - no amount of effort or hard work can overcome an unrealistic goal.
• T - Time Table - your goal should have a deadline.

After looking at some examples of student goals, which can be found on any of the student blogs, you have to re-assess your own goals and see if they are SMART goals. If you feel that your goals aren't smart or are missing any of the indicators you can use the following template to help you set or re-set your goals.

SMART Goal template

By next blank blankI will blank blank blankand I will know I achieved blank blank blankbecause blank blank.

Does your 4th weekly goal include all the information that the SMART template provides? Everyone can practice using the template by restating your 4th weekly goal using the template and add it as a comment to your original post.

Searching For An Expert

By now everyone should have developed a list of questions and an introduction you would like to ask an expert in your project area. But how do we find experts? While there are some experts in the school that you can contact, everyone in here can start searching for an outside expert to ask for help and briefly interview with your questions. In fact, one of the best ways to gain new knowledge is to interview a person. That way, they share their knowledge in their own words, which means they are putting that knowledge in their own words from their perspective. This is a higher order of thinking that just giving you a list of facts and/or advice.

To start your expert search, you should begin by searching locally in Brooklyn and New York City in general for people with careers related to your field. For example, Mariah might search for chefs, television, New York

Let's look up the results that pop up and see if we can find contact info like an email address for Mariah.

Now that you've seen it's possible, spend some time trying different combinations of keywords in Google and see if you can find as many contacts to email your interview questions. Send me an email at the end of the period with all the contacts your are able to discover. Include the person or business's name, email address, and area of expertise.

Goal Reflection #2 and Goal Setting #3

Well, today it should be pretty clear that when you set your mind to something, you can achieve it. Before you reflect on last weeks goals and set new ones to move your project forward, consider what President-elect Barack Obama has achieved. It is a historic moment for America.

Think about Obama's path to becoming the next President of the United States. What goals do you think he set for himself? What was the most challenging one and how do you think he met that goal? Leave a comment below.

Your individual project should seem a little easier today, considering what Obama achieved yesterday after years (maybe decades) of hard work. Now you need to reflect on last week's goals and set new goals for yourself. Tomorrow you must present written or physical evidence that you met your most recent goals. Please follow the protocol for goal setting:

• Go to your project blog and leave a comment on last week's goal setting post reflecting on whether or not you achieved your goals.
  
• If you met your goals, please clearly explain how and what evidence you will show me tomorrow.
• If you did not meet your goals, clearly explain why you did not and what roadblocks impeded your progress. At this point, you must also answer the question "How will failure to meet my own goals affect me in life?"
• Post a NEW entry on your goals for next Tuesday, November 11th with the title GOALS #3.