EVERYONE NEEDS SOME "ROAD" WORK

Driving an automobile is an everyday activity for many of us, and as Audy Viloria(G3) states, it can be taken for granted. A Driving Personality Makeover can prevent us from taking such a crucial task as driving for granted, as Michelle Ota(G1) puts it -- other peoples lives, as well as our own are in our hands while we are at the wheel. Being that driving can be both enjoyable at times and lethal at other times, we all need to examine our attitudes regarding this activity. Driving Personality Makeover is a step by step process to help you notice and accept all your driving flaws. The challenge here is recognizing YOUR flaws, Josephine Allens(G1) statement that so many people are quick to analyze others, and not so quick to analyze themselves is sad but oh so true. Upon the realization of this, you can then continue to use the driving personality makeover to reshape your driving personality in order to improve your driving skills. In order to be a good driver, I agree with Shane Akagi(G1) that one needs to take the responsibility for oneself as well as the others on the road.

I was able to find out that the concept of a Driving Personality Makeover can be applied to almost everyone who drives. Even those students who thought that they themselves were flawless drivers, found a flaw in their own driving personality upon more careful observation. For instance Angie Inouye(G3) thought herself to be a very safe driver, but upon careful inspection she noticed the one area that she needed to work on to make herself an even better driver: to quit smoking while driving. With such indirect causes of bad driving as smoking in mind, we drivers can ALL benefit from conducting a Driving Personality Makeover. By carrying out a Driving Personality Makeover we can all contribute to a more harmonious roadway.

I personally would conduct a Driving Personality Makeover -- in fact I think I am in desperate need of one. My driving habits are atrocious, especially in the temper department. Like Amy Lam(G3) I believe that I have all rights to the roads. Being that my tolerance for other drivers is very small, I know the main area I would work on when conducting one. An added benefit would be the greatly reduced stress level I would experience while driving.

To My Homepage

ROAD WORK IN PROGRESS

In order to attempt a Driving Personality Makeover Sherman Lee(G3) states 5 steps to follow: First of all you need to identify your negative behavior related to driving. This can be done by self-evaluation. A series of techniques may have to be used in order to accomplish this. As in the case of Nancee Aki(G2), she first tried the technique of mounting a cam corder on the dash of her car in order to film herself while driving. Nancee later found this technique to be very distracting rather than it being a helpful tool. As a result of the cam corders presence, Nancee paid less attention to the traffic and more on the camera -- a highly dangerous manuever! In the end , Nancee found the technique of writing down her own evaluation upon reaching her destination to be highly effective for her. However, if you are the type to admit your flaws less easily you can get another person to evaluate you while you drive. Self-evaluation may be a difficult task for you to perform, as it was for Soliman Valdez(G2), Soliman stated that he put a lot of thought into his evaluation of his driving flaws yet could come up with nothing. However, when Soliman took to the streets he was able to gain clarity of his problems. Therefore, in evaluating yourself you might find it more productive if you actually drove in the process. However, Todd Crawford(G1) evaluated his need for a Driving Personality Makeover just by considering it. It was so funny -- in the beginning of Todds report he felt that HE was the ideal driver, but after elaborating on some of his driving behaviors, he found himself to be in high need for a Driving Personality Makeover! In this step you may want to concentrate on specific negative actions you exhibit related to your worst driving flaw (for example tailgating, speeding...). Next you must find a reason(s) why you should change this behavior. This step is highly subjective. What will motivate one person may not do the same for another, so I suggest you pick your incentive on your own. According to Jason Nakasato(G2) the reward needs to be enough for a behavior change. Third, plan a method for changing. Using the incentive(s) that you have developed for yourself, plan out your intervals of positive reinforcement through rewards. Fourth, perform the method, (on the lighter side of things you might want to take a look at Soliman Valdezs(G2) entertaining suggestions to deter being tailgaited), and fifth modify this method as needed in order for your successful completion of the plan.

In attempting a Driving Personality Makeover the conditioning theory in psychology comes to mind. By getting positively reinforced through the receiving of rewards, you can learn to condition yourself to perform these more positive driving actions unconsciously. When you get to this point, rewards are no longer needed and a true makeover is achieved.

I feel that I have received adequate information in order to attempt a Driving Personality Makeover. However I am somewhat hesitant of my ability to be successful at it. For a short term change, I am positive of attaining -- but a long term change will have yet to be seen. I feel this way because I have read other generations and their confrontations with resistance. I do expect people to show resistance to a Driving Personality Makeover. The concept of the "Yertle the Turtle Syndrome" brought up by Sherman Lee(G3) states that you believe that you own the road, therefor whoever drives on it should drive according to your standards, scared me. I think I, myself might be affected by this very syndrome -- can you imagine how many others are affected by it? There may be countless numbers... I found one interesting theory brought up by Amy Lam(G3), it states that selfishness is innate, and without training in sharing and caring for others, we as humans are basically selfish creatures. If this is the case, ALL HUMANS are in dire need of training in sharing and caring -- one such technique relating to driving is that of conducting a Driving Personality Makeover. Another might be to take Dr. James class, because according to Claudia Kaneshiro(G1), she observed positive changes in her driving behavior upon taking Dr. James class. Claudia claims that she is now more aware of how she is driving -- she looks in the rear view mirror more often and is leaving her winward home at an earlier time to prevent rushing. Hats off to both Claudia and Dr. James!!!!

THE END OF THE ROAD

Upon using the online generational curriculum in traffic psychology I first felt a great deal of hesitance. I did not know what I was doing or exactly what I was looking for. Like Artemio Baxa II(G3a), I myself was highly computer illiterate -- I, also tried to look confident while operating the computer but was SCREAMING WITH TERROR AND FRUSTRATION in the privacy of my own mind. But with time and practice I found this activity to be very stimulating. It was enjoyable for me to go through the process of finding the information that was to be obtained from previous generations. I delighted in the viewing of the many creatively done homepages, as well as the various perspectives of different individuals who have been where I am now. This provided me with hope for my future computer endeavors. And to think that I, like Dalybeth Kadala(G3a) had no intension of considering such a class as this -- but fortunately we found that we were DESTINED to enroll in such a computer class! Being that this is not a regular psychology course, I felt more in control of my progress. The more I practiced the more I progressed, the more I progressed the less fearful I became, just as Grant Muranaka(G3a) states familiarity diminishes fears! Also, I did not have to listen to too many boring lectures as regular psychology classes sometimes consist of. Besides these advantages, disadvantages were encountered. Such disadvantages included, having to go in and out of files to find the specific report I was searching for. This was a guessing procedure a lot of the time, and it was very time consuming and frustrating at times. I feel that future generations can make this curriculum easier to use by providing the general topics and subtopics covered for all reports in their directory. Another disadvantage is that the reporter isn't readily available to answer questions about their report, as compared to an instructor lecturing on a given topic.

I was surprised that such a curriculum as the Generational Curriculum existed, being that I was computer illiterate. However, I found it to be much more interesting than attending lectures. It also provided me with the ability to learn from mistakes made from the past generations, as well as build on their findings. It seems to me that with the passing of each generation it will be inevitable that improvement of this curriculum will take place. Learning in this manner is very beneficial for those students studying computer skills because computer technology is always advancing and ever-changing, therefor no instructor alone could efficiently and thoroughly teach such a course. Taking and receiving knowledge gathered from other students as well as the instructor is a highly reciprocal relationship, therefor I find it beneficial and am glad to be a part of it. I agree with Sondra Blakes(G3a) thoughts in that this generational curriculum program is ground-breaking, and I too feel priviledged in being one of the first to participate in it.

I predict that this Generational Curriculum approach to teaching would work with high school students taking computer courses, especially those wishing to learn the latest computer capabilities and skills. In a few years this Generational Curriculum will be better and more efficient than ever. With the participation of college students, high school students(hopefully) as well as whoever else is interested in contributing to the future generations will encompass a wide range of experiences and interpretations regarding their computer endeavors -- failures as well as successes. Being that computers are destined to be part of our future as well as our childrens future, I, like Rudolph Dolfo(G3a) feel that this type of class should be required for all students so that they can be better equipped to more confidently face their future. And with confidence and capabilities success is not too far behind!!

Any Feedback On My Report? E-Mail Me!

Go To The Top

Back To My Homepage

Go To Instructor's Homepage--Dr.Leon James