Weekly Insight 4

              Though we did not meet for class, I still learned a lot of information on wikispaces and the article on Constructivist Counseling for Career Indecision.  I would like to focus on the positive aspects and importance in online education today.  In addition to learning more about wikispaces, I liked Savickas’ (1995) article. In particular, the points about career decision making as a subjective experience.

Although I agree with most students from class in their opposition to wikispaces, I am also intrigued by learning something new in technology.  In today’s society, technology is an integral part of education.  For example, last year during back to school night, my son (who was in second grade), showed me how to use an iPad. I suppose students probably had the same opposition when programs similar to D2L came out for online learning.  While face-to-face communication is favored because it is easier to understand and read another person, online communication is faster more readily available.  Sometime juggling schedules and “meet times” with multiple students is more difficult.

            The part of the article I agreed with most was Savickas’ (1995) paragraph on indecision as a subjective experience. In particular, the constructivist point of view. “From the constructivist perspective, counselors do not operationally define career indecision as a list of decision-making difficulties. Instead, constructivist counselors view career indecision as a sign of transformation in progress (Cochran, 1991). From this perspective, indecision is part of the normal experience that occurs when people are about to lose their place.” (Savickas, 1995, p. 365) I could relate to this in my life the most because I have had periods of “losing my place,” but in retrospect, it was an important part of me finding the career I am most passionate about.  I disagree most with the section of the article describing indecision as a dichotomy.  In particular, “The view that indecision reflects immaturity, or worse psychopathology, led counselors to concentrate their efforts on curing the underlying causes of career indecision.” (Savickas, 1995, p. 364) The way this section reads makes it seem as though, if an individual does not have a career choice by a certain time, there must be something wrong with them. As if they have some sort of disease. I think this point of view is ludicrous and a counselor coming from this approach can hinder a person from making a positive career decision.  From a client perspective, I would feel as though the counselor looked at me as an outcast. 
            I may be overly judgmental on parts of this article because I am looking at it subjectively, but putting someone into a group and classifying them as a whole does not seem as though it would be effective in counseling. In addition to being ineffective, it seems a bit stereotypical as well.

Savickas, M. L. (1995).  Constructivist Counseling for Career Indecision.  The Career      Development Quarterly, 43(4), 363-373.