The Power of Vulnerability | Brene Brown | TED Talks

Brene Browns work is my latest obsession. While not directly related to education it is about connection. Connections however are essential for learning. I really enjoy Brene and her take on shame and vulnerability. Take some time to watch her TedTalks.

Infographic for GIFT: Group Instructional Feedback Technique

I recently made my first infographic. I chose to develop one to outline and summarize the Group Instructional Feedback Technique. It was a digital feedback assignment for the PIDP 3260 Professional Practice course I'm just wrapping up. I'm proud of how well my first attempt at an inforgraphic turned out. I'm sad to see the course end but now it is time to get busy and finish my final capstone project! https://infograph.venngage.com/p/54658/gift-group-instructional-feedback-technique_1_1

My Journey Through The Provincial Instructors Diploma Program:

During my first few months of teaching I received a very nice compliment from my Department Head. She told me, “I was a natural instructor and doing a wonderful job with my students”. She however, suggested I would be an even better instructor once I have completed my PID. I could not have agreed with her more. Unfortunately, in my department there is no real training or guidelines for new instructors to follow. I was given a class to teach with a skeleton like curriculum; it had no substance or direction. I realized as an instructor I needed to develop my own support materials and my own brand of instruction. I remember thinking to myself, “fake it until you make it”.  It became very clear to me I needed instructor training.

            So I enrolled in the PIDP 3100 Foundations in Adult Education course online. The course introduced me to many learning theories and models, the core of adult education. After a lot of reading and many papers I began to have an understanding foundations of adult education. The course created a hunger for more knowledge and I couldn’t wait to take my next course. As a full-time instructor and a part-time hair stylist I struggled to find time to take course or an intake that worked with my schedule. One year after taking my first course I enrolled in and completed PIDP 3210 Curriculum Development course. This course brought me a great understanding of how to create curriculum documents and actually read the curriculum documents that I had encountered in the Hair Design Department. The 3210 course was really a turning point in my thinking and understanding of all things instructional. I began to really get it.  Again, I couldn’t wait to take the rest of the PIDP courses.

            One year later I realized that I had not taken any further PIDP courses. I had been teaching back to back, putting my professional development time and holiday time on hold.  Suddenly there was a short fall of work in the department and I had plenty of banked time to be utilized for professional development. In 2015, I enrolled and completed PIDP 3220 Delivery of Instruction, PIDP 3230 Evaluation of Learning, PIDP 3240 Media Enhanced Learning, PIDP 3250 Instructional Strategies, and soon to be completed PIDP 3260 Professional Practice.  It has been a busy and incredible journey, one that has shaped and developed my career as in instructor beyond belief. I have grown and improved my instructional abilities in so many ways.

            I have learned how to create an inclusive classroom, where I can not only welcome everyone but also find ways to help everyone learn in a way that works for them. I have learned to put the students at center stage in their learning. I believe students must take ownership and responsibility for their own learning.  To me the most important thing I’ve learned and now become my mantra is “there is no such thing as a bad student, just a student that has not been engaged or challenged in the right way”. Since taken the PIDP program I have found myself trying really hard to reach the students who are struggling in the program. Most importantly, I have realized I now have the tools to help them.  I really credit the PIDP for developing, refining, and preparing me for my teaching career.

Reflecting on Chapter One: Experiencing Teaching from The Skillful Teacher By Stephen D. Brookfiel

As I’ve mentioned previously, I simply adored The Skillful Teacher by Stephen D. Brookfield.  The book provides a lot of perspective and teaching concepts but most importantly they were supported by the authors personal teaching experiences.  While I enjoyed the entire book I’d have to say Chapter one grabbed me and reeled me in.  I was hooked on this book from the first chapter forward.

Chapter one filled me with a sense of relief, as I was not the only instructor who felt like an imposter as they fumbled through their first days as an educator.  As an instructor we are assumed to be an expert who can present a lesson with enthusiasm while pleasing the audience and keeping them all engaged. To be a clumsy amateur incapable of gaining the classes attention or respect is simply not welcomed. Yet, when we first start teaching or presenting a new course for the first time it is quite common for things to not be seamless, or one of our best performances.  Chapter one helped me to realize I was not alone in my early teaching career with feelings of anxiety and shortcomings.

Additionally, chapter one firmly reminds us that as educators we can never possibly be ready for everything that transpires in today’s classroom. What may work or be of use to one type of student will be completely irrelevant to another.  Stephen D. Brookfield (2015) states, “ It seems to me that classrooms can be thought of as arenas of confusion where teachers are struggling gladiators of ambiguity. Just when we think we have anticipated every eventuality, something unexpected happens that elicits new responses and causes us to question our assumptions of good practice”. (p-7). To me this was a powerful and accurate statement that defines the daily struggle we can face as instructors in the ever-changing classroom environment.

Now that I’ve nearly completed PIDP 3260 and have finished all the other program courses I can safely say this book was my favorite. I will definitely be keeping it on my office bookshelf.

References

Brookfield, S. (2015). The skillful teacher: on technique, trust, and responsiveness in the classroom (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers

The Importance of Lifelong Learning:

Many times in my life I have taken courses or seminars only to encounter an instructor who seemed out of touch with what is going on in the real world. I remember one such course where even the instructor seemed bored and unengaged with the lesson he was presenting.  It is absolutely essential that educators stay up to date with current teaching styles/concepts and technology. Furthermore, instructors that teach trades should go back out into their industry to work periodically.  This will aid in keeping the instructor abreast with current trends and skills in their field. When instructors spend years in the classroom they can lose sight of what is really going on in the industry and become an educator with no relevance to the real world.

Fortunately many schools, colleges, and universities encourage faculty to develop themselves by offering release time as well as funds for higher learning. Nowadays a common way of thinking is the idea that we are “lifelong learners”, a concept many instructors instill in their students.  It seem only fitting the educators would also be lifelong learners.  I’m a firm believer that life itself is one big learning lesson and that we do not stop learning until we pass on. Today’s learners do a great deal of research before and during a course, they know their stuff and they know what they want to learn. In order for an instructor to be able to provide their learners with a meaningful experience, an instructor must remain up to date with area in which they teach.

As an instructor I believe in taking courses regularly and pushing myself out of my comfort zone. Recently, I applied to do my Masters of Education, a graduate program that will largely focus on curriculum and instructional strategies. In addition, I work out in the field one day a week so I can prevent skill erosion and share industry trends with my students. What do you do to keep learning and remain current?

Infographic of Infographics

Working on my first ever info graphic for the PIDP 3260 Professional Practice course.  This great little video posted in the course for us to review is just excellent. Take a look and you will learn why info-graphics are so effective!

Susan Cain: The power of introverts

Susan Cain, Oh Susan Cain. How I love thee. If you follow my blog or have attended a class with me you have probably heard about how great I think Susan is. When I first left my position in the hair industry to be a full-time instructor I truly felt I knew it all. I thought I was so ready and poised to be a understanding, well-rounded instructor. I've always maintained that hair stylists simply must be socially extroverted. My first year of teaching I had a group of new hairdressing students, three who were shy, quiet, and yes introverted! How could this be? Why are they in this program? What are we going to do? I struggled along with them for the first six weeks, the whole time worrying about how they will make it in the hair industry. I attended a workshop at the college where I teach. In the workshop I raised my hand and said " I teach hair design here at the college. I have three extremely introverted students. They barely speak! I don't feel they belong in the program little lone the hair business! What shall I do?". The  facilitator gave me a side ways look of disgust. Right at that moment I knew I was about to learn a valuable lesson. I was right! Doug Mauger cued up a video. It was this Susan Cain Ted Talk that changed me forever. After the video Doug asked me " Well what do you think now?". Feeling embarrassed and like a simple fool I said "I have completely misunderstood and overlooked the value of these amazing thinkers, today that will change". To this day I think this was the single most important lesson I received as an instructor. The following week I went back to my class and saw my introverts with new eyes. I changed my approach to teaching them and they responded immediately. Rather then forcing them into interactions with clients I initiated all consultations and initial conversations with the salon clients. Prior to these interactions I instructed my introverted students to let me model how we communicate with clients, they were told to watch and listen, but to join in if/when they felt comfortable. This worked! To my surprise going that extra mile gave them the confidence to use their voices. I will forever be grateful for my introduction to Susan Cain. Introverts are so valuable and some of my favorite people. In fact I found out I'm a lot more introverted then I could have ever imagined. As educators we owe it to our learners to gain the insight we need to effectively help everyone in our classroom!

Creative way for Lecture by Funny Professor

This is a classic! A funny way to demonstrate a creative lecture.

Lectures

Lecturing Creatively, Stephen D. Brookfield The Skillful Teacher

I thoroughly enjoyed chapter six in Stephen D. Brookfield’s must read book The Skillful Teacher (2015). In the past, I have spent considerable time researching the future of lecturing. Is it dead or dying? Where is it headed? Research has told me somewhat of a mixed bag; some think lecturing is dead, while some of us think it is simply evolving. Personally, I think lecturing is heading into new territory, a thought echoed by Brookfield in his book. According to Brookfield (2015) there are five common reasons why lectures are considered valuable:

1)   To establish the broad outline of a body of material.

2)   To explain, with frequent examples, concepts that learners struggle to understand.

3)   To introduce alternative perspectives and interpretations.

4)   To model intellectual attitudes and behaviors you.

5)   To encourage learner’s interest in a topic. (p.71-72).

I feel these five reasons are a good general outline of the importance of lecturing in the classroom. Some things simply cannot be communicated effectively without verbal communication.  Today thanks to things like technology and educators with a great awareness of the diverse learners in their classrooms lectures are receiving a new look. More and more, we understand how to appeal to all types of learning styles. I personally find lecturing an excellent time to share stories and experiences from my 24 years in the field. Many of my students have told me they love hearing my experiences from the real world and they have enjoyed the scenarios of have acted out. I believe lectures can create the relevance of learning the course material. However it can easily create the reverse effect and bore today’s student.  Lecture’s to today must be engaging, contain multiple modalities, and be very related to the outcomes of the course.  I believe being creative and constantly changing up lecture content and delivery keeps it worthwhile for all. As an instructor I could not stand to do the same lecture the same way every time and I certainly feel my students would agree.  My personal goal is to keep my lectures in a constant state of creative evolution so I can facilitate learning and keep my learners engaged. Wish me luck!

References

Brookfield, S. (2015). The skillful teacher: on technique, trust, and responsiveness in the classroom (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers

Responding to Students’ Resistance to Learning, Stephen D. Brookfield

Chapter Seventeen in Review:

            As I near the end of  reading Stephen D. Brookfield’s The Skillful Teacher I find myself thinking about the resistance to learning that students so often present when learning new concepts. Firstly, I’m a big believer in creating what I call “buy-in” in the classroom. If students do not see any relevance to what course content is being  presented in the classroom they tend to develop resistance to the material. Secondly, if multiple instructional methods are not used to present course material an instructor will fail to meet the needs of today’s diverse learners in the classroom.

            In order to avoid creating resistance in students’ educators must be careful not to favor one particular teaching style, but rather offer various approaches to the delivery of instruction. According to Stephen D. Brookfield (2015),

“Teachers who work in ways that support only a limited range of learning preferences can pretty much guarantee for themselves a degree of resistance from those whose learning habits differ. So one Clear principle of effective college teaching is to strive to use a variety of different instructional approaches.”(p-231).

In my time as an instructor I have found that multiple strategies were essential in the classroom. When I present course content in multiple modalities I see many more ‘light bulb” and “aha” moments from the students. This moments are the moments in which resistance goes down and the importance of learning is realized.

            Another key concept Brookfield focuses on in chapter seventeen is the importance of creating the motivation that students require to learn. Educators need to demonstrate to students why then need to learn course material and how it will be useful in the “real world”.  Brookfield (2015) maintain

            “As teachers we see clearly the value of learning and we all to easily assume

            students can see this too. The reason that certain understandings or skills 

            are important is so obvious to us that we may feel they need minimal

            justification. Nothing could be further from the truth.  You should never be

            too proud to say why in your view it’s important to learn something”.         (p-234).

I couldn’t agree with this statement more, I have spend a great deal of time during my lessons stressing the importance of learning specific key concepts.  It is integral that students  “buy into” the importance of material that instructors deem to be critical. As instructors we must not only relate the important material to real world application but also demonstrate or model the essential material/skill.  As I’ve said before Brookfield’s The Skillful Teacher is an essential read for all educators.

References

Brookfield, S. (2015). The skillful teacher: on technique, trust, and responsiveness in the classroom (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers

1099EDN Understanding Learner Diversity

Food for thought! #DiverseLearners

Changing Education Paradigms

Sir Ken Robinson is one of my all time favorite "educational gurus". This is an adaptation of a talk from a few years ago, however the issues and concerns is discusses are still relevant. Take a look.

How To Create Infographics (The Ultra-Simple & Easy Way)

A great little info graphic tutorial I thought I'd share. I know my fellow 3260 classmates may utilize this.

Strategies for Teaching Culturally Diverse Students

This is short but great. I really like the format. Perhaps I will do something like this for my digital project coming up in PID 3260

Where Am I at Proffesionally? PIDP 3260

I'm presently in my sixth year as an full-time adult educator. Prior to my full-time teaching career I taught part-time for hair product companies, as well I acted as an in house educator in my own salon.  Since joining the Faculty of Hair Design at VCC I have been actively working on my Provincial Instructors Diploma.

As I have nearly completed the PID Program I'm currently in the process of applying to do my Masters Of Education at Simon Fraser University. This graduate program will focus on current issues, practices, theories, and policies in curriculum and instruction. The graduate program is two years in length and part-time. This will enable me to continue teaching while I'm studying. This program was designed specifically for those who work in the realm of post-secondary education. Upon completing my M.Ed I will focus on upgrading my current hairdressing skills. I do fear that focusing my time on the academic side of things could lead to skill erosion. In order to be effective as an instructor of a trade I believe you must have excellent and relevant skills that reflect current practices in the industry.

In the future, I would like to take some workshops in the following areas: Conflict Resolution, Cultural Sensitivity, and Educational Leadership. Although, I thoroughly enjoy educating and sharing my experience in the hair design program I have further aspirations. I hope to one day try my hand at being a Department Head, and possibly the role of Dean. But for now I'm very content to teach hairdressing and work on my M.Ed.

Teaching in Diverse Classrooms, PID 3260

Anyone who reads my blog knows I have immensely enjoyed reading The Skillful Teacher by Stephen D. Brookfield. Chapter Eight centers on teaching and working within a diverse learning environment, something I can attest to as can most educators nowadays, I'm sure. I personally love the diversity at the VCC and especially in my program. The Hair Design Program at VCC has a large international student body in addition to many new immigrants from all around the world.  I enjoyed chapter eight as it focused on gauging the diversity in your classroom, team teaching, mixing modalities and student groups, and preferred forms of communication in the diverse classroom.

Team teaching is not really possible in my department; I do however rely on pairing and grouping my students so they can help each other in their learning. According to Stephen D. Brookfield (2015), "Teachers faced with students who exhibit wide variations in their academic readiness, racial and cultural identities, motivation for learning, learning preferences, and temperaments sooner or later face the choice of how to group such individuals to accomplish specific learning tasks."(p.103).  Personally, I couldn't agree with this statement more and I would be providing my learners a great disservice if I did not utilize pairings or groups that would aid in collaborative learning.

Due to a high percentage of my classroom being ESL it is most effective to find the commonalities of learners within a short period time when starting a new class.  If there are communication barriers that can be dealt with by pairing a classmate with the same languages it is then done.  Though it can be positive for students to be paired with a classmate when both languages are not common. I find when I pair/group people with commonality early in the program and when working on absolutely essential concepts the students learn with a lot less anxiety.

Stephen D. Brookfield (2015) maintains, "Grouping students together who share common curricular interest, or who are at the same ability level, allows them to learn without having to accommodate interests that are not their own or to be asked to work in ways that are too slow or fast for them".(p.103). Alternately, I love to use pairs/groups of students from different backgrounds and learning styles when I'm working on creative work and client relation/salon business material. When the students work on client relation material it is an excellent chance for them to learn from each other’s cultures and experiences. Business and Professional conduct is different around the world. During these interactions domestic students can gain insight to other cultures whilst helping international learners to understand North American “norms” in professional settings.

Naturally, the Hair Design Program centers on creativity and expression! The diverse classroom is the perfect environment for all to gain insight in to looks and influences from around the globe. I love seeing students come up with interesting looks and styles that relate back to the many cultures that are collaborating in my classroom. Chapter Eight provided me some assurance that I'm moving in the right direction with my diverse group of learners, and it also provided insight into areas I may need to address or develop further. Love this book! 

References

Brookfield, S. (2015). The skillful teacher: on technique, trust, and responsiveness in the classroom (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

The Core Assumptions of Skillful Teaching, Stephen D. Brookflield.

I've said it before and shall say it again, I really am enjoying reading Stephen D. Brookfields The Skillful Teacher (2015). In general this book has made me realize I'm not alone with certain struggles that instructors face regularly. I really enjoy the way the author injects so many personal accounts, it creates such a relation to the real practice of instruction. Definitely not a dry, dull textbook for sure!

Chapter Two: The Core Assumptions of Skillful Teaching (Brookfield,2015,p.15) is packed full of food for thought as one reads the four assumptions. Personally I find the assumptions to be good guidelines to best instructional practices. But they really are just that, general guidelines that may or may not work for all students and/or situations. A teaching technique or activity that works for one student could completely confuse or upset an other. But again the assumptions provide a excellent framework for good instructional practices.

My favorite of the four assumptions was number three. "Teachers Need a Constant Awareness of How Students Are Experiencing Their Learning and Perceiving Teachers' Actions",(p.22). I couldn't agree with this more and truly wish all instructors would take the time and effort to be in-tuned with their learners. If an instructor is aware of their students experiences and struggles they can truly do their best to improve their instruction and focus in on the needs of each student. More then that an overall ability to "read the room" or "know your crowd" is an essential element in the classroom. If you are aware and present with your students you should be able to intuitively see what isn't working or needs to change right there in the moment. In example, an early morning class on a dark rainy day. Your students are half asleep and not engaged. Do you continue with your lesson as planned? You know you have what you think is a great day planned. However, if your students are not truly with you there is little chance they will absorb or fully comprehend what you are about to present.  I would detect this overall sense of sleepiness in the room and pull out a trick. Perhaps and icebreaker or game. Maybe some group work activities that gets the students up and moving around, naturally keeping it related to the course. You get the picture? As instructors we have to be so unbelievably adaptable, at any moment circumstances can change right in your room.

All in all the assumptions are very true, the ideal guideline to keeping our instruction authentic and of value to our students. However nothing is written in stone and all rules can be broken.  I really suggest all of you instructors out there grab a copy of this book. I truly have enjoyed it and find it valuable.

                                                               References

Brookfield, S. (2015). The skillful teacher: on technique, trust, and responsiveness in the classroom (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers

The 5 principles of highly effective teachers: Pierre Pirard at TEDxGhent

A former CEO turned teacher.  In his presentation Pierre Pirard first outlines the similarities between being a CEO and a teacher. Leadership  came across as one of the most important commonalities to me. I enjoyed and agree with the principles of highly effective teachers he outlined in his talk. My favorite was the notion "if you make sure your students know that you believe in them and their abilities they will soon believe it too". So very true in my opinion. Watch  and share what you get out of this TEDTalk.

Do Schools Kill Creativity? | Sir Ken Robinson | TED Talks

Okay just one more Sir Ken Robinson TED Talk. As a creative person who happens to be an instructor students that tend to be creative I just love this talk! Do you think schools kill creativity? I sadly have to say that many aspects of them do. Please watch an share your thoughts!#3260

Ken Robinson: How to escape education's death valley

Sir Ken Robinson is one of my favorite educational gurus. While reading Stephen D. Brookfields The Skillful Teacher for the PIDP 3260 course I kept thinking about various TED Talks I've watched by Ken. He has an incredible philosophy about education, what is important in education, and what we need to change. Learners are diverse, shouldn't education be the same?

School of Instructor Education at Vancouver Community College

School of Instructor Education at Vancouver Community College

Presently I'm enrolled in the School of Instructor Education at Vancouver Community College. It is an amazing program that focuses on the various competencies required to be an excellent educator of adults. I highly recommend this program to anyone who teaches. I have learned so many valuable skills and techniques for my career as an instructor. Take some time to learn more about the program on the website: http://www.vcc.ca/programscourses/program-areas/program-highlights/sie/?utm_source=website-redirect&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=deptSite

Also follow the School of Instructor Education Facebook page, it is a active community full of resources. It is a valuable tool used my students and faculty alike.
https://www.facebook.com/VCCSchoolOfInstructorEducation?fref=nf

Classmate Blogs for PID 3260 Professional Practice

As part of the 3260 Professional Practice  Course one of our assignments is to create a blog, a educational journal of sorts. It is a great way to share what you have learned as well as create an archive of your educational journey through the Provincial Instructors Diploma Program. Below are links to the blogs of fellow classmates, I thoroughly enjoyed reading their blogs. Sharing and collaborating is an immensely valuable tool. .https://mikaelvolke.wordpress.com/

https://pidp3206professionalpractice.wordpress.com/

https://debralynn73.wordpress.com/

http://audraspielman.weebly.com/pidp-3260---professional-practice.html

https://chiefengagementofficer.wordpress.com/

Christopher Emdin: Teach teachers how to create magic

While reading the Skillful Teacher by Stephen D. Brookfield I was grabbed by statement he referred to as one of the "important truths" of teaching.  Brookfield (2015) states, "I will always feel like an impostor and will never lose the sense of amazement I feel when people treat me as if I have something valuable to offer", (p.9). When I read this I instantly thought to myself. This is exactly how often feel after a really good afternoon in the classroom. I believe a good teacher should be engaging, demonstrate the relevance of the course material, and deliver their lessons in a student centered manor. Basically, as educators are required to be wizards of the educational realm. It is essential we create magic in the four walls of our classrooms. While watching my daily dose of Ted Talks, I stumbled across this thought provoking talk from Christopher Emdin. He to believes teachers must learn to create magic. A magical experience in the classroom almost always creates valuable lessons that make a lasting impression with learners.

The Skillful Teacher by Stephen D. Brookfield

Have you ever loved a required text for a course? I have to be honest many times I find myself disengaged and dreading some of the books I've been required to read over the years. Currently I'm a few chapters in to The Skillful Teacher by Stephen D. Brookfield. It is a required text for the 3260 Professional Practise course I"m taking at VCC. I have read a lot of books during this program and this is by far my favorite. I really enjoy the authors usage of personal account is teaching. I highly recommend this book to anyone that teaches. Below is a link and description of the third and current edition of this great book. http://ca.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118450299.html

Just starting PID 3260 Professional Practice

Hello! I am Gary Franceschini!  I instruct Hair Design at the Vancouver Community College (VCC) downtown campus.  As well recognized hair industry professional with twenty four years experience it inspired me to starting sharing my talents, techniques and passion! I wanted to share with aspiring individuals that desire work in my industry.  My six year instruction tenure with VCC has been amazing!  Now I am giving back to the beauty industry and engaging new talent to get out there and make a name for themselves.

In addition to teaching, staying industry relevant by working in a salon I also have time to enjoy many hobbies, passions, and interests. I am very active with animal rescue, particularly with that of unwanted exotic birds. Another hobby is interior design and decorating for a variety of holidays, especially Christmas. My talent for seasonal decorating has developed into a small business offering professional Christmas tree decorating.  This new endeavor's true reward is the joy and happiness it brings to my clients.

Naturally, education is a huge interest of mine!  Once my Provincial Instructors Diploma Program (PIDP) is complete, I will target my next goal to achieve a Masters in Education (M. Ed.) with Simon Fraser University for the April intake.

I am returning to my blog after a gorgeous summer which has keep me away since April.  I am now nearing the end of my of PIDP courses. 3260 looks like a great course, one that will pull from all the other PIDP courses and bring it all together. So far, I am in love with the textbook and will post about it later. I am confident that 3260 will help me reflect and strengthen my personal teaching philosophy.

I look forward to interacting with my classmates and instructor online in the coming weeks. Good luck with the course everyone!

Daphne Koller: What we're learning from online education

One of my favorite Ted Talks. I love her vision. What do you think?

More pedagogic change in 10 years than last 1000 years: Donald Clark at ...

Edublogs is a must follow on Twitter.

@edublogs is an amazing resource of Twitter. It is my favorite resource for staying up to date on all things education, check their tweets daily.  Give them a follow today!  https://twitter.com/edublogs 
 

A must follow RSS Feed

Check out this excellent RSS Feed that I follow. http://www.techlearning.com/rss I also frequent the Tech&Learning Webpage. http://www.techlearning.com/default.aspx

Wrapping up 3240 Media Enhanced Learning

As I mentioned before here on my blog I'm currently working on my Provincial Instructors Diploma. This week I'm finishing up the 3240 Media Enhanced Learning course. It has been a great course! I have learned a lot and connected with some great people. Naturally I choose the Social Media option in the course, anyone who knows me is aware of my love of Twitter and Facebook. In addition to social media all students in 3240 were asked to create a blog. For the most part the blogs focus on education and technology. I thought I would share some of them here as they are great! jkellypidp.wordpress.com https://mjbickley.wordpress.com/ http://pidp3240joe.weebly.com/ http://adriannadonaldson.weebly.com/blog Great job everyone. I still have a lot to learn about blogging.

A great wiki about the Flipped Classroom

https://blended-classrooms.wikispaces.com/The+Flipped+Classroom

Twitter For Connecting Educators - The TeacherCast Broadcasting Network (Audio) (podcast)

Twitter For Connecting Educators - The TeacherCast Broadcasting Network (Audio) (podcast)

Check out the 2015 Top Trends in Education Technology

I love staying up with the latest trends in education! This is a great read. http://www.inc.com/aaron-skonnard/5-top-trends-in-education-technology-2015.html

Is your classroom student centered?

Here is a great little article on some simple ways to make your classroom learner/student centered. http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2013/12/24/ctq_powell_strengths.html

Life Long Learners

Have you heard of Life Long Learning? I believe we are all Life Long Learners to some extent. I've always said " we don't stop learning until the day we die". I truly hope this is the case, life without learning would be pretty dull and inhibit growth as a human being. Here is a great link to an article that will help you to be and stay a Life Long Learner. <a href=" http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/15-steps-to-cultivate-lifelong-learning.html Also take the time to watch this 20 minute Ted Talk by Ben Dunlap, he tells the story of how a Hungarian Holocaust survivor taught him to be a life long learner who has a passion for life.

 http://www.ted.com/talk/ben_dunlap_talks_about_a_passionate_life?language=en

This blog is licensed via Creative Commons

The Hair Instructor's Blog by Gary Franceschini is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://hairinstructorsblog.blogspot.ca/.

Creative Commons Explained

 This is an excellent video that outlines all you need to know about Creative Commons. Why not post and share in a legal manner online!

https://vimeo.com/13248511

Technology is amazing! Robotics in Education

 While searching for more knowledge about using technology in education I stumbled across this article. The robotic technology being used likely doesn't translate to my field, or at least at this time but this is amazing! Follow the link and see how the robotic doll is helping in the field of speech and language therapy.



http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2015/apr/15/how-technology-is-changing-speech-and-language-therapy?CMP=share_btn_tw

Instagram!!!!!

 I have to admit I love Instagram for all my personal hobbies and interests, I could spend hours on this app. Recently I realized my students love and use Instagram even more then their instructor. My students frequently post their work from class on this popular Social Media tool with many hashtags. There is such opportunity for learning and connecting here. Read the article I've shared below and give Instagram a try in your classroom.



http://dailygenius.com/why-and-how-schools-should-be-using-instagram/

A valuable link for those wishing to implement Social Media in the classroom

This link is an excellent resource for any educator who if looking for ways to implement Social Media into the classroom. We all talk about using it but often do not know where to start. I found this link and many articles so useful. Good luck. Thank you Gino Bondi for putting together such a great resource.

http://www.scoop.it/t/education-technology-by-gino-bondihttp://www.scoop.it/t/education-technology-by-gino-bondi

A great little read about Social Media in the Classroom by Robert Kennedy

Using Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest to Promote Your School

Updated August 16, 2014 | by Robert Kennedy

Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email Share on print More Sharing Services 19

Social media is an effective marketing tool for your school. Here are some suggestions for using Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest.

I can remember when many schools raised their collective eyebrows at social media a few years ago. You could almost hearing them saying under their breath "Over my dead body!" That was probably because few people back then understood social media and what to do with it.

The way we used to market schools

Decades ago your beautiful school brochures and catalogs were the way you got the word out about your school and its mission. Those printed materials were expensive and time-consuming to produce. But that's all we had. Then along came the Internet. Schools built Web sites. Pretty basic ones at first. But as the technology advanced and professional graphic designers got their hands on those school Web sites, the result was a product just as elegant and compelling as any of those brochures and catalogs we used to have lithographed. While most schools still produce brochures and catalogs, most of these are done in house.

It seemed that you had barely got your Web site tweaked to dazzling perfection, replete with online applications, inquiries, video tours and all the bells and whistles 21st century Web designers could cram into them, when along came Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Pinterest. Social media was suddenly socially acceptable. Not only was it acceptable but it was absolutely essential to include it as part of your marketing strategy.

Let's look at social media and see how best to use it to promote your school and its mission. As I usually do, I am focusing on small to medium-sized schools with my advice. These schools tend to have limited marketing budgets and staff. I will show you how to make the most of social media within those constraints.

Facebook

A picture is worth a thousand words. Essentially you need to post pictures to grab your readers' interest. Facebook followers scan posts. A great photo draws them in to read your copy and hopefully 'like' it and share it. Remember: absorbing information from the Internet is like drinking from a fire hydrant these days. There's just so much of it. We scan. We only read in depth when something catches our eye. So put a great picture in your Facebook posts. Then link to the in depth content preferably elsewhere on your Web site.

I curate Private School Review and Boarding School Review's Facebook sites. I have learned that posting regularly and at the same time every day is another effective way to build readership. I also follow, or 'like' in Facebook terms, hundreds of private schools. Sharing their posts enhances the relationship. But more than that, it allows me to see what the schools are posting and how they promote themselves. Honestly I get the impression that most school postings are random, hit or miss affairs. That approach to Facebook posts is not as effective as targeted posts scheduled to appear in an organized manner.

A member of the school's marketing or public affairs staff should be in charge of Facebook posts to ensure that they are on message, properly written and effective. A systematic approach to Facebook posts doesn't mean that you can't post an exciting, newsy item spontaneously. Far from it. Post those newsy items in real time. They will stand out like the true headlines they are. A systematic approach to your Facebook posts means that you stay on message and project the image of your school in the best possible light.

Don't forget to include hashtags in your Facebook posts. Facebook has allowed us to use hashtags since June 2013. What's a hashtag? It is a link consisting of a short phrase or keywords preceding by the # or hash sign. Here's an example for our fictitious St. Swithin's Country Day School. #StSwithins  Add this hashtag to your Facebook post. Place it at the end of your post. One more thing to remember about hashtags: keep your hashtags short. 10-15 characters are effective. Use letters. Don't use spaces. Don't use more than three hashtags in a row. For example with our St. Swithin's hashtag, it would be smart to include the school's location, like this:  #StSwithins  #Philadelphia For a more detailed explanation of hashtags and how to use them, see Hashtags.org

This video gives you some tips on how to use hashtags in your Facebook posts.

YouTube

Establish a channel on YouTube for your school. Folks will subscribe to it. From all over the world. Assign the job of curating your YouTube channel to one of your marketing professionals. Create content which is a mix of professional and semi-professional video clips produced in house. Your admissions materials such as tours of the school and student testimonials need to be professionally produced. Why? Because that's how you attract potential applicants. Put your best foot forward and showcase everything that is wonderful about your school. Clips of sporting events, musicals and school events will benefit from a less formal production. These clips will create a more newsy, spontaneous, real-time viewer experience.

Break up potentially long videos into smaller clips. 5 x 5 minute clips are better than one long 25 minute video which will lose your audience after 5 minutes anyway. Cater to short attention spans.

Within your channel develop secondary channels devoted to the activities which occur every day. For example, develop channels for sports, arts, academics and clubs. The possibilities are endless. Just make sure a professional establishes a structure so that your content is easy to find and view.

YouTube has supported hashtags since November 2013. This short video explains how to use hashtags in YouTube.

Pinterest

My rule of thumb is to use Twitter for real-time, newsy bursts of text. Facebook is ideal for an in depth exploration of your school and its community. YouTube offers a window into all the exciting activities your school offers. Pinterest allows you to create a photo album about your school. Once again make sure that a professional organizes your content on Pinterest. You can create collections of beautiful photographs and group them in any way you choose. Pinterest offers a very sophisticated way of showcasing your school and community.

Pinterest supports hashtags. This video explains how to use hashtags on Pinterest.

So there it is. Social media is a very effective tool in your small to medium-sized school's marketing strategy. It will not break the bank either. Not sure where should you begin? Start with Facebook. Get comfortable with posting there and seeing what works for your school. Then add YouTube and finally Pinterest.

Additional Resources [+]

Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email Share on print More Sharing Services 19

Enroll in our mini-course:

"Quick Guide to Private Schools!"

Name:

Email:

We respect your email privacy

PREVIOUS ARTICLE

Making Social Media Work for Your School

NEXT ARTICLE

Marketing the Small Private School: The First Steps

Recent Articles

Facebook Page Essentials

Updated April 15, 2015

Small private schools often feel that they cannot afford to market their schools. Facebook is free. Here is how to use it effectively.

Attributes Which Make Military Schools Special

What are the attributes which make 21st century military schools so special? We find out in this article.

Don't Forget These Admissions Deadlines

Getting into a private school is a time-consuming process. We look at the various deadlines involved.

More Articles
Choosing a Private School, Paying For It, Getting into Private School, High School Issues, Why Private School

Enroll  in our free mini-course:

"Quick Guide to Private Schools!"

Name:

Email:

What is Creative Commons you ask?

Creative Commons is used to legally download and share content online. It is a way to license your work to be shared in the manner you intend it to be distributed online, as well as a way to credit the creator of content you share. The following video is what created an "aha" moment for me, it really outlines the need and uses for Creative Commons. Take a look: http://creativecommons.org/videos/creative-commons-kiwi
Here is another link that is a useful resource for Creative Commons, http://creativecommons.org/about
I also found the answers to a lot of questions I had about Creative Commons here: https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/what-is-creative-commons-5-frequently-asked-questions

School of Instructor Education at Vancouver Community College

Presently I'm enrolled in the School of Instructor Education at Vancouver Community College. It is an amazing program that focuses on the various competencies required to be an excellent educator of adults. I highly recommend this program to anyone who teaches. I have learned so many valuable skills and techniques for my career as an instructor. Take some time to learn more about the program on the website: http://www.vcc.ca/programscourses/program-areas/program-highlights/sie/?utm_source=website-redirect&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=deptSite 
Also follow the School of Instructor Education Facebook page, it is a active community full of resources. https://www.facebook.com/VCCSchoolOfInstructorEducation?fref=nf

The Brain is just amzing........

This is a great Ted Talk. While it is 20 minutes in length it is well worth watching. The power of the brain will never cease to amaze me. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GigYWy2UmOY

Cyberbullying Teachers?

Wow! An interesting little read. I'm sure we have only seen the beginning of teachers being cyber-bullied. Educators must be so cautious online.  http://motherboard.vice.com/read/kids-are-cyberbullying-their-teachers