Minister of Education for the Kingdom of Bahrain, HE Dr. Majid bin Ali Al Nuaimi outlines what must change. Continue reading
Monthly Archives: October 2010
Global Achievement Gap-Seismic Shift
The current educational buzz surrounds the success in Finland. Jaana Palojarvi, Director for International Relations of the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture credits a “culture of trust in education professionals” as being a key component. Continue reading
Global Achievement Gap-Attitudes and Myths
In order to even begin the discussion a few “educational myths” need to be exposed. Continue reading
Global Achievement Gap-Understanding the Situation
Amidst the scathing indictments of our current educational system there is much that is positive. Changes are being made at local levels. In fact as Charles Leadbeater,
Roundtables and discussion groups exchange and explore perspectives
consultant for innovation in education in the United Kingdom suggests, “Education + Skill training + technology = Hope.”
Educators must however realize that: “Most innovation comes from collaboration. Most effective learning occurs as a result of collaboration. Our current system of education can’t deliver the necessary outcomes with the current teachers and techniques that are in place.”
Systemic transformation will only occur when new attitudes and delivery techniques are universally used to address the needs of the workplace and the motivations of what is now being described as the “Net Generation.”
The current generation of learners is very different from their teachers. They are accustomed to instant gratification. The “always on” connection has resulted in a physical re-wiring of their brains.
They use the web for extending friendships, interest driven learning, self-directed inquiry and view the Internet as a tool for self-expression.
They are constantly connected, creating and multitasking in a multimedia world everywhere except school. Young people aged 8-18 spend 7 hrs and 38 minutes a day using electronic devices. If you factor in multitasking that time increases to 13 hours.
They have less fear than their predecessors. They have less respect for authority and want coaching or mentoring not lecturing. They want and need to “make a difference.”
In order to truly transform education, educators must reframe everything to address the needs of the world and its learners.
Global Achievement Gap-Assessment
Schools at all levels around the world fail to prepare students for the workplace.
This was the clear message from business, government and education leaders of 50 nations participating in the Bahrain 2010 Global Education Conference. The global achievement gap between what industry expects and what education delivers is not caused by a lack of content but of context and practical application.
The basic problem stems from the fact that educational institutions mistakenly interpret rigor as adding more difficult coursework not demanding mastery of existing content at all levels. They are also mired in an archaic assembly line system that fails to deal with the requirements of a knowledge-based economy that is agile, pull oriented, media rich and increasingly accessible.
The result is both business and students are unhappy. Fewer jobs require a 4-year degree but more technical skill. Mobility has increased and students at all levels feel increasingly unprepared to meet the challenges of a 21st century workplace. Continue reading
Put the Big Rocks in First
Managing your workflow in a pressure packed digital environment doesn’t have to be as difficult as herding cats in a windstorm. Most problems occur due to a lack of planning, failure to understand the process and keeping an eye on the “end game.”
Here are some very basic steps that work and can make the difference between meeting and failing to meet a deadline. Continue reading
Hiring Manager Deal Breakers
So what really is a deal breaker when you or your students apply for a job? I know many of you will disagree, but the reality is astonishing. Here is a summation of an article from Caitlin Malden of Career Builder.Com.
The full text of the article can be found here: http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-2320-Job-Search-10-Hiring-…
1. Using social media speak during an interview.
2. Having an unprofessional online personal brand or posting personal content that is in poor taste.
3. Any written content that displays below par writing and grammar skills.
4. Complaining about prior companies in online forums
5. Bringing up salary in the initial interview.
6. Speaking about scheduling limitations or prospective reasons to leave a position.
7. Acting impolitely or speaking down to any person in the office.
8. Saying that dealing with people is your biggest challenge/weakness.
9. Consistently answering questions other than those asked.
10. Having immature cell pone ring backs.
11. Not knowing what job or company you are applying for.
12. Lying on a resume.
13. Arrogance.
14. Spelling mistakes on a resume.
15. Inappropriate attire.
Golden Rules of Social Media
Social media has become a free form means of delivering personal messages that take many forms. Posts range from useful to vitriolic. It would seem there should be some generally accepted Rules for Social Media. OK so it’s a bit presumptuous of me, but here are some suggestions I picked up from Social Media Consultant Aliza Sherman. Take them for what they are worth.
Respect the Spirit of the Net. It was meant for communication and connection to people and information.
Listen. It will give you a sense of what people are saying and feeling. It will also help you map your social media footprint.
Add Value. Always ask yourself: How is this providing value to the conversation? To the community?
Respond. A quick response is more important than ever. Don’t be a dam in a conversation flow.
Do Good Things. Perpetuate social responsibility in all you do.
Share the Wealth. If you’ve got it, share it, spread it around. Sharing is the rule of a conversation engine.
Give Kudos. Nothing is wrong with self promotion but things really take off when you give others their moment in the spotlight.
Don’t Spam. I just don’t have the time, tolerance or bandwidth to deal with it.
Be Real. Be yourself. You’ll have far better and more long-lasting positive results than if you try to be something you are not.
Collaborate. Social media tools are just that….tools. The real power is people. We are the media.
Who Are You Anyway
As we each learn how to be citizen journalists maybe we should think about who we are and what our journalistic personality or motivation might me.
Here are some descriptive words to consider. Are you an:
Aggregator – Someone who collects information from other people or an Analyst who interprets what others say and do?
Perhaps you are an Activist – someone who believes in and promotes a cause or an Agitator – someone who creates and fuels controversy for some political or personal agenda.
Maybe Adviser – someone who recommends a course of action or perhaps an Observer – I ran out of words that start with “A.”
Understand who you are and your motivation then be yourself. You are your greatest asset.
Media professionals assume multiple roles either consciously or unconsciously based on what we believe others want us to be. It is far more important to embrace who we are and understand what motivates us in order to effectively sell ourselves to a discerning audience.
Video Tips and Tricks
People always seem to make the same mistakes when shooting video.
•Making a subject appear as if they are in the witness protection plan because the background is too bright.
•Positioning a person in such a way it looks like a tree is growing out of his/her head.
•Shooting boring shots of buildings with no action.
•Placing a subject in front of a background that is the same color as their clothing.
We’ve all seen them so why do they keep happening? Here are a few tips to help you shoot better video. Continue reading
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