Nigel Coutts: Value the Process “beauty of unfinished work”

There is a danger in seeking finished perfection in all that we do.

There is a risk that our students will focus solely on the attributes that define  a finished piece and overlook the importance of the process that leads to it. With a shift in our mindset we might be able to celebrate this process and encourage our students to value the learning that occurs along the way.

Guernica by Pablo Picasso
 – http://www.all-art.org/art_20th_century/picasso11.html

Carol Dweck’s writing on Mindsets

Source: thelearnersway.net

Nigel Coutts, the author of this insightful article, quotes Picasso, ”  ‘Woe to you the day it is said that you are finished! To finish a work? To finish a picture? What nonsense! To finish it means to be through with it, to kill it, to rid it of its soul – to give it its final blow…” 

This aligns with my feeling about summative evaluation… aka grades.  If you want to terminate the process, grade the product. 

My students create an e-portfolio as they complete classes in our program. Will ‘grading’ an e-portfolio halt the process?  I certainly hope not. Instead, I strive to help them see the evaluation process as feedback to prompt an ongoing process that continues throughout the E-Learning Certificate Program and beyond. 

Why is MIT ignorning 25 years of reseach into online learning? | Tony Bates

Tony Bates: “In my previous post, there were two sessions at the LINC 2013 conference that referred specifically to MIT’s own strategies for technology-enabled learning within MIT. These resulted in my asking the following question towards the end of the conference:

Why is MIT ignoring 25 years of research into online learning and 100 years research into how students learn in its design of online courses? “

Source: www.tonybates.ca

It’s more complex that ‘nerds vs. educators’ but sometimes it does feel like the MOOC revolution is driven by the hardware & software with little regard for the hard won and deeply researched lessons learned since the days when online learning was considered the Devil’s stepchild.

Bate knows online learning as well as anyone on the planet. With the entrepreneur-tech-ed pundits listen?  Obviously not. 8-(

Sebastian Thrun: How many moocs can dance on the head of a pin?

It is less than a quarter of an hour’s drive down Route 101 from the village-like campus of Stanford University to Mountain View, the Silicon Valley home of Udacity. This was the journey Sebastian Thrun, the online education company’s chief

Source: www.ft.com

Sebastian Thrun is always worth the attention he garners. Interesting to watch a him wrestle with the realities of teaching and learning in the 21st century.  I’d love to see him go toe to toe with Tony Bates!  

e-Jobs: Master of Business Administration Online Adjunct Faculty – St. Thomas University

Requirements:

• Candidates for this position must hold the doctorate degree in management, or business discipline or closely related field, from a regionally accredited institution.
• Preference will be given to those candidates who have terminal credentials to teach in any of the following disciplines: International Business, Global Entrepreneurship, or Global Marketing. Additionally, candidates must have university teaching experience using technology to enhance instruction and have a history of working with diverse populations of adult learners.
• Professional field experience is highly desirable.

Experience using advanced technology in teaching and working with adult learners in various settings is essential.

Source: www.higheredjobs.com

Here’s a chance to jump into the adjunct pool.  Being in the pool means you’ll be considered for work if your skills fit the demands of the moment.  Revisit your application regularly to keep it fresh. Personal connections always help, but the ‘old fashioned’ direct application method can yield results if you have that unique skill mix needed to teach online. 

Goofy or Great? 3 blunders to avoid on LinkedIn

James Caan CBE: “Recruitment is my forte and I’ve spent the last decade looking at potential employee LinkedIn profiles. It’s from this thorough research that I’ve come to recognise some of the more common mistakes which are easy to make but even easier to avoid.”

Source: www.linkedin.com

James Caan offers excellent advice about LinkedIn profile photos, checking out competitors and personalizing connection requests.  All of this is common sense, but sometimes the obvious is hard to see when you are using social media.  First impressions are often the only impression you’ll make with your LinkedIn profile…if you are making one of the blunders described in this article. 

Litmos: The best of both worlds. Leveraging the benefits of blended learning.

Christopher Pappas: Blended learning for corporate training is not only cost effective, but it is also a more natural way to learn and work at the same time. In this article, I’ll reveal 7 top blended learning benefits for corporate training, so that you can empower employees to become active participants in your company’s success.

Source: www.litmos.com

To mix the ingredients of blended learning into the right training for your organization requires an understanding of both the elements of instruction and the benefits of the delivery method. 

This of this as vocabulary building. Once you have the words and concepts, you can think critically about your training needs. 

Tips To Use Blended Learning In Corporate Training – eLearning Industry

Blended learning offers the best of both worlds. Not only do you benefit from the implementation of synchronous learning, but also you have the chance to benefit from “go at your own pace” techniques that are part of asynchronous learning. However, if you want to take full advantage of blended learning, it’s a good idea to learn about the various blended learning models and how to utilize them.

Source: elearningindustry.com

Face to face training time is precious. Do you use it presenting the nuts and bolts of your training objectives or do you use it intensely applying the learning to the immediate needs of the job?  Blended learning solutions seek to leverage online delivery of fundamentals with the dynamics of face to face group work.  Is it right for your needs?