Health & Persuasion

So I’m in one of those mash-ups again… Weight, diet, persuasion, and health are all colliding in a mish mash of confusion and angst, leading to frustration and anger!  See what you think…

My wife recently got Jillian Michael’s book, “Master Your Metabolism” for me.  We are big fans of hers from the show (Biggest Loser) and like many people, I’ve wondered if metabolism wasn’t a potential problem for me over my lifetime.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not back up to 315 pounds like I was in college or anything!  I’m at my normal fighting weight – but I’d surely like to move down a belt or two.  And along the way, if I can eat a healthier diet and live longer (and therefore give my daughter a healthier life…), then I’m in!

Enter the problem.  This is the latest of a series of books I’ve read in the past 6 years since Keena got sick.  We looked at “The China Study” – a book (and author) which believes it proves the link between meat & dairy and a plethora of problems from cancer to Alzheimer’s.  We read “Eat to Live” where Dr. Fuhrman promotes a vegan lifestyle as a way to exist as the weight you should be, fix your cholesterol, and on and on.  And there have been plenty of others.  From gluten tolerance books to vegetarian books to chemicals…there are plenty of people with opinions about our world, our bodies, and our lifestyles.

So let me level set the playing field.  I actually buy into the notion that certain meats and amounts of total meat are problematic – this of course is compounded significantly by the idea of chemical enhancement like antibiotics, steroids, etc.  I also believe that dairy is a bad idea for humans.  As the only animal on the planet that consumes another animals milk AND the only mammal alive that continues drinking milk after begin weaned AND the fact that our bodies produce profuse amounts of mucous every single time we ingest dairy to cope with the notion that our bodies don’t like it…I get it.  We shouldn’t ingest milk!  (Try downing a gallon of milk in under 10 minutes and see how your body reacts…it will be very different than trying to down 1 gallon of water in the same time frame…)

So that is my paradigm – my over arching perception of food.  Along the way I’ve also come to believe that sleep is crucial when trying to maintain weight (Jillian supports this in her recent book), low carb / high fat is dangerous in the long term, and most importantly, everyone is different.  Our bodies all react to various things differently – for example, if I need to shed some pounds, eating after 8pm is a no-no.  I have seen books written by people who state that is nonsense.  But (in my opinion) assuming that every single variable applies equally to every single person is ludicrous.

So back to my dilemma.  Jillian Michael’s suggestions, sometimes supported and other times not as much, are tough.  “Of course they are tough!” you might suggest, especially if you’ve seen her on the show.  Well…there is a difference between tough and impossible.  A few examples might help.

1. Only eat organic fruits, veggies, and meats.  Okay – this is certainly possible for my family.  Although I have a number of friends for whom the double / triple prices would not be a feasible option.
2. Get rid of anything plastic that touches food.  Hmmm…now we’re starting to get hard.  I get the principle – she asserts that plastics are not completely stable and they slough chemicals into and onto foods / beverages.  Your body, not knowing that these chemicals aren’t from the body, assume they are signals and start to react.  These reactions may be to retain salt, retain water, or retain fat.  But replacing every plastic plate, plastic glass, plastic left-over container, not to mention all of the foods that arrive in plastics (did I mention she encourages very little of these foods to be purchased – mostly whole, natural foods)…now we’re starting to get into a major purchase mode.
3. Avoid all chemicals from touching / entering your system.  She would say that the stain-master carpet we just had installed in our new home has to go.  No more chemical detergents for dishes or laundry.  No more soaps or deodorants from the grocery store.  (Do you see why I’m starting to struggle here?)

Unfortunately, most of these suggestions aren’t supported by much data.  Although in fairness to Jillian, there aren’t a lot of people looking to see if correlates exist between our hormones and our environment.  DOW chemicals isn’t too worried about proving that their products are not only hurting the planet but slowly poisoning the human race – imagine that.  However, some of the persuasion she uses is just fallacious.

One example she uses repeatedly is a friend she has who has always been thin, while eating as much as she wants all the time.  She claims that this woman only eats whole foods, healthy grains, and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.  (I’m reminded of a great Brian Regan bit about how his friends suggested a diet of combinations.  You can eat as much as you want of the right combinations.  For example, you wouldn’t want to eat steak and potatoes…but you can have all the cauliflower and steamed raisin skins you can eat!)

The problem is that I also have a friend – one who is even older than Jillian and her friend – who still wears the same size jeans he did in high school.  He’s a rail.  And you know how he eats?  Like @$#* actually.  He’ll eat 1 or 2 HUGE meals a day, usually from a fast food chain and washed down by a power drink or soda.  But his body can handle what mine could not.  I realize that doesn’t mean he’s healthy.  Even though his cholesterol is normal and his heart is “strong” – it doesn’t mean he won’t keel over at 50.  But he might outlive us all…nobody knows.

So, like with many “health” books, people are left wondering where reality lies.  Is it in such an extreme diet and lifestyle that you can’t really fit into society, or should we all say, “forget it” and eat what we want, when we want, ultimately leading to obesity rates becoming 99%?  (Except for my friend…)

If you have lots of money…I’m talking LOTS of money, being healthy is definitely easier.  Healthy food is really costly.  Ripping out your carpets and installing wood flooring everywhere is not cheap.  Using the right soaps, only drinking non-dairy milks, buying organic everything…is expensive!  But for some people, healthy is harder than almost anything.  I work 70-80 hours per week between my job, my teaching, as a full time doctoral student – and that’s all on top of time spent with my family which is precious.  So, getting to a gym for exercise…I know how important it is, but if I do that (aside from the added expense), what do I cut out?  The job and the teaching can’t go or we can’t live.  The student work can’t go or I can’t get a promotion.  The family time is more important than anything else…hmmm. 

I realize that I’m in a MUCH better place than some.  Some people are working 2-3 jobs just to live and support their families – they don’t even get family time!  How do THEY be healthy?  I have no idea.  And what IS actually healthy?  I think everyone accepts the importance of exercise.  I think most people buy into a healthier diet.  But what is “healthier” anyway?  The research is hard to wade through, especially with so many special interest groups tainting the pool of information and rhetoric.  Try finding a study on dairy that doesn’t include a lit review with findings from milk-purchased studies.  And the jury is probably always going to be out on meat, but most people will eat it regardless of health risks.  Why?  Two reasons – they were raised that way and they like it.  (Both fallacies in reasoning.)  So don’t bother them with pesky facts…

In conclusion, I’ll say that I like Jillian Michaels.  Seriously – I think she means really well.  I watch her care deeply for her clients on the show and she does put her money where her mouth is.  (Notice she doesn’t “sell” the sugar-free gum, sugar-free jello, etc. during the commercials?)  But in the end, her book will find its way to my shelf with just a few nuggets having been gleaned and it’s a shame.  I’d love to find “the book” out there…but I guess that’s as unlikely as “the pill” – right?

Interested in how NOT to use persuasion?  Want to hear more about effective arguments versus fallacious reasoning?  Contact Jeff at jborden@jeffpresents.com for more info!

Perception Determines Reality

I’m funny.  At least I think so.  My daughter thinks I’m a hoot too.  Give me a nerf and a good head shot…she’s on the floor laughing.  But when my household is compared to a sitcom, my wife doesn’t think of me as the comic relief.  I’m not the star of the show.  After my daughter (of course), the spotlight falls on my wife.  At least that’s how she sees it.  If only she saw what everyone else does…that I’m hilarious in my own head!

I recently came across a journal article about employer perceptions of online degrees.  The first lesson I teach my speaking students is something we should all take note of.  Perception Determines Reality or PDR for short.  I’ve blogged about it before.  But it’s extremely true.  It doesn’t matter what IS true – it only matters what you BELIEVE to be true.  Heck, even in a court of law it doesn’t matter what you think – it only matters what you can get a jury or judge to believe to be true. 

So, the perceptions of employers is an important element to study.  Now, I know some practicing distance educators who would be annoyed if not outright angry at the thoughts and perceptions of this group.  I hear them at conferences making fun of people who don’t “get it” and how we’re really the enlightened ones.  I read blogs from the ivory tower that frustrate me for their lack of practicality and conventional wisdom. (Sigh)

I don’t buy into that though.  I think it’s my job as an educator, a policy maker, a businessman, and an online advocate to help mold the perceptions of others into what it should be!  Here are some highlights from the research article:

Throughout the empirical studies, as well as Carnevale’s (2005, 2007) popular media articles that cite empirical studies, potential employers gave the following reasons for their reticence in accepting online degree credentials: ·         lack of rigor, ·         lack of face-to-face interactions, ·         increased potential for academic dishonesty, ·         association with diploma mills, ·         concerns about online students’ true commitment evident from regularly venturing to a college or university physical location, considered by some to be an important part of the educational experience. On the other hand, some themes emerged from the empirical study literature and popular media supporting employer acceptance of online degree credentialing. Conditions that could influence online degree acceptance in the hiring process were: ·         name recognition/reputation of the degree-granting institution, ·         appropriate level and type of accreditation, ·         perception that online graduates were required to be more self-directed and disciplined, ·         candidates’ relevant work experiences, ·         and whether the online graduates were being considered for promotion within an organization or if they were vying for new positions elsewhere or in a new field.

As I look at that list, I’m not surprised.  Anyone who teaches online should have considered one or more of those points along the way.  I’ve had students actually complain to me because my class wasn’t as “easy as they thought it would be.”  Cheating in the online arena is probably the easiest target by doubters, even making its way into the Higher Education Reauthorization Act where schools are being required to “prove” that the student is who they say they are.  As frustrating as this mindset is (since there is no evidence that cheating happens more online than on-ground), it is still reality.

Likewise, the other issues are real perceptions too.  While I can (and do) debate them all the time, the findings aren’t surprising.  I was at a curriculum meeting for one of our big for-profit schools last year.  They brought in industry experts and outsiders to look at the curriculum for a specific program and makes recommendations, suggestions, etc.  The issue of online courses came up and the room got very excited!  Business owners and entrepreneurs were extremely concerned that the employees they would hire did not have any “real school” experience.  But, rather than feel frustrated or dejected, I tried to take that opportunity to share the value, rigor, and potential for online classes.  I became an “e-vangelist” for the event.

And that is the ultimate advice I would give here.  For some people, they will never believe an online education is possible.  Forget them for now – the closed minded don’t have a place at my table today – I’m too busy working with people who are willing to listen and learn.  While I have and continue to teach both online and face to face, I realize there are pros and cons to BOTH mediums.  But just because there are cons to F2F teaching doesn’t mean it should go away.  Likewise, online education has its place – a prominent place – in our educational future landscape.  I think that my job is to show the promise, the potential, and the real-world application available today in this format.  My job is make my perception your perception.  Then, together we’ll determine a reality that makes sense.

The last thing I’d mention about online courses and degrees is this.  There is no distinction made on a transcript for an online vs on-ground course.  (And there shouldn’t be.)  Just like there is no distinction made about the instructor’s credentials, how the student did vs their peers in the class, etc., there is no extra measure listed on a transcript.  So, at the end of the day the argument doesn’t really matter too much.  Just about every college student graduating by 2010 will have taken an online class.  It’s estimated that by 2020, half of K-12 education will be delivered via distance.  And nobody will know the difference…

Want to hear more about online learning?  Need some suggestions for creating a great online course, program, or curriculum?  Contact Jeff at jborden@jeffpresents.com for more information!

On Your Mark, Get Set…

Who was your first girlfriend or boyfriend?  (Becky Sanders…third grade…I cried when she left school to move to Utah…I was a ridiculously girlish little boy…)  Who was the first man on the moon?  Do you remember your first car?  What was your first job? 

Let’s try something harder.  What was the first thing you said to your last date?  What was the first image you showed during your last presentation or speech?  What was the first thing you had your class of students engage in last term?

Firsts are important to most people.  Most of us are sentimental enough to remember a list of firsts that are significant to us.  In academic terms, it’s called primacy.  People tend to remember the first part of a conversation, the first part of an event, or the first part of a class quite readily.  And, as this is of seeming importance to most of us, perhaps it’s time to revisit how to create a strong first impression on your students.

The beginning of a meeting, workshop, or session is crucial.  The start of the term, semester, quarter, or year is essential!  The first 30 seconds of an interview typically makes or breaks the ability to get hired.  The first 12 minutes of a date is the best predictor of a second date. 

So start paying attention to firsts!  Now that most of us are out of college, it’s time to lose the ball cap, put on some unwrinkled pants, and make a good first impression.  What’s your first PowerPoint slide?  What are the first words to come out of your mouth when giving a presentation?  (Please do NOT say, “I’m here to talk about…!!!”  That is the most BORING opener of all time!)  What is the first activity you’ll engage in with students?  What story do you have prepared for the first date?  What 10 questions are you ready with to help you seem less selfish?  And the list goes on.

We experience firsts every day.  How you treat them is important.  Strategy and purpose should be the order of the day.  A good joke can go a LONG way.  A great picture can set the tone immediately.  A powerful passage of music, video, or other media can be profound.  A purposeful smile and wink can assure.  A narrative that illustrates how competent you are or how transparent you’ll be can make the difference between a fair presenter and a fantastic presenter.  Immediacy can change the dynamic of a classroom entirely (for the better). 

So, as the old saying goes, you can’t make a second first impression!  Set yourself up for success early and you will have a much smoother, more productive, effective class, presentation, or interaction than if you try to create on the fly. 

Want to hear more about primacy?  Need some suggestions for making a better first impression?  Contact Jeff at jborden@jeffpresents.com for more information!

Innovation In Education

What is your favorite, dramatic, uplifting “school” movie?  Is it the one about the young teacher who goes into a group of underprivileged students and shows them how to learn in a way that’s meaningful to them?  Or maybe it’s the movie with the stranger who teaches students to use tools they didn’t know they had like dance, martial arts, or painting to find in-roads to learning.  Ok…so you probably realize that I just gave the basic plot for most every school-based drama in the past 100 years!

(Notice I said drama – while I enjoy the work of Belushi & Farley, those comedies are another blog – probably one about togas.  And movies about school sports don’t qualify this week either.  By the way, what’s the best school sports movie?  If you said Hoosiers, give yourself an A+)

So who is ready to fix education?  I know I am.  Unfortunately, I don’t get to waive my magic wand anytime soon.  But I strongly believe one road to fixing education is along the path of innovation.  Let’s start planting the seeds of creativity and innovation and see what springs up!

A Youth Movement: How many educators have been at it for more than 20 years?  Too many, right?  Whether it’s that high school biology teacher who taught you, your brother, AND your mom or the college professor who has had tenure longer than you’ve had a driver’s license, some teachers have been through enough changes to beat the fight out of anyone!  I’ll be the first to admit that MOST (not all) innovative ideas come out of youth.  You could argue it’s naivety, but often it’s that lack of “understanding” (read: cynicism) that is what propels someone forward down a path of originality. 

It’s hard for me to write this.  I’m not “young” anymore.  I stopped getting looks from teenage girls when I was still a teenager!  But I will admit as a new father, while I love the wisdom and security that comes with being an almost-40 dad, I sure would like a few less aches & pains and a bit more energy.  Our young teachers with ideas based on their RECENT experiences and new theories in educational thinking should be given a shot here.  Teachers who embrace technology, new ways of thinking about assessment, and who connect with students in a paradigm-breaking new way should be allowed to innovate within our educational walls. 

Old Dogs / New Tricks: But innovation isn’t just for the young.  While there may be less creativity and passion for change in seasoned veterans, that doesn’t mean we’re dead!  Some of the most innovative professors I meet are older than I am and loving the “revolution” (that’s what they call it) of technology based education.  They’re the ones who have longitudinal data to suggest ways to bridge major educational concepts like variance, curriculum integration, and collaboration. 

I will point out that much of this innovation can (and should) come from OUTSIDE the education community.  The ideas for new thought and creative process would often be best served by people who haven’t been indoctrinated already.  Disrupting Class is a great example here – some non-academics used business technology and assessment to identify areas of change and need in classrooms.  Brilliant.  Where else could education get a boost?  Imagine how scientists could change science curriculum to be more interesting and more practical?  What about a Chief Operations Officer teaching business process to Freshman?  (Andy…you know you should do this…)  Or what about professional speakers changing how communication is taught in public speaking classes? 

It’s time for a change.  This of course means it’s time to put our money where our mouth is.  Put out the call and have people compete for creative, innovative ideas with the goal being real money, real schools, and real kids.  And by all means don’t blow it with a judging committee of old school educators!  We’re talking about challenging the norms here!  We don’t need anyone with terminal PP (paradigm paralysis) clogging up the works.  While it will be important to monitor closely and I’m certainly not suggesting a blank check with no measures or objectives – but let’s not stop the process before it even starts.  Get a healthy mix of experts, radicals, conservatives, parents, students, and non-educator types to help pick a winner. 

Let’s jump start a new paradigm in teaching.  Can you imagine 1 of these programs per state?  Let’s say that 10% work (although I’d bet on more than that).  Now we have 5 strong models to look at for adoption in other areas.  If we had this contest every year, we’d eventually have a generation of learners having been touched by some form of innovation. 

And now that I have a 2 year old…I want her to get the results of that innovation.  Here’s to a world of change Addie girl.  I hope we can embrace it for you.

Want to hear more about online education?  Interested in real solutions to cheating and plagiarism?  Contact Jeff at jborden@jeffpresents.com for more information!

The Future of Social Networking

So a few weeks back (pre-Christmas) I wrote about what the “future” of education might be, with a dash of iPod wishing thrown in for good measure!  (I’m still waiting for my email from Steve Jobs…)  But, I got a number of emails regarding this vision of things to come, asking about my take on other stuff. I must admit, creating the vision of the future is fun…mental gymnastics as it may be, but fun all the same. One of the requests surrounded social networks. You know, Web 2.0 stuff.

I genuinely like talking about Web 2.0.  I realize for some it’s already old news, but in the education circles I work with, it’s pretty high tech.  (If we can only get teachers to see that Web 2.0 is SO much bigger than wikis and blogs…)  But the power and flexibility the tools offer is pretty impressive.  I like that they offer new opportunities for learners to take more control of their learning and access their own customized information, resources, tools and services.  I think it’s great that they encourage a wider range of expressive capability.  How great that they help facilitate more collaborative ways of working, community creation, dialogue and knowledge sharing.  And ultimately, I appreciate social networking tools ability to furnish a setting for learner achievements to attract an authentic audience.

So what will these tools look like in the future?  Well, I think the Open Source movement will help pave some of the way.  First, I would be surprised if the tools we use today don’t talk to each other, allowing us to have multiple tools sharing content and alerts with each other.  Websites like Ning are starting to get towards this notion, but instead of the feeds all coming from the same website, they would all talk together.  Essentially, you’d have a page of widgets that held all of your good stuff! 

Second, these interoperable talking points would be smarter.  It would become easier to share them in all the appropriate spots.  For example, if I were to write a killer book (or Kindle) review of “Disrupting Class” (which I will do soon…) on my blog, that would be great for the 500 or 1000 people who read it.  BUT, wouldn’t it serve everyone better if it were on Amazon’s site?  My subscription to Twitter could be used to tell me where to check the full articles and my wiki might get picked up on Digg where it would do more good for the collective!

Lastly, (I know that there will be a lot more cool stuff than three things, but I’m pacing myself…) I would bet that these networks talking to each other would will be even more useful as the mobile world explodes.  You can already see the impact as the iPhone’s apps and Windows Mobile stream more and more rss elements.  But imagine this:  I’m a blogger who writes a blog about how I love ice cream.  I also happen to have a GPS phone that sends me my daily reads from Fark while telling my friends on Loopt where I am and what I’m doing.  But, since my coffee blog was tagged by Web 3.0 (the Semantic Web), it’s now associating me with ice cream.   So one day I’m walking down 16^th Street Mall in Denver when I get a text message.  It’s a buy one get one free coupon for the new ice cream shoppe that just went in about a block away.  Will I use it?  Of course I will!!!  Will I thank technology for the great coupon and introduction?  Of course I will!!!  Will I enjoy their delicious vanilla based ice cream with peanut butter ribbon, fudge ribbon, peanut butter candy, and chocolate chunks?  What do you think?  (You’re welcome Ben & Jerry…can you call it PB & Jeff?)

Want to hear more about the future of technology?  Want to tie it to education, productivity, or industry for your group?  Contact jborden@jeffpresents.com immediately!

New YouTube videos!

I’ve come across some more great vids on the YouTube site.  I hope you all watched Ken Robinson, Randy Pausch, and the Kettering videos I suggested lat year.  For ’09, take a look at these cool finds!  (Remember, they may not stay up for long!!!)

• The Smart Table: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_FRmYXtneQ - what a cool concept to start kids learning new technology early!  I know my daughter will likely not use a conventional keyboard like I do, but it’s so hard to wrap your brain around until you see stuff like this!
• The Paradox of Choice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO6XEQIsCoM - An older TedTalks video that shows how bad too much choice is.  Our assumptions have been potentially wrong all this time!
• The Human Animal (4 of 6): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YozGxV0qVMU - I have used this video in my communication class before and I was thrilled to see it on YouTube.  It’s particularly educational to watch how the magazine editors help the model look more youthful, more sexual, and more appealing with computers…(you can replace educational with disgusting as well…)
• Life In A Cell: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ukPD4G5eSw - Harvard’s Biovision is a fantastic journey into a cell.  What a great tool for educators.
• Zack Kim playing Mario: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZpD0btOZx8 - pure fun – this video is quite frankly, amazing.  This kid’s fingers move beyond that of a normal human!

Welcome 2009!

It’s a new year!  2009 looks to offer some hope along with some challenges.  We’ll see what direction our new President takes us in the upcoming months (after the 6 month grace period) – hopefully it will mean great things for the economy, real estate, but most important to my world…education!  If you’re looking for a book to ring in the New Year, you should check out “Disrupting Class” – it’s getting all the press at the conferences these days!

A colleague recently described Clayton Christensen’s work as “business analysis of education…not the same old academic research, but a fresh perspective from another industry.”  I thought that was a good way to describe what D.C. provides.  It’s a series of analysis and suggestions from the corporate paradigm as applied to education.  It really is quite interesting.  Like all books, it has some hits and some misses, but overall, it’s a valuable read!

 

If reading a new book was your New Year’s resolution, then good luck!  I revamped an old one…juggling.  (I missed my 2007 target, so I refurbished it in ’09).  Wish me luck!

Jeff

 

If you are looking for a dynamic, engaging, and enjoyable speaker for almost any occasion, contact Jeff at jborden@jeffpresents.com!

Things every teacher should know…

There are some things that I think every teacher should know.  I realize that most professors were never given any educational training, the assumption being that if they know their subject matter well enough to get an M.A. or PhD, they can teach.  Unfortunately, that’s one of the big problems with higher ed (in my opinion).  One of my best friends is an amazing juggler.  There is NO way he could teach anyone how to do it – he’s start them with an axe, a saw, and a bowling ball.  It would go down hill from there!  Good teachers know teaching principles – they know learning theory, brain research, and they apply it.  The following 7 things are concepts that I hope every teacher knows.  Even if you don’t know the technical name – it’s important to know the concepts!!!

1.  Transformative Learning.  Mezirow (2000) suggests that all learning begins with a disorienting dilemma.  This perspective transformation can start with something as simple as a question or as serious as losing a job.  The catalyst is then reflected on, researched, discussed, and experimented with until a new paradigm is created.  Many researchers believe this should be called “Human Learning.”
2.  Curriculum Integration.  Curriculum integration is a philosophy of teaching in which content is drawn from several subject areas to focus on a particular topic or theme. Rather than studying math or social studies in isolation, for example, a class might study a unit called The Sea, using math to calculate pressure at certain depths and social studies to understand why coastal and inland populations have different livelihoods (McBrien and Brandt, 1997).
3.  Authentic Assessment.  According to Mueller (2003), authentic assessment is a form of measurement in which students are asked to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills.  Sometimes referred to as competency based instruction, student performance on a task is typically scored on a rubric to determine how successfully the student has met specific standards, outcomes, or objectives.
4.  Diversity.  Education in a multicultural society strives for equity of opportunity to learn, largely through the convergence of three practices: heterogeneous grouping, highly interactive instruction that appeals to a wide variety of learning styles, and inclusive curricula. A constructivist understanding of education, in which learners are active architects of meaning, permeates this collaborative vision of education (Shaw, 1993).
5.  Varied Learning.  “By definition, differentiation is wary of approaches to teaching and learning that standardize. Standard-issue students are rare, and educational approaches that ignore academic diversity in favor of standardization are likely to be counterproductive in reaching the full range of learners (Tomlinson, 2006).”  Regardless of prior knowledge, attention span, retention capacity, or comprehension ability, students have varied needs in terms of delivery, interaction, and assessment.
6.  Backward Design.  “Backward design begins with the end in mind: What enduring understandings do I want my students to develop (McTighe, 2001)?”  Essentially, the backward (sometimes called universal) design model applies three steps: 1) Identification of desired results; 2) Determination of acceptable evidence; and 3) Planning learning experiences / instruction.  Once you teach with the objectives in mind, the student paths to get there emerge!
7.  Collaborative Learning. Rothwell (2006) suggests that workers are in groups (teams) more than 70% of the time while students are in groups less than 7% of the time.  With the uprising of corporate universities, some private sector and governmental leaders suggest that education is not meeting the needs of today’s workforce, sending under-prepared and uninformed graduates into society.

There is some overlap in and among these principles.  And of course there are more than 7 things – but 7 seems like a nice number for this kind of list   Like any complex system, an educational model has independent and interdependent components.  Some educators think of these elements as a safety net or a puzzle.  I like to think of them as inter-locking bricks of a foundation to an educational pyramid.  The top elements of teaching, student services, curriculum, program quality, etc., are supported by this foundation to make the educational experience effective at all levels: student, teacher, and administrator.  Student understanding can be the mortar that holds these pieces in place, allowing schools to deliver effective, timely, and differentiated instruction. 

Looking for a faculty inservice speaker?  Need someone to talk education in both a theoretical AND (more importantly) practical sense at your conference? Contact jborden@jeffpresents.com for more information!

Work-Life Balance

Before starting and while I know it sounds like a broken record, let me say thanks again for all the emails and support with Keena.  She came home yesterday and is doing pretty well considering… She’s got a lot of pain, but thanks to some nice meds, she’s not feeling everything she should.  She’s happy as anything to be at home finally and is looking forward to getting better day after day after day for the rest of her life! 

While Keena is recouping nicely, I’m tired as I’ve ever been.  Between Keena, Addie, running errands, cooking, cleaning, getting up with whichever is having the current problem, I’m just beat.  I took “vacation” for this time…but to call this a vacation would be like calling Long John Silvers a gourmet seafood restaurant.  This does, however lead me to my blog this week.

Work / Life balance has been talked about for decades.  The first time I really remember thinking about it was after reading Jack Welch’s book.  The former GE CEO makes the point that this is a manager’s toughest trial throughout the year.  People more and more are being selfish with their time, not wanting to spend any extra time at work if at all possible.  Interestingly, he also mentions that managers and executives who want to do anything with their careers need to be exactly the opposite.  They need to take work home every night to get a jump on the next day, the next week, the next project, the next…whatever.

I can say as a manager, I realize this is very true.  About 75% of my employees are overly eager to head home, leave early, and never worry about a thing over the weekends.  (And you should see the empty spaces in front of my desk around the holidays…I’ve got most of my team saving up their two weeks for Christmas time leaving few or nobody to handle issues and work that comes up!)

At the same time, I work my tail off for eCollege.  I’m putting in 50-70 hours a week PLUS my doctoral work PLUS my adjunct teaching load.  My days are spent at work until 5pm when I rush home to get some quality time with Addie & Keena before my little girl goes to bed at 7:30.  Then, it’s on to my computer to teach classes and write mostly meaningless papers for my doctoral program (I’ll do a blog about academic hazing later).  Finally, I check my work email one more time only to find fifty to one hundred new emails to get through before bed.  (I get about 600 emails per day.)  Work / Life balance?  What balance?

As much as I love technology, I do have to admit that it’s created the ability to work from home WAY too easy.  Madeleine Bunting in her book, “Willing Slaves – How the Overwork Culture is Ruling our Lives”,  says that from 1977 to 1997 Americans working full time have increased their average working hours from 43.6 hours to 47.1 hours each week. (Not including time required to travel to and from work).

I believe this.  Although I didn’t always.  When I was a college professor, I really didn’t have to worry much about work / life balance.  I realize people don’t like to talk about it, but college professors have it pretty easy when it comes to time.  I had worked my way into a coordinator position, so I could choose from a MWF or TTH schedule.  I could choose late afternoons or early mornings to suit my tastes.  Sure, I had some advising and some office hours, but if I wanted to, I didn’t have to be on campus but 20 hours any given week.  Sure, I graded papers at home, but when all was said and done, I can say that my balance of work and life was just golden!

Of course, my bank account showed this as well.  And there is the rub, right?  I’m making 3 times as much now as I did then, plus bonuses (that don’t exist in a college system) and with every promotion / raise, comes the expectation of more time and responsibility taken away from home.  Ugh.  (Try this work – life balance calculator!)

Yes, I know the studies that show how employees who actually take time off are more productive.  I know that companies who help employees manage their personal lives effectively are consistently rated in the top 100 companies for both satisfaction AND productivity.  But I also know that 99% of Presidents and CEOs don’t buy any of it.  The majority of HR studies that show the effectiveness of working less never even make it to their desks.  After all, these executives are Type A personalities who don’t need extra motivation to work 60 hours a week…why should anyone else?  (Hopefully this sarcasm translated…)

So, here I am – left with some major decisions in my life.  Do I work like a dog now and reap the benefits later with a solid retirement and nice home and the ability to do nice things for my family.  Or, do I go back to teaching, spend a lot more quality time with my family now, but not really have the ability to provide like I want to?  I have to say, I used to be the guy who did the latter and it came back to bite me several times.  When Keena first got sick, we didn’t really have any “extra” to work with.  I didn’t make enough to really go on nice vacations or buy special things for anyone just because.  The purchase of a car was a major life consideration and I could never really afford what I wanted, having to settle for what I could afford.  That’s not how we live now…

Please hear me!  I have talked this over with Keena several times.  We both have goals for our family and we both understand (most of the time) the sacrifices it takes now.  I realize there are plenty of husbands out there who work their tails off including as much travel as possible so they don’t have to be near their families.  I have worked with a few in my time.  But I’m not that guy – I actually like my wife and enjoy my daughter.  I’m the ultimate family man who happens to be lucky enough and (hopefully) good enough at what I do that my services are in demand but unfortunate enough that it means working like I do. 

So, until an agent or publisher actually takes a chance and reads my novel (which should easily become a screenplay…come on – it’s silly to get the same form letters back saying you’re not currently accepting new authors!), I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing.  I do enjoy it and it suits me.  And as long as people keep telling me that I’m good at it, there’s no other reason to quit!  Maybe technology will begin to actually help us NOT work so much!  Now there’s the web 2.0 site that I want to be a part of!

Are you a publisher looking for the next best seller?  Are you an agent needing to find the next Lee Child, Stephen Hunter, or Greg Iles?  You HAVE to contact Jeff Borden and ask to read the first 3 chapters of Judge & Jury!  Remember, Jeff gives seminars on effective storytelling…Check out this query:

Judge & Jury :  When a vigilante violently takes the law into his own hands, Detective Paden Campbell is tasked with his capture.  But as the citizens of Denver, Colorado start to embrace and replicate the practices of the “Judge and Jury” killer, Paden is forced to come to terms with his own sense of justice.  In a race against time, Detective Campbell must stop the killer before the city tears itself apart.

Things Worth Knowing

Before I begin, I’d like to thank all of you for the wonderful outreach of support and kind words from last week’s blog.  Keena is less than 1 week away from surgery and each day brings both hope and fear.  I’ll keep you informed!

One of my best friends likes to call me a Renaissance Man.  I’m flattered by the spirit of the remark, even though it suggests Jack of all trades, master of none…but I’ll get over that.  However, as a flourishing college professor, a renounced stand-up comic, a wanna-be musician, an undiscovered writer, and a fairly successful business person, one of my favorite past times is dreaming up courses to teach at the college level.  You know, the kind of course you’ll never see at ITT Tech because it’s not in the intended curriculum or program of study to help students design games for a living.  The kind of course that just makes you a better human or a better _________ than you are today.  A course that should be as interesting for students as it is fun to teach by professors. 

Often these courses (in my mind) infuse communication with media, history with music, or education with film.  I think they could be powerful and successful.  But lately I’ve had another one on my brain.  You know those lists of “10 things every student should know” or “The Top 5 Things Every Parent Should Teach Their Children?”  It’s along those lines. 

I have heard a lot lately (I go to way too many conferences…) that education is behind the times.  To hear some talk, it’s WAY behind the times.  But a lot of people note that education will never be current and should never be “bleeding” edge.  That’s because education is about critical thought – we can teach students to think the way they need to in order to get current.  But my course might help bridge the gap a bit.  See what you think.

I think every college should offer a seminar called, “A Decade Of Innovation Worth Knowing.”  As I see it, every decade has information that changes the world.  Things happen that educated people should not only be aware of, but actually study to see how to use it or make it better.  What’s great about a class like this would be the potential research by students to create and find life-changing, world-changing events.  So, in the spirit of open-source education (Open Source would be something worth studying in a course like this…even as it is starting to relate to things other than technology.  See Crowdsourcing) here are a few “nuggets” of information that anyone trying to make it in the world should know.

1. The Tipping Point.  Malcolm Gladwell introduced us to a concept that we all probably understand on a basic level, but nobody had thought to turn it into a focus for business.  The TP essentially explains how trends are created and, more importantly, take hold.  Moving words like “stickiness” into everyday business vernacular, The Tipping Point is a must-read for anyone who wants to do anything at their company besides stay put.
2. The Semantic Web.  Web 2.0 is over…sorry.  Trying to stay out in front of technology is tough.  Most people don’t have time to dedicate to it and even if you do, what good is trying to figure out what’s really going to work and stick?  (I’d recommend reading Wired on a monthly basis juts to keep you grounded…)  But most experts agree that we are moving out of Web 2.0, a wonderful marketing term created by Tim O’Reilly that really resonated with people, and into the world of the Semantic Web.  Effectively, the Semantic Web will be a technological world where computers not only help us do things, but help us use technology to do it!  It’s creating semantics in and around the tools to allow computers to search, locate, and inform us about which technologies to use or incorporate.  It’s an extension of artificial intelligence that ultimately could make our lives a lot easier.
3. Blue Ocean Strategy.  For anyone with a “Big Idea”, this is a concept you should know.  Blue Oceans are the new, untapped, often niche markets that need to be created.  Essentially, Blue Oceans create a market for a product or service, rather than filling an already present need.  Blue Man Group, Nintendo Wii, and Home Depot are examples of Blue Ocean Organizations that were quite successful.

So there are three…out of a decade of impressive thoughts, ideas, books, and concepts.  What else should go in a course like that?  Well, hire me to teach it and we’ll talk…

Do you want to hear more about how innovation ties into our daily lives?  Need someone to speak about past, current, or future ideas at your organization or conference? Contact jborden@jeffpresents.com for more information!