I did some research on the topic of “creative teaching methods” and after about 30 minutes of going through book reviews and articles, I realized that I was already beginning to read the some ideas over and over.  I think the word “creative” is being so overused these days that it’s just no longer creative.  “Regular” seems really close to “creative” in my opinion.   My four children are being taught in strikingly similar ways that I was taught so many years ago.

As a consultant who strives to change organizations, I know that the bigger an organization is, and the more established it is, the harder it will be to implement major change.  I think that’s the challenge with education.  It’s a huge system and even attempting to be innovative with something like the history curriculum will have huge repercussions from parents, the media, legislators, etc.  Change is just so complicated, and so many people’s opinions are involved, that we settle for small incremental change instead.  The problem, in my opinion, is that the world used to change in small incremental ways, so incremental change worked.  Things are different now.  The world is changing at exponential rates and incremental just doesn’t work anymore.

 If we could get rid of all state and federal mandates on education, clear our brains from how things have always been done, and focus only on the talents and skills students will need to be successful in tomorrow’s world, I wonder what we’d come up with!  I don’t think I would have spent last night helping my  8^th grader memorize a list of 20 important historical dates and then realize that my sophomore in college was studying the same dates for his history exam tomorrow.  He studied them in elementary and middle school too.  I studied them too but would fail the test today, unless I could use Google.  If we could just rethink “creative” I believe we’d find a better way to prepare these kids for the future.  Also, if a new way of teaching could prevent me from having to learn about transient and intransient verbs tonight, I’d be really happy.  My 6^th grade son is struggling with that right now so I have my exciting evening planned.

Welcome to our newly designed website and our new educational blog. If you’ve found your way here yet are more interested in the business world, the link below will bring you to our business blog:

www.workforceechoes.blogspot.com

The purpose of our educational blog is to provide ideas and resources for anyone interested in education. We are personally interested in innovative methods to facilitate both learning and a love of learning. We are also interested in tools and techniques to maintain and improve faculty and staff motivation as this is key to staying at the forefront of the changing educational world. These interests will be apparent throughout our blog postings. We will be posting interviews with school administrators, book reviews, useful links, summaries of research, and other resources. If you have an article you’d like us to post, just email us at info@workforceechoes.com. If it meets the needs and focus of our blog, we’ll Email you with the date that it will be posted.

We recently attended the International Society for Performance Improvement conference in San Francisco. So many of the insights, ideas, technology, and research we learned about were applicable to all levels and types of education, from K-12 to college to workforce training programs. One speaker that made a real impression on us was Curtis Bonk. He spoke about how technology and Internet resources are changing the way we all learn. After his talk we went up to talk to him as did many other people. He seemed to be able to have three conversations at once. He took my business card and promised us that he’d send us his new book. He took business cards from many other people too, promising each of them something different. Sure enough, two weeks later I get his latest book in the mail, free of charge, with a note written on the inside cover about the conversation we had with him. How is that for organized?

His book is called The World is Open; How Web Technology is Revolutionizing Education. There are other books written on this subject but this one is a MUST read for anyone interested in education. The overall focus of the book shows us how technological developments and the Internet have opened up learning to the point where anyone can learn anything from anyone whenever they want. No longer is the teacher the main source of information, but rather the coordinator for learning! He explores ten key trends and offers countless resources throughout the book. He offers so many ideas and resources that it’s overwhelming, but you will certainly come away with a few of those ideas you’re anxious to implement or learn more about.

If you take the time to read the book, please send us your reviews and comments!

How do I present ideas to a difficult manager?

It is frustrating to have creative, marketable and potentially lucrative ideas that go nowhere because you can’t seem to communicate with your manager.  Maybe she doesn’t listen well.  Maybe she is a micromanager and likes her own ideas better.  Whatever the reason, I would not suggest giving up easily.  Here are three suggestions.

First, keep your emotions in check.   Yes it is possible to be honest and polite at the same time.   Focus on your end goal for the conversation and don’t give up.   If you start throwing in comments like “I can’t ever get you to listen” or “your plan makes absolutely no sense” then be prepared for defenses to go up and the conversation to end poorly.  Use “I” statements rather than “you” statements.  Emotions will flare if you attack personality traits in any way.  Stick to the facts as much as possible.

Second, take a few moments to consider your manager’s communication style.  Does she prefer facts and figures or does she make decisions on gut reactions and an emotional pull?  Does she prefer when people get right to the point, or does she like to hear all the details?   Perhaps your natural communication style just doesn’t mix well with hers.  Adapt.  Provide the type of information that you know is important to her.  Is she all about the bottom line?  Do your research and have estimated bottom line projections.  Adapting to your audience is always critical with persuasion.

Third, remember the dynamics of what goes on in people’s minds during potentially confrontational situations.  If your manager begins to feel threatened or annoyed by your idea, her defenses will quickly go up.   Don’t ignore this.  Stop pushing your ideas and focus on her.  Why is she feeling defensive?    Ask questions, clarify, and bring the conversation back into the safety zone.  Once things are back under control, continue delivering your plan.

Developing your great idea is the easy part.  Gaining buy-in for the idea and then making it happen are the challenges.  Learning to effectively present those great ideas will have a huge and positive influence on your career.  It is worth the effort.