N3 Wrap-up and Website Updates

Hi everyone!  This week is going to be our wrap-up of N3 and update of your website.  Many of you have not shared all of your work with me, so by Friday, all of your work should be up to date.  Please refer to this Google Doc to find out what is required of you.

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions beyond the Doc.  I look forward to seeing your finished product!

Last Week of Presentation Preparation

This week will be the last week we focus on preparing our "Creativity and Innovation" presentations for our workplace supervisors.  We will utilize class time to refine our presentation, work on potential objections that may arise to our proposals, and come off as articulate as possible when approaching a supervisor with constructive feedback.

So far our presentations are sounding excellent.  I look forward to hearing what kind of change (for the better) that you can bring about at your placements.  Enjoy the 3-day weekend and I'll see you next week!

Continuing Preparing for Presentations

This week's post is going to be short and sweet.  Although we planned preparing presentations to our workplace supervisors, more pressing issues hogged the spotlight in class this week.  I am actually glad we had a chance to discuss real life customer service scenarios some of you have encountered as hosts, waitstaff, and interns, as well as helping prepare for Friday's pep assembly.  Discussing these issues while they're fresh in your mind is important, so it's not a big deal if our presentations took a minor back seat last week.

Of course, since we didn't get a chance to review much of anyone's presentation, this week we need to get at least two to three presentations reviewed.  This Thursday and Friday, our main focus will be giving quality feedback that can help make changes.

I can't wait to hear what you've prepared.  I'll see you soon!

Presentation Practice

Standard 5 states:

Demonstrate creativity and innovation: Use idea-generating techniques to explore divergent and atypical questions and perspectives to develop original ideas for products or solve problems – such as a constructed object, proposal, presentation, solution to a problem, service, system, work of art, writing sample, invention, event, or an improvement to an existing product. Exhibit insight into the particular needs and interests of the target audience that are driving the process of innovation.

Approaching your supervisor with a suggestion for improvement is always a challenging task for anyone, especially someone who might just be an intern or entry-level employee.  However, when your suggestion is substantiated with evidence and a desire to improve the efficiency of the organization, the suggestion could be very beneficial for both the organization and the employees.  That said, we are going to take your work from the past few weeks and begin to practice approaching and presenting to your supervisors this week (and likely next week).

With your time in class this week, we will take our time going over HOW to present your suggestions to your supervisor as well as critique WHAT to do when you actually approach them.  We will take our time and make sure you are in a good position to succeed, and once you have practiced enough, you will be ready to go.

I look forward to hearing your ideas and working on your communication skills.  These next few weeks will be a lot of fun!

Continuation of Creativity and Innovation - Write Out a Plan

Standard 5 states:

Demonstrate creativity and innovation: Use idea-generating techniques to explore divergent and atypical questions and perspectives to develop original ideas for products or solve problems – such as a constructed object, proposal, presentation, solution to a problem, service, system, work of art, writing sample, invention, event, or an improvement to an existing product. Exhibit insight into the particular needs and interests of the target audience that are driving the process of innovation.

Now that you've identified a need for change and put some thoughts on paper (and in your blog post), it's time to do what separates the good from the great.  You're going to lay out a plan for implementing change at your placement.  It's not enough to say, "this needs to change." Rather, until you put together a strategy for making the change so that the decision-makers can consider it,  you're nothing more than a cynic.

That said, at your placement, please consider ways in which your change can and will successfully be put into action.  When you return to class, use your time in my room to map out a step-by-step process that will improve the efficiency of your organization.  With this in place, we will work on creating a presentation (formal letter, PowerPoint, video, etc.) of your choosing that will be introduced to your workplace mentor and/or direct manager.

Remember, you're not required to do anything earth-shattering (remember the white board over the sink example I explained last week).  You're just going to show your supervisors that you are capable of one of the 21st Century skills that others simply overlook.  I look forward to hearing about your plans.  Have a great week!

Creativity and Innovation: Changing Things for the Better

Standard 5 states:

Demonstrate creativity and innovation: Use idea-generating techniques to explore divergent and atypical questions and perspectives to develop original ideas for products or solve problems – such as a constructed object, proposal, presentation, solution to a problem, service, system, work of art, writing sample, invention, event, or an improvement to an existing product. Exhibit insight into the particular needs and interests of the target audience that are driving the process of innovation.

I really like how this standard is worded, and I want us to dive into this standard as much as possible this week, and, based on how involved our action plan is, next week as well.

The title of this week's blog will guide us toward our end goal of changing/improving upon a current procedure/practice at your placement.  While on the job this week, I would like all of you to analyze the everyday tasks and activities that the employees carry out.  Think of a problem that occurs frequently or a task that could be completed more quickly if something was changed.  After your analysis, you will return to class to devise a plan or proposal that you will present to your supervisor.  This week and next, you will formulate that proposal/plan and when it's complete, you will actually present it.

This week is strictly dedicated to thinking of the problem, devising a solution, and putting your ideas on paper (actually in your blog).  You will compose a blog post that describes the problem and your ideal solution, and next week, you will work on your presentation (can be in PowerPoint [yawn], on video, or in the form of an invention).  Either way, you will set your eyes on a solution and let your supervisor know how you can help the organization improve.  Students from other schools have used a project like this to earn a promotion or gain public recognition.  Who knows what great things will happen when you complete this.

Have a great week!  I'll see you all tomorrow.

Clear and Effective Communication - Publishing Your Weebly Pages

This week, we will focus on clear and effective communications in verbal, written, physical (body language), and digital forms.  While you are on your placements, please think about how your tone of voice, choice of words, body language, and outward appearance send effective messages with co-workers and customers.  Be cognizant of how you carry yourself outside the workplace as well, and see if there is a difference in your professionalism.  This week's artifact will be a simple 150+ word blog detailing your communication skills.

Additionally, many of you have either not published your websites or have left our artifacts that you actually completed (think letters of recommendation, resume, college/scholarship application reflections, gender identity blog entry, etc.).  You'll need to get everything published and updated by the end of this week so that you can follow up on your SMART goals in future blog entries, and so you can show off ALL of the work you've done this school year.

I look forward to seeing you all later this week.  Enjoy your placements!