I.E. Improves Everything. Scan QRCodIE.

Institutional Effectiveness Marketing Committee suggested a new slogan to emphasize the importance of IE to College’s academic excellence.

We also suggested an IE blog (www.academicexcelllence.info)

 

Surviving CyberMonday and other holiday shopping waves

The day after Thanksgiving, also known as “Black Friday”, is the first of the holidays’ shopping big waves. It is the time of the year where retailers and online stores push their products to next levels. “Cyber Monday” was originally created to make additional offers to employees returning to work. Today, with more home computers, tablets, and smartphones, consumers do not have to wait until Monday to start getting the cyber deals. Last week we were even able to dig into all newspapers’ flyers online before they were in the streets. These waves also bring “sharks” closer to us. Scams, misleading offers, and increases in credit card debt are also part of this shopping “cybersea”. Here are some tips to survive these holidays’ shopping waves.

1. Be a smart shopper. Don’t buy things that you don’t need, with money that you don’t have to impress people you don’t know. Value your money and your time. I saw people spending days camping outside stores since Tuesday to save money. This could be a saving if your productive time is less valuable. If you know how to buy the things that you really need, you do not have to expend time outside a store.  You search, search, and save until you find the exact deal that works for you. I saw people waiting days in a tent to then get a laptop what was not what they expected.

2. Plan your shopping well in advance. If you know what you really need, you can plan ahead of time and search for the right product and the right deal. Make lists of things you really need, not things that you just want. Narrow your list and you will discover that you already have something in your list that it is hidden in the clutter in your garage or your closet. Most of my neighbors park their expensive cars in the driveway because their garages are cluttered with stuff they barely use. Be generous and give away things that you do no use. Prosperity is about flowing and giving to others. Be familiar with your favorite stores and learn when they have special sales or clearance racks. Everyday could be a “black Friday” if you are a good explorer.

3. Avoid the holidays’ debt tsunami. The most difficult part of surviving holidays’ shopping waves is to control your credit cards. Many people start the new year complaining about their increased new credit card debt. Controlling new debt requires a lot of discipline. It takes several years to break these habits. However, you do not have to wait for a loss of income to control this tsunami. Extra expending is just an emotional gratification. Controlling what you expend can be done by planning ahead. If you plan well in advance, you may save money and use them avoiding credit card use. Giving is an art that should be a way of life. When you give your time, talent and money to others, prosperity will follows. However, expending money that you don’t have to buy expensive gifts is not the essence of giving. You can reduce your list of gifts and buy symbolic gifts that have more meaning and emotional value than a gift that will be returned to the store after Christmas. Remember the reason for the season. Enjoy the season by starting a new year without new credit card debt. Credit cards should be used for real emergencies.

In all cases, marketers will do the effort to keep us in the shopping waves all year. After Christmas, and New Year sales, we will bombarded by Valentine’s day, Spring, Easter, Mothers and Fathers Day, Summer, Back to School, Fall, and Halloween to start listening to Christmas songs again before Thanksgiving. Plan and control your expenses to be prepared to ride all the shopping waves. Enjoy the journey.

Reducing Information and Communications Overload in Management Online Education

National Institute for Staff Organizational Development. 33rd International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence

Reducing Information and Communications Overload in Management Online Education ROOM 9B, LEVEL 3 • EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY Cutting-edge technologies have been used in the management program to enhance discussions and classroom interactions. Some of these technologies have created information overload in online courses. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is being used to reduce unnecessary methods that could overwhelm learners and distract them from course content.

Jose Lepervanche, Professor, Supervision and Management, Florida State College at Jacksonville

“QR Cody” climbing the Academic Excellence mountain

May 16, 2011. Florida State College at Jacksonville – High Level Leadership Cohort II teams are ready for our final team presentation. Our “Academic Excellence” Team (Jametoria Burton, Beatrice Harrison, Elizabeth Harvey, Jose Lepervanche and Phyllis Renninger) is using innovative technologies to introduce the challenges. Our new QR character “QR Cody” is  climbing his own academic success mountain to take us to www.academicexcellence.info.

© www.josetooons.com – Jose G. Lepervanche – All rights reserved – “QR Cody” is a trademark of Josetoons.com

The learning edge in QR codes

QR codes are being used in commercial and educational applications applications. Students can access courses information using a smartphone QR code reader. Our QR code gives the link to our Learning Edge website (www.learningedge.org). QR codes are being placed in syllabus, boards, discussion forums and business cards.

April 2011. Surviving Information Overload

Reducing Information and Communications Overload in Management Online Education

Cutting-edge technologies have been used in the BAS in Supervision and Management program to enhance online discussions and classroom interaction based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). On the other hand, some of these technologies have also created information and communication overload in online courses. Students have returned to basic discussions where content quality has more value than the delivery method or the technology involved. They are SURVIVING information overload. The TAM model is being used to filter all new technologies implemented in management online courses, to reduce unnecessary methods that could overwhelm learners and distract them from the course content. (Presentation during International Conference on College Teaching and Learning, April 2011).

The World is Open. How Web Technology is Revolutionting Education

The World is Open. How Web Technology is Revolutionizing Education by Curtis J. Bonk explores ten key trends that together make up the WE-ALL-LEARN framework for understanding the potential of technology in learning in the 21st century.  (http://www.worldisopen.com). Dr. Sheri Litt gave us the book as a end-of-term present with the homework to read it during the summer. I will present a review to faculty during the fall.

During last Teaching and Learning Conference Dr. Julie Giuliani made a presentation about wide open web 2.0 tools for online education and made reference to this book. Her husband Joe Giuliani is a chef who teaches cooking online (http://www.cookingedu.com). The cartoon reflects their interests in web 2.0 education.

UNAD FLORIDA International Conference: Education, Virtuality and Business.

Eventoons at the UNAD FLORIDA International Conference: Education, Virtuality and Business. May 4 – 6, 2009. Hyatt Regency Conference and Spa. 250 Racquet Club Road, Weston, Florida.

Tree House Internet Connection

The Alarm at Weston

Surfing the Crisis

Technology in Education

Wii and other similar technologies let us incorporate new ideas into our courses. Simulators and video games are used to enhance interactive learning experiences. For example, pilots and air controllers are able to practice their skills in a safe lab. Embrace technology for learning.