About me
Michelle Louch
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Blog Comment
I'm at one of the schools that is closing, and all I see is an entire group of people being left behind. Four-year schools don't want many of the students who attend career schools. Conversely, many career school students don't want what the four-year schools offer. They have neither the time nor the money -- or possibly the desire -- to spend four years studying a field. Bottom line, however -- who will train these folks? My students are the ones who are homeless, transient, struggling, single parents, in bad relationships, the first in their family to go on… >>>
Discussion Comment
Donna, In short, education is all about marketing. We just happen to be peddling knowledge rather than a good or service. My research found that students do read into text -- just as we read into advertising. It's not something that schools tend to take into consideration, however. With increasing competition for students, though, we need to think about brand perception even in the most mundane areas, such as emails and LMS. I attempted to pull up a copy to paste a link, but I think my company's firewall is causing problems. Here's the citation to help you find it:… >>>
Blog Comment
I agree, we must do what is right -- but I often find myself wondering what "right" really means.
Discussion Comment
Due to the lack of face-to-face interaction online (unless you have the ability to capture lessons and/or Skype, of course), students will read into the design of the typeface that you use. Interested in alienanting them all in one fell swoop? Use something visually heavy and angular such as "Impact." Want to be mistaken for passive and childish? Aim for "Kristen ITC" or any other font that looks like a child's handwriting. Trying to come across as a professional? Use traditional fonts -- "Times New Roman" and "Courier" are good choices. Finally, if you want to make it look as… >>>
Blog Comment
Agreed -- it seems like common sense, but there is so much going on in the world that common becomes uncommon. This was a great refresher!
Discussion Comment
We just learned that we are closing this year. Luckily, we have time to plan our career moves before layoffs formally begin, but -- as a manager -- I'm trying to figure out how to encourage my teachers to take charge of their careers while, at the same time, remain focused on doing the job that they are currently in.
Discussion Comment
While we focus on the content of the message, we also need to consider the visual impact. If you are able to choose your typeface, make sure that it conveys a professional image (e.g. Times New Roman, Georgia, Cambria, or Ariel). Using a font that is childish (e.g. Comic Sans, Kristen ITC, Freestyle Script) suggests that you are more playful than serious and that you are not particularly professional. A heavy font (e.g. Impact) will make you look pushy. This might sound silly, but there's a ton of research on the impact that typeface has on the reader's perception of… >>>
I suppose that the hardest part is accepting criticism. As an assistant dean, part of my job is guiding my teachers through both the training and the implementation. I've had more than my share of teachers who tell me what great ideas are found in trainings -- but who go right back to the same old thing because it's easier. it's not much esaier for me, I'm just as human as the next person. I've found that, every now and again, the best way to force myself to implement what I've learned is to hit the delete button and get… >>>
Discussion Comment
I've started to let my student collaborate on essay exams. And use their smartphones. They have to cite the webpages they use, and they have a specific time limit on the exam. They're also allowed to ask each other for what I call "memory joggers," meaning that they can check with their peers to make sure that they're on the right track. The resulting papers are quite good, and I have yet to have anyone abuse it. In fact, most are reluctant to do something that seems to go against everything they were taught from K-12. For it to work,… >>>
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Ditto. We not only need to model the behavior, we need to remember that the students may not "get it" until they are in the workplace. While they may not behave in the classroom, I've seen my share of those who do once on their externship. It gives me hope... and the ability to keep my mouth shut on those days when I'm ready to snap back at the class clowns with stinging and painfully true sarcastic remarks.