James Jackson

Location: chicago, il

About me

James is the Senior Associate at JAJ & Associates, Adjunct Faculty and eLearning Consultant at MaxKnowledge and member of the Board of Advisors of Dream Catchers Global. James was the Associate Provost of Faculty Development, President of the Online Division at Harrison College and the Director for the Center of Technology Resources for Indiana Business College. Because of his extensive background in technology and his entrepreneurial spirit and passion for assisting aspiring business owners, James has provided his leadership/project management skills in many start-up operations mentoring dozens of young leaders over his career. All providing great growth opportunities for his stakeholders.

James has developed more than 50 courses and dozens of programs in the areas of technology, business, progress management and general education. James has been an instructor for more than 15 years during which time he provided training to over 500 trainers and more than 5000 students. His academic background includes a Masters of Education in Occupational Training and Development and is currently working on his doctoral dissertation in Higher Education Administration emphasis on Strategic Enrollment Management. James enjoys working with students and assisting them through complex concepts which he is able to turn into easy to understand and usable skills.

A full profile of my professional career is available on LinkedIn:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesajacksonjr

Connect with me on LinkedIn and here in the Lounge.

Interests

my family, golf, tennis, swimming, and participating in youth sports.

Skills

faculty development, elearning, program and curriculum development, project management, business analysis and technology integration

Activity

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Traits of Successful Instructors

Clark, I agree 100%. Teaching is not a spectator sport. The best instructors are very tired and drained by the end of the day. This is part of being a dynamic and caring instructor. Does not matter if the instructor is walking among the students or resourceful as a distance learning instructor and active in getting students involved via virtual active learning activities. The best instructors are always tired by the end of the educational experience with their students. I also love the focus on plan "B". I would even suggest a plan "C". I always have a lesson plan… >>>

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Classroom Discipline

Judi you make a great point. Classroom discipline issues seldom reach a level of resolution or just dissolve on their own. It takes a dedicated instructor and someone who leads by example to effectively manage a classroom especially when dealing with "needy" or disruptive students. The range of issues are too long to cover in this post but the bottom line from my perspective is those students that are following the rules and are progressing as per the curriculum and designed lesson plans deserve to learn in a secure and non-threatening environment. Those that choose to not follow this critical… >>>

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

Thanks for your feedback Scelsi. There are no directly correct or incorrect answers here. There is also a bit of a sliding scale for some while others are very clear about their personal beliefs within any differences they perceive about intrinsic versus extrinsic motivators. A question I like to ask is how you define the difference between being an educator versus a teacher. Teaching to me is a job and it has boundaries along with specific rules and desired outcomes that tend to be directed by outside agencies or controlling bodies. Being an educator is more of a passion and… >>>

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

School Discipline

Very well stated James. Fair but firm is another way of agreeing with your statement. I agree with your statement but also feel there needs to be room for compassion and understanding. The exceptions to the rules should be few and properly documented but I do feel they exist. What is your stance on this topic of allowing some exceptions where extreme circumstances take place? Regards, James Jackson

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Classroom Discipline

Kathy, that is what the best instructors do all the time, they learn and move forward. It takes great courage and professionalism to be able to share important information that can motivate and a benefit others within our industry. I am glad the class provided some insight and some resources you feel will be of value in your teaching moving forward. Please consider keeping in touch within the MaxKnowledge Lounge, you obviously have a great deal to share and a lot of value you can pass forward to other instructors. Kind regards, James Jackson

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Self-Doubt

Thanks for sharing Cynthia. Students that carry some excess issues with them into the classroom can take additional time from the instructor but the time spent is worth the effort. It is also true that at times it is 20% of our students that occupy 80% of our time but by working towards breaking down the self-doubt and focusing on positive self-talk, we as instructors with the intelligent hearts (Lou Tice, The Pacific Institute), can contribute more and more students to the other side of that equation and inspire students to become more self-directed and self-aware of their true potential.… >>>

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Traits of Successful Instructors

Melissa, you have hit the nail on the head with this one. Technology is great when it works but should never be an obstacle to effective teaching and learning. What did instructors do long before the days of PowerPoint and the Internet? I can assure you they were able to teach their students. I am a huge promoter of technology in the classroom but also feel a successful instructor will be ready to go at a moment's notice if the technology is not working for any reason. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. James Jackson

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Fear Factor with Tests

Thanks for your feedback Brian. Students want to feel secure in their educational goals. In this sense of security we are talking about the ability to perform and be successful. If a student does not believe they can be successful, it really does not matter how good an instructor may be, the student will eventually fail. It is through effective mentorship, coaching, and building trust with students that instructors are truly successful as educators. It takes a true educator to remove the fear factor away from how students perceive of any assessment process. Regards and thanks again. James Jackson

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Self-Doubt

Thanks for your comments Elizabeth and I love the self talk example. Self talk is a key tool that can be used by instructors to get students to focus on the positive and accomplish their goals. Cognitive psychologists can reproduce experiments that show we become that which we think about the most so if our thoughts are on the negative and the impossible then our accomplishments will be few to none. Those that tend to focus on the positive and see opportunity tend to be much more successful. Kindest regards, James Jackson

James Jackson

Blog Comment

Technology-based Communication Tools

What best practices can you share or other sites where faculty can go to learn more about how these various tools work?

End of Content