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  • pcollins 10:08 pm on November 25, 2012
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    I am pleased to share my pitch idea for the Virtual online opened learning platform. A full list of video credits and references are available on my ubc blog. A complete transcript of the pitch is also on the blog. I hope you enjoy, and I certainly appreciate any constructive feedback. Elevator Pitch: Full Venture:

    Continue reading I am pleased to share my pitch idea for … Posted in: Venture Forum
     

    • jenbarker 11:32 am on November 26, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      Hello,
      I really liked your Elevator Pitch. The music and graphic visuals caught my attention. The text went a bit fast at the beginning and I had to read quite quickly. Generally though you shared enough information that I wanted to know more. Your venture pitch was outstanding. It covered ALL of the critical tenets needed in pitches. I think your venture is original and addresses a pain point. Your venture plan is well thought out and sound. You clearly demonstrated what you were asking for from investors and stated the sequence of your plan clearly. I liked your idea of a free trial too! I thought you did a terrific job. Thanks for sharing, Jen

      • pcollins 2:25 pm on November 28, 2012 | Log in to Reply

        I appreciate the supportive feedback Jen. Its great to know that the research that I had done actually managed to come through in my presentaton. I tried my best to generate any of the potential negatives and then address them pro-actively. It would be a neat venture to see fully realized.
        PC

    • avninder 2:15 pm on November 26, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      I think the elevator pitch was great. Although you may want to consider changing some of the colors so that the white text against the white moving images in the background doesn’t become difficult to read for some viewers.
      I do not know much about home schooling but this seems like a venture that is very worthwhile. Good explanation of what v.ool is and what it is not. It made me think about all of the other online technology that home schooled students could take advantage of.
      You discussed how this process will enhance the students’ experience, which was great. To gain more interest you could also touch on how the students’ currently work to emphasize what this new concept means for those who otherwise have limited interaction. Although you did mention the research of online courses having a high attrition rate which was a great tie-in to the venture.
      You touched on many success factors for an online learning environment including participation, 21st century learning principles and collaboration. Plus your detailed plan for presentations, researched statistics and financial information contributed to a solid pitch.
      A demo although I know would not be easy to create, would have been great to see for potential investors to see. Thanks for sharing.

      • pcollins 2:26 pm on November 28, 2012 | Log in to Reply

        Oh my goodness having access to someone who knows game programming would be amazing. When I first started the project, I thought that I might actually have to come up with something tangible to demonstrate – which would certainly have helped. Albeit fffffaaarrrr outside of my realm of expertise.
        Thanks for the feedback.

        PC

    • joeltremblay 4:25 pm on November 26, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      The elevator was great and the venture was informative. I do wish that some of the pizzaz you applied to the elevator would have been applied to the venture although I don’t think that affects the marketability.

      • pcollins 2:28 pm on November 28, 2012 | Log in to Reply

        I couldn’t agree more Joel,
        Actually – I really toned it down for the venture pitch…. as I tend to be quite a twitchy and loud kinda girl. I wanted to play it subdued and well researched – but maybe I erred on the side of being boring!
        Not something I am usually accused of in real life but certainly I can see it when I rewatch the presentation.

        PC

    • Mike Rae 5:20 am on November 27, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      Awesome job Patricia. When I was watching your venture pitch, there were a lot of things that I liked. You had good enthusiasm in your voice and you conveyed that this is a good idea that could make money. Your projections seemed reasonable, and you clearly did your homework (or at least sounded like you did) on statistics. If the BC ministry did sign off on it, of course it would be a hit. I guess the I would have liked to hear more about how you were planning to do that part. Overall though, real strong pitch.

      • pcollins 2:29 pm on November 28, 2012 | Log in to Reply

        Thanks kindly Mike,
        I did try my best… even though this was a fictional project…. to include realistic and well researched projections. I’m glad it came through to the objective viewer.

        PC

    • visramn 11:33 am on November 28, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      Hi,

      I think you did a great job on your pitch. It was informative and engaging.You did a great job of catching my attention and interesting me in your product with your pitch.
      I found that your venture analysis covered all the parameters needed in an analysis. You showed excitement in your product which was evident from your facial expressions and your tone of voice. It was apparent that you are knowledgeable about your product and that you have belief in it, which makes viewers feel more drawn to it. Overall, I think you did a great job. The only thing that I would suggest is maybe making the analysis a little bit more interactive or engaging. Although you did a good job of covering all angles related to your project it was hard to stay focused because there were not many visuals. It is hard to concentrate when someone is talking for a longer period of time without some sort of visual component.
      Thank for sharing. This is definitely a very good idea and I personally think there is a market for your product. .
      Great work
      Nureen

      • pcollins 2:32 pm on November 28, 2012 | Log in to Reply

        Much appreciated Visramn,
        I couldn’t help but notice that myself – that there needed to be something a tad more visually stimulating. Not “glitzy” as Dave had pointed out but eye catching. At first I thought about eliminating myself from the equation all together and having a production that was, well… more polished. And then my concern was it would detract from the product and it’s potential rather then add to it. Perhaps a misjudgement on my part?

        PC

        • visramn 4:20 pm on November 28, 2012 | Log in to Reply

          I think your presence was powerful because of your expressions and body language. Hence, you were right in your decision. After veiwing some more pitches I am think maybe I was wrong in my initial opinion. Sometimes it better to keep it simple because then you are not detracting from the essence of what you are trying to say. Sorry, I am new at this and needed seem more exposure.

          Nureen

    • sophiabb 12:01 pm on November 28, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      Hi,

      Great elevator pitch. The music and graphic did an excellent job in capturing and holding my attention.

      Your venture pitch came across as well researched and this added to the credibility of your venture proposition. You clearly addressed the pain point and your solution in both pitches. The venture pitch did a great job in addressing the marketability and financial feasibility aspects. I would have loved to see more graphical representation of your points but all major points were covered in your presentation. Well done on both pitches.
      Sophia

      • pcollins 2:35 pm on November 28, 2012 | Log in to Reply

        Hi Sophia,
        I am really quite aware of the pain point that exists because I work with home schoolers on a regular basis and have seen first hand how they would benefit from something similar to V.ooL. And yes, now that I am looking back on my venture, I can’t help but agree it was a bit dry. I have been told that I tend to be a bit too academic in my productions for the courses, and this would definitely be an area that I should work on.

        Research I can do! The marketing is an area that needs to be addressed – if this was the real world I’d probably have to invest big bucks to get a company to do the appropriate polish for me. Ha!

        PC

    • C. Ranson 1:53 pm on November 29, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      Hi Patricia,

      Well done, the elevator pitch was a little busy but cool and in keeping with your theme of gaming and learning. I agree with above, the white text was difficult to read at times but still intrigued me to continue to watch on. Your venture analysis presentation was very comprehensive identifying your target group, the investment details and return on investment. The 30-day free trial is a great idea and your revenue projections seem reasonable. What is the age of your target group, I know you mentioned that it wasn’t age specific but would the older learner be attracted to this platform? Very interesting idea.
      Catherine

    • jenniferschubertubc 11:53 am on November 30, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      Nice job on the elevator pitch, PC! 🙂 I know that it can be tough piecing all of that together, especially getting everything you need across in text on a moving video. It was a lot of material for that amount of time (and did go by a bit quickly), but I always say that it’s better to have more info than not enough. After all, that’s what pause is for! You engaged me quickly and left me wanting more, which is the whole point of an elevator, so mission accomplished.

      I also agree with Catherine as to the value of a 30 day free trial. It is often hard to get new users on board anything these days without at least some small concession. This is a very fair one which provides just enough of a glimpse into the value of the program to “hook” your users. Great idea.

      I would have liked to have seen more graphics in your venture pitch, but I know how hard it can be to incorporate your ideas, yourself and also accommodate for illustrative elements. You presented a wealth of information very well, addressing all of the points of a successful venture pitch. Very well done!

    • frank 6:30 pm on November 30, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      Patricia,
      I think you have a potentially great idea.
      Because of its novelty, I see your idea more as a R & D project in education tech, require several experiments/iterations.
      As such, what you might want to pitch how this idea can create great value for already existing education tech providers and ministries. And present a 1-year plan on how you would go about developing and testing the effectiveness of your program in the next year.
      Ideally, you’d have a big sponsor with already established programs that is willing to take a bet on this project in the hope that it might pay off with some direct/indirect results. The advantage of working with them is you’d have access to greater resources and funding for R&D work. The trade-off is the ownership of your project; though if you were instrumental in developing it, you’ll always have status associated with its outcomes and you could earn a good living off of it as long as it is successful. Something to think about it perhaps.

  • pcollins 9:10 pm on November 11, 2012
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    And our sincerest appreciation for taking the time to drop in and explore the offerings of the ETEC 522 – Digital Bookstore. We offer a momentous thank you to all of you for contributing your reflections, comments and feedback. The immensity of the discussion was incredible. It is directly through the scope and richness from the […]

    Continue reading An enormous round of applause for your contributions… Posted in: Week 10:
     

    • tomwhyte1 9:54 am on November 12, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      I would like to thank each member of this weeks group in regards to not only presenting an interesting and relevant topic to today’s education, but also facilitating multiple dynamic conversations.

      Tom

    • pcollins 2:43 pm on November 12, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      It was a pleasure Tom,
      And what a great source of insight! Being able to engage in the multiple discussions this way, and share with people’s thoughts and experiences. I learned just as much from our discourse as I did with the production side of things….
      PC

  • pcollins 7:58 am on October 4, 2012
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    I loved the opportunity to try out building an app. Last year some colleagues were talking about how easy it can be, but I seriously thought it would be way beyond me. Just for fun, I started an app for my town (unpublished) that allows people to follow and comment on food trucks. You never […]

    Continue reading Appshed a hit – Posted in: Week 05:
     

    • Mike Rae 1:33 pm on October 4, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      we posted some apps for you to try that may or may not be applicable to the classroom. Also, there have been some other suggestions from our colleagues in the course. I invite you to give them a try and let us know what you think.
      Great to hear that you had success in creating an app with Appshed. I too thought the process was more daunting than it ended up being, and when that happens it can turn into something that is actually fun. thanks for the feedback.
      MIKE

    • jhodi 9:13 pm on October 4, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      Hi,

      I know that my school has a school-wide app that provides contact information (for the school and individual teachers), a calendar of dates, and other important information that is great for keeping parents informed. The app that I attempted to create this week was an attempt to link my online resources that I use for my class currently with an app that students could access easily from anywhere. I enjoyed this experience in the fact that I would like to actually have an app such as this, but I think that my app making skills could use some work.

      Jhodi

    • teacherben 10:57 pm on October 4, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      It isn’t working for me. i clicked on ‘new’ app and got a page full of html. I tried a couple browsers and got the same thing. Anyone else having issues with it?

    • Lisa Nevoral 1:44 pm on October 6, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      Hi PC,

      I found that Appshed worked better for me than Appbuilder. Appbuilder took a long time to load, even with different browsers.

      The possibilities for creating new apps seems endless, as your example for your food trucks indicates. Finding educational ones to either use in your classrooms or guide students towards seems a little daunting to me right now. I can see benefits of how apps could be used for learning (ex. – supplement instruction and materials), but the transfer from what I see as benefit and how to get it to the students is something I will have to think about.

      Lisa

  • pcollins 7:41 am on September 27, 2012
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       The year was 1977 – three young and upcoming programmers from Ampex (producers of digital storage systems) took a risk and branched off to start their own company. One of them was Lawrence J. Ellison Serving as Chief executive officer from the beginning, Larry Ellison has been a man with far reaching dreams. When […]

    Continue reading The year was 1977 – three young and upco… Posted in: Week 04: Entrepreneur Bootcamp
     

    • kstackhouse 8:07 am on September 27, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      Interesting post. Thank you for sharing about his childhood. It is interesting to see how so many people are able to excel when they don’t fit the mold of the traditional educational setting. Universities haven’t changed much since their inception. It is interesting to see how institutions are now trying to adapt to the changing needs of today’s young students and life-long learners that continue to pursue education.

    • Ranvir 10:12 pm on September 27, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      It was good to know more about the background of Larry Ellison, CEO of this successful database management company. It is indeed inspiring to know how about his giant leap to set up a successful company and realize his dreams even though he comes from a disadvantaged background. This shows his passion and hunger for success which I feel is a necessary ingredient for realizing our venture.

    • lullings 3:05 pm on September 29, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      I am always secretly delighted when I hear of one of Larry’s (yes Larry!!!!) purchases – 400ft+ yachts, investments in the Volvo Oceans Race, buying a Hawaiian Island. Finally a billionaire that is having a bit of fun and splashing out on some toys. Interesting about his modest upbringing, I wonder does that give him some nonchalance about cash?

      Thanks for the background info p.

      Stuart

  • pcollins 8:45 am on September 15, 2012
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    Alright, time to come clean. Although I read most of the articles that had been provided to us it was really the Learning Coach that caught my eye with it’s title. And that’s only because I thought that it was going to be an article about a new technology – Learning Coaches. Which in essence […]

    Continue reading The Learning Coach – Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
     

    • lullings 5:51 pm on September 15, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      Hey PC,

      I would be interested in drilling down into this 10% you have calculated. Do you think they are from all backgrounds? Do you think that they are from all ages?

      I am going to put my head on the chopping board now and it might actually create a bit of a backlash. In my experience the biggest differentiator between people is their attitudes. The biggest influence on peoples attitudes is their work environment. I find that people working in the public sector are forced into a changeless single-minded-ness attitude that hampers both the ability and desire to change. I am not taking sides and not blaming anyone. I find that private sector people are required, and allowed, to be more dynamic and versatile and that it stands to their personal development in what ever field they are in.

      You posed the question that its between the teachers who are willing/flexible/comfortable/confident with technology and those who are not? Would it be more about what systems are in place for teachers to be allowed and encouraged to test and perhaps fail?

      S

    • Peggy Lawson 8:33 pm on September 15, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      Thanks for the post PC; it actually caught my eye as I was going through the week’s postings, so I decided to take a closer look at the Learning Coach. I like these brief overviews of key technologies to look for. I certainly don’t have time to follow up every one in depth, even though my job is focused on bringing technology to the classroom throughout my division, but the more I continue to hear & read about specific topics the deeper I am drawn in.

      I see an increasing number of teachers – my estimate would be much higher than your 10% – who are willing to explore how to integrate technology into their everyday instruction. I think one of their biggest challenges (other than costs, of course) is not resistance but time. I’m constantly reading about technological advances and how they may be used in the classroom. I would guess most teachers would be like me – they require repeated exposure to gain a depth of understanding. They, however, have less time to devote to experimentation and practice. While I wouldn’t say this is the only reason educational advances in this area plod along slowly, I think it’s an important one. And as S noted above, it’s important that teachers do have this time to test and fail.

      Peggy

    • manny 11:24 am on September 16, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      Hi Peggy,
      The experimentation phase when it comes to introducing new technologies definitely needs to happen. Unfortunately it seems like a catch 22. I read somewhere that on average, a teacher needs about 2 years to successfully adopt and integrate new technologies into their instructional practice. However, it seems as though we are always playing catch up because of the rapid growth of technology. It seems to me that as soon as we figure out how to integrate a new technology into the classroom, it is already obsolete and the next best thing is already on the market and being introduced into classrooms. I feel that this is just one of the realities we have to face and makes it difficult to remain on the cutting edge of innovation.
      Manny

    • Doug Connery 1:35 pm on September 16, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      Hi everyone:

      A few quick comments:

      PC – there is a technology divide with post secondary instructors as well, generally by age. Younger more likely to use/adopt technology and older, especially those late in their careers less likely.

      Stuart: – I believe the private/public sector situation occurs in all fields, not just education.

      Peggy – From what I have seen working for nearly 10 years with post secondary instructors it is a combination of attitude (Stuart) and time. Without some sort of offload it is difficult for instructors to find the time to integrate technology. Some motivated instructors will. I have seen situations where faculty are given time and a goal through a project, andt they do work hard at it and others who because of attitude, don’t really create good value based on the time and money made available to them.

      Manny – It is a risk for the teacher and the school to actually prototype something new and different live in the classroom.

      Doug.

  • pcollins 8:12 am on September 7, 2012
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    Great to get back into the swing of things this fall – I am quite keen to participate in the blog environment that frameworks this course. My name is Patricia and I live on the shores of Okanagan lake in the beautiful Sylix traditional territory. I am a Geology/Aboriginal teacher by trade but dabble a […]

    Continue reading Great to get back into the swing of thin… Posted in: Week 01: Introductions
     

    • bryan 10:26 am on September 8, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      Hello, I look forward to working with you in this course.
      Bryan

    • Lisa Nevoral 11:42 am on September 8, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      Hi Patricia, I see we’re in another course together. I hope you enjoyed your time off in August. I know I did. Looking forwards to working with you again in this course.
      Lisa

    • pcollins 3:56 pm on September 8, 2012 | Log in to Reply

      Great to be back with you too Lisa. August was busy but great. Are you taking two courses this semester? It will be my first time trying on a second course… should be interesting.

      Take care,
      PC

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