gillian
As many of you have noted, this course has been quite a journey or ‘venture’ in itself. I did, however, find that my own participation came in ebbs and flows and fits and starts. After some reflection, I think that the weblog platform and missed opportunities for further engagement could be improved. When it comes […]
Continue reading A few final thoughts and suggestions … Posted in: Blog Café, Uncategorized Please take the time to view my elevator Pitch and Venture Pitch for 21st Century Online Professional Development (21COPD). Please note that this is a fictitious venture and the screen captures of the website and Moodle site are mock-ups and not actually populated. Here’s the link to my Elevator Pitch. I can’t seem to get it to […]
Continue reading Please take the time to view my elevator… Posted in: Venture Forum
Hi Gillian. I’m supposed to look at your elevator pitch. I don’t see it linked here. Am I missing something?
sorry Jody – It was embedded when I posted it last night. I have linked it for you instead.
gillian
Hi Gillian,
I wasn’t able to locate your elevator pitch, so my comments only refer to your venture plan. I thought your document looked very professional; the logo and use of colour throughout were great! You did a good job outlining the competition for your venture and how it would operate.
I can certainly see the need for your venture to address the gaps you identified. I currently subscribe to an online service for PD in accounting and auditing that delivers four new segments every month. Have you given any thought to how much new content you’re planning to offer to your customers on a monthly basis?
Deborah
Hi Deborah,
Sorry about the video – it was embedded last night and then disappeared?? I have added a link instead if you would still like to take a look.
Thank you for your comments on my venture pitch – I carried the colours throughout the video as well. It sure was tough to stay within the 1 minute limit on video and 2000 words on the written.
As for your question – The plan was to have 2 webinars per month on emerging trends like new technologies – new tools or new strategies like flipped classrooms etc.
As for new courses … when I was doing the mock up for the Moodle page I had endless ideas – the hope was also to draw on ideas and submissions from the CoP – hopefully adding more than one new course per month – starting at a beginner level and then adding more advanced as people become more familiar with tools etc.
gillian
Hey Deborah,
I couldn’t find your pitch either, so the comments that follow are in regard to just your venture pitch. First of all, Great idea. I really think this will eventually take off but the part that scares me is the ‘who is the buyer’ section. The BCTF will definitely be supportive of this with their stance that PD should be autonomous. The one party that would be difficult to persuade is the District/BC Ministry of EDUC. As teachers I like the idea of anytime/anywhere for PD (especially if employees are at home sick on PD days and can’t get out) but I worry about the district allowing PD days to be conducted off of school property outside of the hours of 8-3pm.
Hello again Deborah,
Sorry I didn’t give any suggestions for the idea. So here they are…..
If you can get the District/Ministry on board then this idea is money-in-the-bank. Teachers will love this and it will revolutionize pro-d. You will also have to be patient to see what the BC Ministry decides on its idea to ‘mandate’ pro-d so that your told where to go, and do not have the option to choose your pro-d activity anymore. Good luck.
-Regen
Hi Regen,
(it’s gillian actually 🙂 – ). Sorry about the absent video – it was there … I swear! Anyway, I have linked it above.
I agree that the BCTF would likely be supportive of such a venture – even if it would compete with their workshops – as for the Ministry … you’re right on that one. IF I could get them on board – I’d be set. When I found out CEET was part of LearnNowBC and funded by the Ministry, I was surprised and a little more hopeful about getting funding from the Ministry for my venture. They are quite a busy little CoP and are launching a “university” in the upcoming months – you should check them out. I was also encouraged by 2Learn.ca – which is the Alberta PD website – which is funded by BOTH the union and the government as well as a few other partners. They have some OPD available, but nothing on the scope I was hoping to achieve.
The PD off school grounds is another concern that I had – my understanding is that there is concern with regards to coverage from Worksafe BC if you do your PD from home. I suppose teachers could do courses and attend webinars from the school – but where’s the fun in that? PD in PJs I say! – It looks as if Alberta has it over on us on this one as well as I have had colleagues in other MET courses in Alberta who have used their ProD to work from home on their MET projects.
Thank you so much for your comments. I hope you have a minute (and 4 seconds) to check out my elevator pitch.
gillian
Hi Gillian,
I think you have done an amazing job with your elevator pitch and venture pitch. I think this is a viable venture and certainly one I would consider investing in. Probably one of the main reasons I would just because the market research you have done!
What I also find attractive about your proposal is that it includes opportunities for both self-guided learning as well as an opportunity to take part in a community of practice.I personally prefer to have the choice. Sometimes I want to embark on a new learning experience on my own, and other times I would prefer to learn within a community of collaborators. I also think it is fabulous that you have included UBC graduates on your team. I have included the same on my team, great minds think alike!
As for marketing, I would suggest giving teachers an opportunity to trial the site in order to fully appreciate it. Word-of-mouth is the best kind of advertising.
The resistance you mentioned would be interesting to see. I am not familiar with PD opportunities in British Columbia but from what I hear, a venture such as yours would offer teachers much more flexibility. I recall a classmate of ours in my first course in the MET program doing her final research proposal on online professional development opportunities for BC teachers. So I think they’re most certainly is a market for such a venture, and how you have presented it indicates to me that you not only have the knowledge and expertise as a CEO but you have also done your homework.
Well done!
Danielle
Hi Danielle,
Thanks for your time and kind comments; they are much appreciated.
The opportunity for a community of practice appeals to me as well and the research certainly supports the fact that if given the opportunity learners are more likely to put what they learn into practice if they have the continued support of such a community.
As for marketing, the site and its courses are free to all who subscribe and I would hope that through PD chairs and regular PD opportunities, teachers would be inspired to give it a try.
As for resistance … I believe that is the real pain point in this venture. I believe ProD in BC requires systemic reform itself. K-12 teachers are afforded only 6 days and in Adult Ed we are granted only 3 (some other districts afford their adult ed teachers 0 – which is atrocious). F2F proD simply doesn’t provide the opportunity or the time to offer much choice or application of what is learned and there is little incentive to go beyond what is paid. I could go on, but I am afraid I will just rant.
Thanks again,
gillian
Hi Gillian,
Wow, your passion will most certainly ensure the success of this venture! I really like your idea and it’s one I’d like to model for PD opportunities where I live.
I find that where I live, we are never truly satisfied with government or instituitionally led PD programs (even when they are very well done, lol! We are a bit spoiled!) So I think another important strength of your venture, which I should have mentioned in my previous analysis, is your team of teachers. No matter where your venture is marketed, teachers are going to appreciate and respond to PD that is based on experience on the ground. Once again, well done!
Danielle
Hi Gillian,
Thank you for sharing your pitches and after reviewing your elevator pitch I have the follow comments.
I like the hook that you created with the first slide stating that “it’s coming”. I found myself wondering what was coming but unfortunately, I could not quite understand the audio to hear what it was. I would suggest something visual be inserted along with BC education. Seeing as I did not quite understand this part I had difficulty is seeing the connection link between the change in education and the online PD. I suggest using an exterior microphone for improved audio.
The logo is great, well designed and catchy. However, the acronym COPD is commonly known as “chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” and is the first thing that came to my mind. In the education field this might not be a problem.
Bridget
Hi Bridget,
Couldn’t agree more with your comments regarding the audio on my elevator pitch – but you have to work with what you’ve got … and unfortunately a crappy microphone is what I got. I tried to mask the pings and echoes with music – but apparently to no avail.
I didn’t think of the “COPD” connection you mention – I guess I should have gone with the lower case ‘c’ after all.
Gillian;
I think this is a great idea and would be a useful resource as some of us help plan PD for our staff and are always looking for solid resources. it is vital that your resources are free for teachers as I don’t know that I would pay for online resources, unless they came highly recommended by a colleague with the guarantee that they would work well for my plans as a professional development coordinator. I see the gap that you are trying to fill and don’t see any easy solutions. I don’t know if teachers will take time to complete even free online courses or modules because they do not have time, unless there are credits involved. If there is a way to offer these modules and have them fit directly into the daily routine of teachers or have them fit into their planning I think they would be quite useful. As mentioned earlier if the product is good, word-of-mouth will take the venture to the top.
Dennis
Hi Dennis,
Thank you for your comments. You bring up some very practical points and they are ones that I struggled with in outlining my venture. One conclusion that i came to is that the pain point is not just with available PD for BC teachers, but also with the overall approach to PD. I see a systemic flaw – in the lack of incentive for teachers to engage in ongoing PD. However, I saw this as more a political issue and not really appropriate for the venture plan.
Hopefully, enough teachers will be inspired if the courses are integrated into the standard PD opportunities provided by non-instructional days.
Thank you again for your comments.
gillian
Hello Gillian:
Count on me as an investor in your venture: 21COPD. I think you have made an excellent business proposition in both your elevator and venture pitch. You explain clear pain points and provide matching solutions that sound effective and relevant. You appear well researched and confident in your video presentation. I found the background music to be a little loud; somewhat overwhelming. It would have helped to have some facial presence in the elevator pitch. You could have provided some more market information such as potential client numbers and expected revenue that would have appealed to investor interests.
I think your idea of professional development in the area of educational technology is an excellent idea and needed service. This is very similar to my venture proposition so I have some biased interest here. Your venture pitch is quite thorough in covering all the aspects of a venture and your self-analysis using the cube analysis is effective and helpful. I like the hosesty in your self assessment regarding the “ask” and “return”. I had the same problem – couldn’t really find anything online that was similar enough to the venture while providing this information. In your competition section, do you not feel that the BCTF as they support and provide professional development would be part of your competition along with universities?
Overall, I think you provide a convincing pitch for a possible venture.
Tim
Hi Tim,
Thank you for your time and feedback on my pitches.
Your comments on my elevator pitch are very true – one I can explain due to technical deficiencies and the other – well … shyness. I included the music to hopefully cover up some of the feedback and pinging in the narration – it was hard to find a balance … I guess I missed it.
In reference to competition … I do agree that the BCTF itself could be competition which is part of the reason why I would target them directly as an investor. The BCTF PD offerings do not focus on 21st century skills, nor do they provide any online offerings. In regards to the universities … well, I suppose you can’t beat free.
Thanks again and I will have to take a peek at your venture – gotta keep an eye on the competition :P.
gillian
Hi Gillian,
I think your have a great idea here – there is definitely a market for some reliable, well-resourced PD that can be accessed cheaply (or freely as you suggest) from home! I think you would want to pitch this venture to your BC College of Teachers or to your school district and get them to put in the money to fund it and then run it for the members who are BC teachers or the school board’s employees. That would be the best bet – if I were on a board of either of those two groups, I would make the decision to invest in this venture.
I am currently at a private school that does little to no PD because they don’t put value in it (sadly) and therefore don’t budget for it. There are teachers working at my school who are completely out of the loop of what the current provincial focus is regarding educational, technology, assessment etc, only because they have been at the school for years and there has been no PD to keep them up to date. This would be something that this type of market could greatly benefit from were it a free resource available to certified teachers. Maybe something our annual fees could go towards paying for?
Another drawback someone else mentione din the comments above I think was the lack of motivation you might have for teachers to use this online PD even though it’s free due to lack of time. There are certain professional designations for which you need to complete a certain number of PD hours a year in order to maintain your qualification – perhaps if this were an endeavour taken on and supported by the BC College of Teachers you could be looking at a guaranteed market of users. This could be one of the places you could earn yoru PD points for the year, for example.
I think the focus here is a strong one – your venture pitch is a sound one – and that you could seriously think about presenting it to the key players and get a response!
Good job,
Sheza
Gillian,
All I can say is that, coming from another BC teacher, this should certainly be pitched to the BCTF! Really well done and well thought of. Where you thinking of Christie Clarke when you created this?
Cheers,
Todd
Hi everyone, Thanks very much for your feedback during our Week 8 presentation. We were very impressed with everyone’s PLEs and added resources (we have stolen/borrowed many of them). There was a lot of insightful input and discussions, which greatly enhanced the experience both for ourselves and hopefully for you, our colleagues. Symbaloo (it’s also […]
Continue reading A big thank you from Week 8! Posted in: Uncategorized Dr. Avraham Kadar, CEO and Founder of BrainPOP BrainPOP, privately owned by FWD Media Inc, is a group of award winning, subscription-based websites that offer over 1000 animated videos and related materials on 7 K-12 educational topics including Health, Math, Social Studies, Science, Engineering and Tech, Art and Music and English (Wikipedia, 2012). The website […]
Continue reading Dr. Avraham Kadar, Founder and CEO of BrainPOP Posted in: Week 04: Entrepreneur Bootcamp
As a science teacher from way back I have watched BrainPop videos before but would never use them in my classroom and certainly wouldn’t pay for them. To me they are the junk food of education, fun while you are experiencing them, but have little or no nutritional value. Maybe they would be fun for kids to share with parents. Just my honest educators opinion!
Hey Steve,
I appreciate your honesty. As an adult educator, I could see little use for them, but I did think they looked like fun for younger grades. I also liked the idea of the educator community and some of the other free features.
gillian
Hi Gillian,
Hope that my last comment didn’t offend, it was not aimed at you but at resources like this one. I really enjoyed reading your piece about the founder and his venture, I had no idea he was so accomplished. I just have such a viceral reaction to these types of products. Although, I agree that they are fun and could be a great site for students to visit outside of the formal learning timetable. I wonder how students would review these videos? They are funny!
Cheers, Steve
Hi Steve,
I have used BrainPop in the classroom as a supplemental piece to learning. I agree with you that it shouldn’t take away from the “formal setting” of the teaching experience in the classroom. Yes, as adults we find these types of characters irritating, but the videos aren’t targeting adults. I know the students certainly get a kick out of them. What I really like about BrainPop, is that it really helps simplify concepts with great visuals especially for students with ESL (there are many free ones). There are also great resources for educators to use aside from the video components to assist teachers with lesson concepts.
I got a kick out of your term “junk food for education” and if left alone to its own consumption, yes can be very unhealthy. But like anything, we need to understand that there a balance is necessary, and it’s okay to dabble in junk once in awhile!
Thanks for you open and honest opinion Steve.
Cheers,
Jon
Steve – no worries and certainly no offense! As I said your response was honest. I myself found Moby to be quite annoying but he appears to have quite a fan following amongst the younger kids if you check out the Flickr photostream! Apparently 25% of US schools subscribe to BrainPOP and there is also a BrainPOP UK version.
To each his own?
Cheers back 🙂
gillian
No, I would not invest in Evernote. While I was impressed with Evernote’s product and found the CEO/presenter likable, I felt the pitch was directed towards a potential user rather than a potential investor. If the question was would I want to invite CEO, Phil Libin, to present a more detailed Venture […]
Continue reading Evernote: use it – “yes”; invest – “no” Posted in: Week 03: Analyst Bootcamp
This was a good critique. Like ‘Learning unlimited’ your venture also seemed to appeal to no one in particular. There are different ways of investing other than with captial, such as time and expertise, but it is important for the pitch to clearly state who it is addresssing and what the venture is looking for. Be it money, expertise, staff, voluneers or participants. You make an important point, if the elevator pitch is addressing investors then after watching the pitch they should know where they fit in. Something to think about as I think of designing my own elevator pitch . . .
Thanks Marie. Yes, I think this exercise was very helpful in learning what NOT to do. Sticking to that 1 minute time limit must be extremely difficult.
In making my selection of which report to critique in the Emerging Market Projection Library, I felt a little like Goldilocks as I found some of the reports too short and others too long. The report that I found to be ‘just right’ was the “7 Things You Should Know About …” series from […]
Continue reading EDUCAUSE’s “7 Things …” Series Posted in: Uncategorized
Hi Gillian,
Great Review! I love your assessment/critique of Educause Learning Initiative’s “7 Things”. In particular, I liked your critique of the scenarios as being idealized and therefore lacking authenticity. I agree that this is a flaw; luckily they provide links to resources that include discussions and videos of real people utilizing these technologies for more authenticity. One of the seminar videos I watched on cloud computing was very comprehensive and didn’t hold back on the criticism of different issues effecting students, faculty and admin. Definitely a great resource for our group projects.
Cheers, Steve
Thanks Steve.
I agree that Educause overall is a great resource. Starting with the 7 Things Initiative can easily lead you to other links within the website – more comprehensive reviews, strategies for implementation and the seminar videos you mentioned. I think many will look to Educause for their projects.
gillian
Hi Gillian,
A very comprehensive review! And I like your Goldilocks metaphor! Funny and true! 😀
The series is a great starting point and will be appreciated by many just starting out with teaching/learning technologies. And for those with expertise, these make a great “this is what I mean” reference point when working with novices. I thought “The Implications for Teaching and Learning” sections were a little too promo heavy, at least in the few articles I read. But perhaps this is what potential “customers” want.
Danielle
Danielle,
You make a good point that this series would be ideal for tech specialists trying to ‘nutshell’ new technologies for those less savvy – especially for those who control the purse strings. I also agree that much of the reviews are overly optimistic in regards to the potential of each new venture.
gillian
Hello fellow METers … Off of the waiting list and into the fire! This is my EIGHTH course, and while I am close to the end of my MET journey, it appears it will be extended a little longer as I will be taking next semester off awaiting the arrival of my first child in […]
Continue reading Hello from gillian Posted in: Uncategorized
Wow, Gillian!
Congratulations on expecting your first baby! That is so exciting! I will look forward to pics in Google Circles when the time comes.
It is really great to see you again as well and I also hope this will be our chance to work together!
Danielle
Thanks Danielle,
It is quite surreal at the moment. I will share at least one photo when it all happens, promise.
gillian
Hi Gillian,
Congratulations that’s exciting news!
Your description of how adult ed operates sounds very similar to Distributed Learning. Challenging at times but perhaps beneficial as the competitive element means courses continue to improve.
I look forward to working with you.
Claire
Hi Claire,
From what I understand about DL, Adult Ed is quite similar – It certainly classifies as Adult Education!
gillian
Hi Gillian,
Congratulations! Being a parent is by far the most rewarding thing I have ever done.
Looking forward to working with you.
Deborah
Thanks Deborah.
Looking forward to working with you as well.
gillian
Hi Gillian
Congratulations on expecting your first child! I have 2 grown children of my own and have enjoyed them at all of the stages of their development. I look forward to working with you this term.
Valerie
Thanks Valerie. I appreciate the encouragement.
gillian
Congrats Gilliant!
How exciting . . . it certainly sounds as if you will be having a very busy time! Enjoy! I look forward to sharing and working with you over the term.
Marie-France
Marie-France,
Hopefully it won’t be too crazy this semester. I know other METers who have done it, but I think I’ll take my third trimester off.
gillian
Gillian;
Congrats on the baby and I hate to break it to you but pregnancy brain is real, and normal. I have seen the effects three times up close. our youngest is only 8 weeks and we are happy to get through the crying for no reason phase. They are precious! Enjoy every moment!
Dennis
Hey Dennis,
Good to see your name on the list again (and a face to go with the name).
Here’s hoping my case of pregnancy brain is a mild one … I need all the IQ points I can get from the looks of the upcoming weeks!
gillian
Hey Gillian,
Adult Ed sounds like fun! What subjects ahve you taught? Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!
Adult Ed is great fun when the politicians don’t get in the way! I have taught the full gamut of courses in the English and Humanities field. I am currently teaching a new course for myself and our program which is Social Justice 12. Very exciting and lots of fun. Thanks for your interest and luck.
gillian
Hi Gillian,
Its been just over a year since we worked together and I have to say I miss you and am really looking forward to sharing this course. Congradulations on your new baby, I know you’ll be as great a Mom as you were an inspirational leader. I can just see you, baby in one arm and a bottle under your chin, typing with your free hand and mousing with your toes. If anyone can do it, you can! Looking forward to those adorable pictures.
Cheers, Steve
Hey Mac,
I was happy to ‘see’ you here! That’s quite a picture you painted there! Thank you for your congratulations and confidence – it’s certainly going to be an interesting challenge.
gillian
Before you publish your posting, please make sure that you select a category (eg. Introductions) as well as assign some meaningful tags (keywords).
janetb 1:00 pm on August 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Gillian,
Great comments – I, too, found the navigation in the blog format a little off-putting at times. I also found that there were more individual comments about concepts, but far less interactive discussion about them than in other courses.
I also agreed with your comment about “the Ask” part of a venture. I was stumped on that, too. I also had no idea what is generally considered acceptable for both amount and timeline on the Return, so more guidance on those would have been helpful.
Thanks for your post,
Janet
gillian 2:11 pm on August 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks for your reply Janet – it was nice to know I wasn’t alone :). I was happy to have the opportunity to express my thoughts.
gillian
vawells 2:03 pm on August 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Gillian
Great suggestions to facilitate greater participation! The format of the blog did not lend itself to interactive discussions but instead as Janet said posts were mostly comments about concepts covered. For me a LMS offers more structure, ease of use and facilitated more collaborative learning opportunities.
Enjoy the rest of your summer
Valerie
gillian 2:12 pm on August 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Valerie,
Thank you. Best to you for the rest of your summer as well.
gillian
Dennis Pratt 3:11 pm on August 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Gillian;
Great ideas. I did like that this course was not “post heavy” as some courses eat too much time reading and posting comments. I believe the amount of time on discussions should match the weight of the mark given to it but that seems to rarely be the case. I agree that some things were difficult to navigate and I am aware of a few instances where directions were unclear.
Enjoy what is left of your summer.
Dennis
gillian 10:16 am on August 5, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Dennis,
I agree that there have been some courses where participation expectations have been overwhelming and the value placed on them rather … um … underwhelming. The value in this case does seem to match the time and effort allotted; however, I do feel that there were missed opportunities for learners to give and receive constructive feedback which would have helped to build a more supportive and active community.
Cheers to the rest of your summer as well.
gillian
Deborah S 8:20 am on August 5, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Gillian,
I agree with your comments about navigation. I found it time consuming to locate the posts I was supposed to provide feedback on this past week. I had the same problem in weeks two and three of the course before the group presentations started. While it may have been easier to administer the course in a LMS, I was happy to get experience with this blogging tool and I’m certainly feeling more confident with it than I was at the start of the term.
Deborah
gillian 10:18 am on August 5, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Deborah,
It certainly was a valuable learning experience in regards to using a weblog as a learning platform. While I still prefer the accordances of an LMS, weblogs are a less costly alternative.
Thanks for your comments and I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer.
gillian
Danielle Dubien 10:08 pm on August 5, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Gillian,
I agree that it would have been useful to have more information about estimatiing the value of the “ask” and “return”. I was able to estimate some values, and having watched Dragon’s Den a few times, I had a bit of an idea of values that were reasonable. Perhaps references or a video on cost and profit estimates would have done the trick.