Deborah S
Welcome to the Student Interview Coach! Our online service provides timely feedback to students on their interviewing skills based on a mock interview that they upload to our website. Read the Venture Plan here. Deborah
Continue reading Student Interview Coach Posted in: Venture Forum Hi Group, Thanks for the informative overview and great examples of mind mapping! What Makes a Good Mind Map? As you have illustrated through your examples, good mind maps use linkages to show how the facts/information relate to each other. The importance of certain points is highlighted through the use of a larger font. The […]
Continue reading What makes a good mind map and classroom uses of mind mapping Posted in: Week 09: Visual-Intensive Learning
Debroah: Thank you for including your ideas of how mind mapping could be used withint he classroom environment. I appreciate that you included assessment. I too think that it would be a great option for visual learners!
Dani
Dani,
In my experience, students really enjoy choice and would much rather do anything on the computer versus pen/pencil and paper! I will definitely be sharing Cacoo with my students and my colleagues.
Thanks,
Deborah
John Baker is the founder, president and CEO of Kitchener, Ontario company Desire2Learn. John founded the company in 1999 when he was still an engineering student at the University of Waterloo. Desire2Learn is a company that provides a learning management system (LMS) to K to 12 and post-secondary institutions, corporations, government and healthcare organizations. Major […]
Continue reading Introducing John Baker Posted in: Week 04: Entrepreneur Bootcamp
Deb, this is a well written bio and venture presentation. I spent several hours reviewing this company as well, since it is located in Ontario and provides essential service to the Education Ministry for blended and online learning. I was particularly interested in John Baker’s reflections and response to the patent infringement litigation he has successfully fought as shared in the Communitech interview. He shared his response to the challenge by being open and honest in his communication strategy, which certainly helped build a stronger brand support from employees and customers. With a growing workforce and a vision of global service provision, this is certainly one venture to watch.
Thanks, Helen. I was interested in the company because of their link to the Ministry and they were recently chosen as the LMS provider for the University of Waterloo. Until I researched the company in more detail, I had no idea they were so diversified in terms of the products and services they offer.
Deborah
Now that I have reviewed and investigated other ventures, I realize how polished and user centered their website information is, in terms of the visual images, vocabulary choices, and readily accessible links to important information. I was struck by the current and future vision for this company and sent the job posting link to a few people I know. I am interested in seeing how the LMS works, in comparison to Moodle or WebCT, as well as the co-ordination of the e-portfolio component, since this is an area of current research for me. Have you (or any others) used this product or know more about it?
Hi Helen,
I would agree with you about the website. Not only is it easy to navigate, but I like how they split the customer base into K-12, higher education, corporate and government so you can easily see the services available.
My daughter completed several online courses with school boards that used the LMS. I really liked the way it was set up and navigation was very intuitive. I personally haven’t used the e-portfolio component, so I can’t offer any assistance.
Deborah
Hi all, I just posted into the week 3 forum and I had embedded a YouTube video in my post. Everything looked fine on preview and the video ran beautifully. When I posted, however, I noticed that the embedded video had disappeared. I have embedded videos in previous blogs without issue. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks […]
Continue reading Embedding a Video Posted in: Blog Café
Hi Deborah – I’ve posted several embedded videos since this post and they’ve appeared to work fine – if you’ve tried again and failed let me know and I’ll see if our tech team has any suggestions.
David
I chose to review a Dragon’s Den pitch from season five about the Ethical Oceans venture. The pitch was delivered by Tony Hancock and David Damderger from Calgary who were asking the dragons for $150,000 for 20% of their company which they had valued at $750,000. CEO Credibility and Management Team The presenters seemed […]
Continue reading EVA – Ethical Oceans Posted in: Week 03: Analyst Bootcamp I chose to review the eLearning Coach article entitled “Learning Technology Trends to Watch in 2012”. Eight emerging trends that would be of interest to educators as well as learning technology specialists and venturers were identified in the article. Specifically, the article highlighted the following trends: backchannel, content curation, developing in the cloud, the expanded […]
Continue reading I chose to review the eLearning Coach ar… Posted in: Uncategorized
Thanks Deborah;
I have not tried the flipped classroom as of yet but understand how it works and look forward to using it in the future. I don’t think that you have to make the lecture or lesson every day. There are tons of useful videos already loaded on YouTube or other sites that you could use instead or recording yourself giving a lecture. The Khan Academy is creating a video library that is very helpful, especially for math. As kids adapt to the flipped classroom some will love it and others may not even have access. It is a tough transition phase we are in right now, especially if a student does not have internet access at home.
http://www.khanacademy.org/new-and-noteworthy/v/futures-introduction
Dennis
Hi Dennis,
Thanks for the link. I have used the Khan Academy site before, but sparingly. I know some of my students really like it as it presents concepts in a slightly different way than they heard it in class. Even though I teach in a relatively affluent area, I know that not all of my students have Internet access at home. I would be concerned that if I were to implement a flipped learning model, I would be placing unreasonable expectations on some students who may now have to go the public library to access videos to complete their homework. It is an interesting concept, though.
Deborah
Hi Deborah,
I think it was a solid review of the report. I agree that it is problematic and decreases the value of a resource if it isn’t objective. Not knowing how trends were selected or if trends had drawbacks or issues makes it less likely to pick a trend or rely on the sourc in the future.
I have used Flipped only sparingly and I think you raise a good point that in some places students may not have net access at home. Thus learning becomes onerous. What I like about the model is that is more time for students to receive help on the work rather than large chunks of time spent on notes and basic information.
Dave
HI Deborah,
I agree with you (and Dave) about the shortcomings of the article. It is one of the problems I see reguarly with blogs, and I find it challenging to use them as “reference” material in assignments within the tertiary(they are almost like some medical references quoted as ‘personal communication’)
But they are a way for people to share ideas and then off we the readers go to explore further and learn lots!
Hello from Waterloo! My name is Deborah and this is my seventh MET course. Like many of you, I’m also taking another course, ETEC530 this summer as well. I think it’s going to be quite busy! I am Program Head of Business and Co-op at a high school in Waterloo, Ontario. I am completing my […]
Continue reading Hello from Waterloo! My name is Deborah … Posted in: Uncategorized
Hi Deborah,
Congratulations to your daughter. How wonderful.
This course sounds like a great match for your existing talents and an avenue for you to spread your creative wings as well.
gillian
Hi Deborah! I think we are also doing 530 together. All the best!
Shawn
Great to see you again, Deborah, and congrats to your daughter! I recall your proud mom moments from previous semesters. 🙂 Now on the Disney thing, the pic is a sign you got from Disney?
Hi Danielle,
Believe it or not, the picture is actually a carpet at the entrance of our Disney Vacation Club villa building of which we own a very small piece. It’s actually a time share without all the restrictions of a regular time share; we work on allotted points not on weeks which means we have flexibility on when we can travel.
Deborah
Hi Deborah,
What a big switch in jobs you made! I bet the students appreciate learning from your experience. Business is a fascinating field to study. I took three courses in Admin during my undergrad and loved every minute of it.
Before you publish your posting, please make sure that you select a category (eg. Introductions) as well as assign some meaningful tags (keywords).
Jody McKinnon 4:57 pm on July 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
HI there. As a guidance counselor, I see this venture as being extremely valuable. What a wonderful opportunity for students to practice a very important skill! I like the quick turnaround for feedback. My only concern is this: you’ll need a huge staff potentially to deal with the onslaught of interviews! Good job with the video!
Jody
Deborah S 5:06 am on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Jody,
Thanks for the feedback! I think interviewing skills are really important and something that we don’t pay enough attention to. In my experience, an interview can be the deciding factor as to whether or not someone is offered a job. The sooner students can improve their skills, the more successful they will be later on.
Deborah
Yves Mainville 11:32 am on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Deborah,
I think this is a solid venture concept and I really liked the quote “Practice is the best teacher”. Having done this very kind of practice a few times, I can clearly state that practice is key. I was wondering however about the ‘niche’ you are targeting and wondering if it is too broad and competitive? I did this sort of thing when I took a leadership course awhile back – should this be a consideration as a strategic partnership or expansion phase? As for market, students are a fickle bunch that seem to want to spend their money on other things than these kinds of services…
I would want to hear more about these items before investing.
I really like the concept and think it has great potential.
great job on the presentation.
cheers.
Deborah S 11:35 am on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Yves,
Thanks for the feedback. This service is actually being marketed to school boards and university administrators. I don’t envision that students would pay for it themselves (as you’ve noted, they find other ways to spend their money) but rather it would be a line item in the school or university budget.
Deborah
dmcinnes 2:54 pm on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Deborah,
Great job on your presentation. As always done by you, it is very thorough, well-researched and totally believable! I think interview skills are a critical asset, that for the most part completely over-looked. They were as I was growing up anyways.
In your venture pitch, I really appreciated your breakdown of market potential, etc. Putting hard numbers to an idea really helps with your credibility.
Count me in as an investor.
David McInnes
Deborah S 4:10 pm on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi David,
Thank you for your generous comments! I think it’s important to try and quantify things and I like numbers. Good to know I can count you in should I decide to pursue the opportunity : )
Deborah
kimnoel 2:03 pm on August 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Deborah,
Really nice job on your presentation! You have touched on an area that really does need to be addressed and most times overlooked. My biggest concern would be the satffing – I think yu would inundated with requests for interviews!
Well done!
Kim
Deborah S 11:26 am on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks for the feedback, Kim. You raise a valid point about the potential staffing issue and one solution may be to try and schedule schools ahead of time to ensure appropriate staffing is in place.
Deborah
Dennis Pratt 8:25 pm on August 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Deborah;
I think you have a creative use of technology targeted at a niche market. If you have a small team (depending on use and growth) it might actually work. I know interviewing is a skill and can get or lose you a job. I can see the benefits of this type of assistance. I might be interested to know if your team would consider going live and do mock interviews over Skype or something similar. Your team could ask the questions while the interviewee is working on their responses. This would give your team a better feel for the client as they could expand on questions or follow a tangent just as you might in an interview. I don’t see the lack of technology as barrier as most students have access to a video capable smartphone, iPod or webcam, if not at home, at school.
Dennis
Deborah S 11:27 am on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks, Dennis. I did consider real-time feedback, but thought it could be challenging due to time zone differences and that would also mean I’d need lots of interview experts all at the same time. It’s definitely something to consider though.
Deborah
Danielle 5:22 am on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Deborah,
This is an excellent venture that has been very well pitched! Your professionalism and confidence will win over investors, not to mention your thoroughly researched plan. The logo on the wall was a nice touch! Though I think your cameraman was a little nervous :-D. You have thought of all of the challenges that you might face and as an investor, I might want to know a little more about how those challenges will be dealt with. But I am impressed by the overall presentation and I am definitely in.
Danielle
Deborah S 11:29 am on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks for the feedback, Danielle. This was my camera-person’s (my 17 year-old daughter) first assignment : ) She also composed the music that I used in the elevator pitch.
Deborah
troos 4:33 pm on August 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Deborah:
Your elevator pitch presents a clear outline of the need and solutions of your venture. Your presentation is professional, enthusiastic and engaged; you seem confident your product has demand and value. A little more information in the elevator pitch regarding market predictions would have made it more convincing to me, the investor. The initial part of the pitch seemed like you were selling a product to your clients rather than convincing investors. This clearly shifted at the end. Overall I have decided to invest in your venture because you have convinced me of its relevancy to today’s students.
I am even more convinced of this after reading your venture pitch. Your needs assessment is fully supported by your significant research. You have differentiated yourself clearly from your competition, exploiting a unique market. Your revenue predictions are well researched by comparing to similar products and projecting market value onto the number of clients. Your background in accounting and education is evident, making you a competent team leader. You have provided good detail in supporting the “ask”. The only question I have regards your management team. You speak well of yourself as the CEO but there is nothing on the supporting cast. Your projected client base indicates that you will need some people to help you. What qualifications will these people be required to have? Will the investment I make rise if your number of clients changes from your projections?
As a whole, you have made an excellent venture proposition and I look forward to seeing its fulfillment.
Tim
Deborah S 7:41 am on August 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Tim,
Thanks for the feedback! I appreciated your comments about the elevator pitch. This exercise certainly gave me an appreciation of how difficult it is to cram everything you want to say into only 60 seconds! If I were going to pursue this venture, I would definitely provide more information on the management team as you suggested.
Thanks again,
Deborah
Bridget 4:04 am on August 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Deborah,
I very much enjoyed your venture pitch in which you made great use of visuals and offered a very clear explanation of Student Interview Coach. I appreciate the way in which you stated the problem for students and teachers and offered one solution for both groups. I think that this is a great idea and I like the importance that you put on immediate feedback which is always more effective than when too much time has elapsed. There is a lot of focus placed on creating resumes but the interview is often the most stressful part of the process and where job seekers could do with the most practice.
In regards to the students making their interviews, I assume that they enlist another person to do the mock interview. Do you provide a bank of typical questions, which might be asked in order to guide the interview? These are details, which can easily be worked out as long as the technology can be created to support this venture; and I am sure it can.
You did a solid review of the competition and it is interesting to note that no one up to this point has marketed to the students.
I would be interested in investing in your venture.
Bridget
Deborah S 7:43 am on August 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks for the feedback, Bridget! I think you’ve honed in on a future enhancement to the service in providing a bank of questions. I can certainly see the need for it and could easily work it in as a link on the website.
Thanks again,
Deborah
sheza 8:18 pm on August 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Deborah,
You are onto a great idea here! I especially liked the professional nature of your elevator pitch – I found it to be concise and it gave me as an investor a reason to read onto your venture pitch. You described your market well, and gave me an understanding of the product you hoped to offer and the reasons why. Well done!
Your venture pitch was just as well put together. It looked like a professional report ready to be sent off to an investor. You include a thorough analysis of your competitors and your market share is well-researched. The revenue you hope to generate is based on believable data and I can see the potential that the project holds. I like that you give us a picture of your background as the CEO of this venture, but it would have ben good to see who some of the other players would be on your team.
Overall, your venture looks like it has a lot of worth and I would be interested in seeing a complete business plan!
All the best,
Sheza Naqi
toddpowell 11:03 pm on August 5, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Deborah,
As a teacher who teaches Planning (and deals with many students who are readying themselves for the employment market), I see strong validity in this venture. Students need all of the practice that they can get, and with the quick turnaround, the learning potential is invaluable. I am concerned with the amount of the interviews needing to be done 🙂
Cheers,
Todd