maybacon
Welcome to Construct-Ed, a scaffold and consulting service that provides knowledgeable individuals with the instructions and resources for creating effective online courses based on constructivist teaching methods. To find out more, please watch Construct-Ed’s elevator pitch, below: Construct-Ed Elevator Pitch Still have questions about Construct-Ed? Please the Construct-Ed Venture Pitch and Analysis. Looking forward to […]
Continue reading Construct-Ed Posted in: Venture Forum Thank you to everyone in the Visual Intensive Learning group for a thorough overview of concept mapping! I first encountered mind mapping in my teacher training seminar several years ago and could not really understand the advantage, since the idea seemed a bit unruly for me. Having used them more recently, though, I’m appreciating them […]
Continue reading Mind Maps Posted in: Week 09: Visual-Intensive Learning Venture: Academic Earth Founder/CEO: Richard Ludlow Richard Ludlow is the founder and CEO of Academic Earth, a website dedicated to offering free access to university-level lectures and other educational videos and content from several prominent post-secondary institutions in the United States. The site offers lectures on several topics. While several lectures are available free of charge […]
Continue reading Richard Ludlow and Academic Earth Posted in: Week 04: Entrepreneur Bootcamp
Despite the fact that sites such as Academic Earth cannot provide accreditation, I do love the idea that the halls of acedemia are being opened to those who may never get a chance to experience them directly. It truly supports the value of lifelong learning.
It is great to have access to the videos, but I do wonder if they really can claim that they are “Offering free online classes and in-depth online learning,”
denise
I chose to review Gartner, Inc.’s list of the 10 most strategic technologies for 2012. The article itself was straightforward, and although it did not specifically target the field of education, it does provide insight into some established and emerging technologies that educators should consider integrating into their classrooms. The technologies and devices listed in […]
Continue reading Top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2012: A Review of Gartner, Inc.’s List Posted in: Uncategorized
Hi May,
I know what you mean about the tablets and mobile technology. I am just about in the same place and also have yet to find a great use for the tablets that is not easily done with the computer. I am working at it but it seems like there are so many apps out there and many which are recommended fall short.
Thanks for the review.
Bridget
Hi May,
I share your reliance on certain technologies without being on the “cutting edge”. I know I would enjoy a tablet (iPad, etc.) but find typing easier on a keyboard and don’t travel enough or have a long commute when a lighter, smaller device would be useful. However, I also realize as I read through these articles/sites that I need to start updating my use of technology and that I need to think more about how I can incorporate what is out there into my classroom – safely.
The article I read also commented on security issues. Convenience seems to be trumping privacy. The current generation of teenagers and young adults sometimes have different views of privacy and what is ok to share or protect online. They are so comfortable with sharing information online, I don’t know if they will share some of the privacy issues that previous generations have had. I don’t have data to support that, just a subjective observation of the teenagers I work with.
Janet
Hi Janet,
I think you’re right about a generational difference with privacy issues, though I haven’t read any reports on the matter either – it’s just a perception of teens vs. myself vs. my parents that seems to show a gradual increase in openness on the Internet. In many ways, I don’t personally have a problem with this, but I’m concerned that kids with little understanding of the consequences are already using the technology to their detriment, personally and later professionally.
May
Hi May,
Maybe the great availability of programs that disregard privacy will be placed in check by a trend towards more private technologies.
As for being lost in a sea of technologies, maybe there’s a need for consultants in each school board to act as advisors in tech use and the selection of programs and training in how to mix them in with your lessons. I know that most school have a tech person, put at my ex-school board there doesn’t appear to be a designated tech pedagogical advisor.
I’m May, 28, mom to a very sweet and spirited 3-year old girl. I’m currently looking to return to work as an elementary school teacher in the Ottawa area after an extended “Mommy Leave”; in the meantime the MET program and my daughter keep me very busy! This semester I’m taking my 6th and 7th […]
Continue reading Hello Everyone! Posted in: Uncategorized
Hi May,
Glad to “see” a familiar face here. I’m looking forward to your insights throughout the course!
Deborah
Hi May,
I recognize your name from a previous course … but can’t remember which one! It is nice to see a couple of familiar names.
The picture of you and your daughter is beautiful. I took some “mommy leave” (2.5 years) after my second child was born and never regretted a second of it.
Cheers!
Janet
Hi May,
What a great picture. You live in a beautiful area. I am from Montreal but head to the Gats to ski every winter. Good luck in your job search.
Bridget
Hello Marie-Helene. I’m looking forward to working with you in this course. I hope that life in Ottawa is going fine.
Hi May,
It’s nice to see you again. I enjoyed working with you in ETEC 532 and look forward to working with you in this course.
Claire
Nice to see you again, May! Your daughter is so cute, thanks for sharing the picture! Looking forward to working with you again. 🙂
Thanks for the welcome and hellos – it’s nice to be with some familiar people!
@Bridget I’m originally from Montreal (been in the Ottawa area for 3.5 years) 🙂
Hi again May. Looking forward to learning along with you again. How are all the tulips blooming in the picturesque Ottawa parks?
Helen DW
Before you publish your posting, please make sure that you select a category (eg. Introductions) as well as assign some meaningful tags (keywords).
unclereg 10:18 pm on July 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello May,
Your pitch looked great and was very well presented. I had to watch it a few times to get a full understanding of the pitch….you delivered it well, but I just needed to catch-up with some parts. Overall, I liked the idea and do realize that ‘yes’ some need help constructing courseware especially if they’re not teachers originally. I would invest in this idea.
Good job.
-Regen
maybacon 1:53 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks for the feedback!
May
unclereg 10:17 pm on August 5, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello May,
Here are some more of my thoughts on your idea. Looking over your feedback and responses to the posts and feedback of others made more of a great impression on your commitment to the idea. There doesn’t seem to be a question you can’t answer thoughtfully. Good job. As for the idea, again I think there are many people out there who wind up in a position to teach something they know about, but do not have the skills to deliver some lesson plans that will engage. The exact market I think this idea would be best for is within trade schools such as BCIT/Kwantlen Trades/etc. These schools have the most knowledgeable staff for the topics they deliver but could use extra help in making lessons plans that match their superior knowledge of the trade. Keep up with this idea, and good luck. The presentation was great.
-Regen
vawells 6:48 am on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Elevator Pitch:
Hi May
I really enjoyed your elevator pitch. Your presentation of the venture was professional and clearly delivered. The images and music were well matched and held my attention throughout the pitch. The logo for your venture was fabulous! As Founder and CEO of Construct-ED, your voice exuded an air of confidence that gave weight to your pitch and inspired confidence in me as a potential investor. Overall your pitch caught and held my attention and made me want to delve deeper into your venture by moving on to your venture pitch.
One suggestion to strengthen your pitch would be to include some information about your credentials and some information about who would be working with you.
Well done!
Valerie
vawells 7:11 am on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Venture Pitch Analysis
Pain Point
The problem that your company Construct-ED would be addressing is clearly defined and supported with sound research. The need for well designed courses that utilize constructivist strategies is a niche that needs to be filled.
Solution:
The development of a custom design of LMS to meet the customers’ specific needs and support for customers sounds like a realistic. Because it is customized for particular clients type of LMS does not matter so that should attract a wide market base.
Differentiation:
While you identify companies that offer some of the services your company has the clear advantage of offering the whole suite of services that gives you a clear advantage.
Marketing:
Marketing strategy using a 2 year phase in model clearly laid out. Your uniqness ensures a broad market base.
Championship:
Your commitment, credentials, confidence and passion about your product are clear and inspire confidence.
The Ask:
I would need to know, as an EVA, how much of an investment you would be asking me to make.
The Return:
I am unclear as an EVA how much return I can expect on my investment.
Yes I would potentially be willing to invest in this venture at this time however I would need more financial information around my investment and return on investment before I could fully commit. The pitch is credible, concept is feasible and the potential market is there for this venture to be successful.
Well done
Valerie
maybacon 1:52 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks for the thorough feedback, Valerie!
If I were to modify my pitch now, I would ask an investor for $30,000 for 25% of the company (shares/profits). While I believe there is much growth potential for this venture, I think that at the idea stage (i.e. no sales yet), any investment is essentially a gamble, so I would not want to inflate the valuation. The $30,000 would cover set up costs, web programming basics (because I could do most of the design and web implementation myself) and cover attendance at one trade show (which my MBA contact tells me can cost approximately $10,000). Because the initial “team” would consist of only myself and occasional consultant work until the demand surpassed my abilities, profit would be redistributed among investors.
Great questions – I wish we’d had a chance for feedback sooner, since it would have helped me to fine-tune the venture pitch 🙂
May
Deborah S 10:04 am on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi May,
I enjoyed your elevator pitch. The combination of graphics and your presence led to an engaging pitch.
This is a very interesting concept and I think you did a wonderful job summarizing the competition. I was a bit unclear as to who your main market was as you mentioned K-12 educators as well as the corporate sector. Were you planning to target one of these in particular? I was also curious as to whether or not you see the need to provide technical support to your customers. You are delivering information such as LMS tools to use, but I’m wondering if there wouldn’t also be a great opportunity to follow that up with tech support as they’re building their solution.
Great job!
Deborah
maybacon 1:42 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Deborah,
I like the idea of providing technical support. In my venture pitch, I do mention providing one on one consultations, and these could include tech support. The reports (templates) would also include not only recommendations for which tools to use, but instructions on how to use them (for example, how to sign up for a specific LMS, create a blog on a certain platform, etc).
Thanks for the feedback!
karonw 12:57 pm on August 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi May,
Good job on your elevator pitch presentation! It was very aesthetically pleasing and it totally got my attention. Your friendly smile in the beginning also started off the pitch with a very positive touch. As an EVA, in reviewing your pitch I was able to obtain information as to what is the current problem and Construct-Ed is the solution to all the problems business men and people with degrees are facing. You went into the details as to how Construct-Ed works which was very detailed in facts. The only thing I was unclear on was who you’re marketing this venture to, my assumption based on the pictures I saw in your pitch was that it was meant for both corporate professionals and students in post-secondary? Other than that, I think you did an excellent job and I can see a lot of effort has been put into creating this pitch.
Karon
maybacon 1:39 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Karon,
Thanks for your comments – Yes, the target market is professionals, business managers and DIY enthusiasts who have little or no educational background. My goal would be to begin with this focus online, but eventually offer the consulting service to business and focus on corporate training, once the online venture has gained momentum, to minimize risk.
ping 1:09 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi May,
Excellent elevator pitch! Very innovative idea! I think constructive education is necessary for many professional people, as I can find many engineers in my company don’t know how to present their ideas properly. I can see your venture has market potential both in school and in professionals. I like the idea of “constructive templates”, which I believe could be a convincible selling point of your products. I wonder, however, how your templates would look like? Are they similar to those templates freely available in Microsoft PowerPoint? Or, will your template be more comprehensive, constructive, and relevant to professional features? I’ll be interested to see your market strategy, as for what part of users you plan to target at first stage. You might have answered these questions in your venture pitch, sorry I only find a lost link in it at this time. I think you’re very qualified to lead this venture, and I can see its chance of success in the market. Well done & good luck, May!
Ping
maybacon 1:35 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ping,
Thanks for the feedback. To answer your question about templates, Construct-Ed Would offer a template-based report (so Construct-Ed would have several templates based on type of client – professionals, business managers, DIYers and so on) but the client would receive this as an instruction manual/report. Each report would have client-specific customization, though after a number of clients Construct-Ed would have a complete framework for each client type. I hope I’m making myself clearer and not more confusing, but the gist is that this is not software, but a consulting firm that offers a business model for education.
Thanks again for the comments & questions,
May
troos 1:41 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello May:
Your Construct-Ed venture has great potential. I like the emphasis on application of teaching theory to online learning. Your elevator pitch does a great job explaining the need for your product and your personal presence at the beginning lends the necessary credibility. You speak clearly and at a good pace to reflect your enthusiasm. I would have liked to see a little more information in your elevator pitch regarding market. What is your expected revenue? Who, specifically, are your expected clients – is it individual teachers, companies or institutions? What is the projected size and extent of your market? You likely provide these answers in your venture pitch but touching on them in your elevator pitch would have made your proposal more convincing to me, the investor. Overall, great work!
Tim
Leonora Zefi 5:19 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Your elevator message pitch was clear and engaging May. You struck the perfect balance between your narration and animated images to convey your venture concept.
You conveyed confidence, credibility and enthusiasm as a CEO.
Concept and marketability
Your venture idea addresses a very relevant need in education. I like your ambitious growth plan ($100 + 5% of the e-courses student enrollment fees (3% after 100 enrollments). Your “personalized” approach to determining the clients’ needs will go a long way I think.
You have differentiated the venture from competition through the comparison matrix and that clearly shows your venture’s marketability.
The ask is quite clear, however, it may have been helpful to outline the financials for the investor because the way it’s laid out, it seems a bit overwhelming and difficult to see the ROI or the “one year” breakeven projection.
You did a fantastic job with the elevator pitch and the design of your venture pitch May.
Thanks,
Leonora
gillian 8:53 am on August 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
May,
I found your elevator pitch extremely effective; it was the perfect mix of narration, text and image. I also love your logo (I think that allowed you to put your love of graphics into action).
Your idea is an interesting one and I agree there is a need in the market for such a service. However, I wonder how easy a sell it will be as you do seem to touch on the very dangerous area of teacher autonomy.
I have to say I really enjoyed reading your reflection as my reactions to this project were very similar in regards to entrepreneurship and being business minded. I too found putting value on ideas a very difficult thing to do.
Dennis Pratt 8:52 pm on August 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
May,
Like the others I enjoyed the elevator pitch as it was well done and explained the venture well enough. I know how fast 60 seconds can go when you have 10 minutes of material. I had to make sure I selected what I thought were the most important points and put them in the elevator pitch, leaving lots of details out. It looks like you had to do the same. I agree that many teachers (as well as many others) would like to develop education materials to fit their needs but do not know how, or how to make it interesting. I think that a well-trained consultant would do wonders as they teach some of the basics and guide the user in creating great resources together. Simply put, I think this is a great idea and hope you can find the right people for the job. That will be a key element for your success.
Dennis
Chelsea M Woods 10:07 am on August 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
May,
ConstructEd is timely, relevant, and has an excellent design. You have tapped into a key concept that is preventing the spread of learning: the teaching certificate. Sadly, even with a teaching degree many of us falter at the creation of effective online or blended courses, and ConstructEd would help teachers and non-’teachers’ alike to share knowledge in a time when knowledge in increasing so rapidly that those who specialize in education are often unable to keep up with progress in their fields of expertise. Your business model would enable teachers to connect students with experts in the field and take on the role of coach or mentor as appropriate, and help experts to share their knowledge in a way that makes it accessible to others.
Every aspect of your pitch is thoroughly researched, detailed, and innovatively constructed. Your pricing plan, education plan, and customer support will all make your venture effective, and you have presented yourself as an extremely competent champion.
The logo and layout are beautiful.
Thank you for developing an excellent venture!
Chelsea