For my final U-Blog, I want to reflect on a few things from the semester.
The Heritage at Lowman training session was a good experience, and gave me a chance to experience what it's like to train a crowd. I've had experience teaching people, but never an entire classroom, and definitely not a class that had very little experience in the subject. It was a good eye-opener.
Another item we touched on throughout the semester was learning with a hands-on approach. I wish they would evaluate teachers on this more often. Standing in front of a class just talking for hours doesn't do too much in the way of having people learn as much as they could.
For my group's initial wiki assignment we were given a chance to look into experiential learning, which I found very interesting. Experiential learning dealt a lot with hands-on activities, so that was right up my alley. The articles on experiential learning made a good point: just because you've had experience in something doesn't mean you've necessarily learned anything, and you're definitely not an expert until you've had repetition many times. You can't just give someone a simple task to do with their hands and expect them to learn anything. Tradition learning by way of lecture and testing is an important parallel to anything hands-on.
Overall, this class was a helpful lesson in workplace learning and training.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
U-blog 5
Monday this week was my team's training session at the Lowman home. Our task was to instruct senior students on the basic functions of OpenOffice.org's Writer application. To my surprise, the session went very smoothly.
I expected a crowd of senior citizens with little to no computer skills would be difficult to work with for various reasons. Computers tend to intimidate a lot of people who aren't very familiar with the way they work, so I expected that to be a major issue.
Luckily for me and the team, this issue might have come up once or twice, but was quickly and easily dealt with. The group of students we instructed were very focused and learned fairly quickly. The training went off without a hitch. There were at least three students I can recall that were ahead of the instruction the entire time, taking the opportunity to play with some of Writer's more advanced features.
Thinking back - and I'm not sure if a group has covered this topic or not - the biggest issue for us was that some of the students could not seem to get the hang of using a mouse and the concept of using it as a pointing device. I think that a session dealing with the various uses of the mouse and keyboard would have been a good starter point for the other workshops to build on. Stopping to show people how to move, click, right-click, select text, etc. was the slowest point in the training. With that said, it wasn't too big of an issue.
I expected a crowd of senior citizens with little to no computer skills would be difficult to work with for various reasons. Computers tend to intimidate a lot of people who aren't very familiar with the way they work, so I expected that to be a major issue.
Luckily for me and the team, this issue might have come up once or twice, but was quickly and easily dealt with. The group of students we instructed were very focused and learned fairly quickly. The training went off without a hitch. There were at least three students I can recall that were ahead of the instruction the entire time, taking the opportunity to play with some of Writer's more advanced features.
Thinking back - and I'm not sure if a group has covered this topic or not - the biggest issue for us was that some of the students could not seem to get the hang of using a mouse and the concept of using it as a pointing device. I think that a session dealing with the various uses of the mouse and keyboard would have been a good starter point for the other workshops to build on. Stopping to show people how to move, click, right-click, select text, etc. was the slowest point in the training. With that said, it wasn't too big of an issue.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
U-Blog 4
The upcoming training seminar is going to be a bit tricky. Not only are we dealing with inexperienced students, but they are elderly inexperienced people. The elderly tend to shy away from most things new and confusing. Computer software use isn't exactly very inviting.
Our team has a pretty good plan of approach, but it's going to take a lot of patience and finesse for things to go well and without too many hang-ups. We've designed a lesson plan to focus on some necessary main ideas, but we'll also include enough to keep moving should the class pick things up pretty quickly.
I've taught (or at least helped teach) two classes at the most, and each time went pretty alright. I won't say I didn't lose my patience every once in a while - because I did - but I didn't let it show through to the class. I hope it'll go that well or better this time.
It's a bit intimidating having a bunch of people at a class listening to you tell them how they aren't doing something right or don't know anything about a certain subject, and it's especially intimidating working with people who have lived your life 3x over or more.
Our team has a pretty good plan of approach, but it's going to take a lot of patience and finesse for things to go well and without too many hang-ups. We've designed a lesson plan to focus on some necessary main ideas, but we'll also include enough to keep moving should the class pick things up pretty quickly.
I've taught (or at least helped teach) two classes at the most, and each time went pretty alright. I won't say I didn't lose my patience every once in a while - because I did - but I didn't let it show through to the class. I hope it'll go that well or better this time.
It's a bit intimidating having a bunch of people at a class listening to you tell them how they aren't doing something right or don't know anything about a certain subject, and it's especially intimidating working with people who have lived your life 3x over or more.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
U-Blog 3
Not too far back we watched a video about JebBlue U. It had mixed reviews with some saying it was a great idea and others saying it was just a polished training program to gain publicity.
I think that's great either way. Even if the training was no different than the typical orientations and tests, it's still flashy, draws attention and praise from the media, and keeps training somewhat interesting to the participants.
Everyone knows that if you have a boring class, with boring material, and a boring professor that you aren't going to learn much. Learning takes attention, and to get someone's attention you need to be either interesting or engaging. JetBlue U chose to be engaging, and so far it seems to be working out just fine.
Training these days is bland, uninteresting stuff- that is if you get training, what with a lot of training programs going the way of the dodo because employers are afraid to invest in a worker, they're looking in the short term, love their money, and are afraid of that big bad government that is socializing banks and feeding them truckloads of money. It's a terrible thing, all that free money for trips to Vegas work functions.
I digress.
Training needs a face lift, needs to be more interesting. It can be accomplished simply by involving the participants, changing the scenarios (like JetBlue U has done), and any number of other ways. If things don't change, the trainees are going to perform like a certain CSCE student in an operating systems lecture at 8am trying to keep his eyes open to watch a monotone professor talk about clock cycles. That is to say, he'll show up, nod, and trudge away at it until he's done.
That's not a good way to get performance out of an investment.
I think that's great either way. Even if the training was no different than the typical orientations and tests, it's still flashy, draws attention and praise from the media, and keeps training somewhat interesting to the participants.
Everyone knows that if you have a boring class, with boring material, and a boring professor that you aren't going to learn much. Learning takes attention, and to get someone's attention you need to be either interesting or engaging. JetBlue U chose to be engaging, and so far it seems to be working out just fine.
Training these days is bland, uninteresting stuff- that is if you get training, what with a lot of training programs going the way of the dodo because employers are afraid to invest in a worker, they're looking in the short term, love their money, and are afraid of that big bad government that is socializing banks and feeding them truckloads of money. It's a terrible thing, all that free money for trips to Vegas work functions.
I digress.
Training needs a face lift, needs to be more interesting. It can be accomplished simply by involving the participants, changing the scenarios (like JetBlue U has done), and any number of other ways. If things don't change, the trainees are going to perform like a certain CSCE student in an operating systems lecture at 8am trying to keep his eyes open to watch a monotone professor talk about clock cycles. That is to say, he'll show up, nod, and trudge away at it until he's done.
That's not a good way to get performance out of an investment.
Monday, February 9, 2009
U-Blog 2
This isn't going to be too long of an entry because it's straight to the point. I really like the idea of having a workshop that students must attend to monitor job activities. Seeing firsthand how day-to-day tasks are completed in a professional setting related (or unrelated) to our major is great. In my previous post discussing different job education I mentioned how important I feel job shadowing is for a new employee to get a feel for what could be their new career. This isn't a full-blown apprenticeship or anything that involved, but it's still a great opportunity to get close to an actual trade's daily procedures. Not only that, but it will give the students the ability to learn from these places how different fields can adapt to different customers.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
U-Blog1
*This posting will discuss the different types of training (info from this article) ...
INDEPENDENT TRAINING-
Let me just start by saying this can be very helpful, but from personal experience and other things I've heard/read, it's not effective on it's own. At all. Virtual training is nice to look at, but what it usually equates to is someone watching videos and doing web-based puzzles for 8+ hours and then being put into action. There needs to be a medium there. Virtual training gives you limited scenarios, and no real hands-0n experience. That's why there is a need for, after independent training, more hours doing some actual
JOB SHADOWING-
Job shadowing (or an internship, whichever you prefer to call it) is my preferred form of training, and from what I've seen/heard it is the best and easiest way for people to become versed in their new trade. Being able to watch someone who is proficient at nearly every scenario you will encounter throughout your new profession is great. You get a personal course on whatever it is you've decided to do, you are submitted to work you will actually be doing (gives a real-world feel for what the job really entails), and apprenticeship graduates tend to earn higher wages and receive promotions more quickly. On-the-job training can also be a bit of a curse for a newcomer, however, as sometimes they are assigned to a veteran employee who a) doesn't care for them, b) is inexperienced themselves, or c) all of the above. Should that happen, another lackluster employee is very likely to be produced. No matter how well job shadowing and the necessary orientation training goes, to back up these experiences and to ease the process each employee needs
TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION-
Just like virtual training, you can have sit through as many lectures as you'd like, study as many books, and do as much homework on the subject as you'd like, but it still won't prepare you for the real deal. To me, classroom training is indispensable because it gives you a very defined advantage over someone without it. However, classroom training needs a good teacher, a good course plan, and an eager student to truly be effective. Anyone can sit through hours of class and say they've taken the course, but not many people can say they have experienced a course and are better because of it. You have to put in the effort to get the rewards.
To summarize, there is no truly perfect way to train someone; more effective ways, but none truly effective alone. Many places use the three-course method of classroom study, virtual orientation, and then finally some real time in the profession. Whether that time be starting immediately or having an apprenticeship can make quite the difference depending on the person- some learn from being thrown into the mix and adapting, and some learn from being lead by a seasoned individual. Either way it's looked at, job training programs need to have the ability to tailor themselves around the individual they'll be putting to work. Talking with the new or existing hire about their training is the easiest way to find out how they will learn, how an employer will handle that education, and how the company can best get a return on its investment: you.
INDEPENDENT TRAINING-
Let me just start by saying this can be very helpful, but from personal experience and other things I've heard/read, it's not effective on it's own. At all. Virtual training is nice to look at, but what it usually equates to is someone watching videos and doing web-based puzzles for 8+ hours and then being put into action. There needs to be a medium there. Virtual training gives you limited scenarios, and no real hands-0n experience. That's why there is a need for, after independent training, more hours doing some actual
JOB SHADOWING-
Job shadowing (or an internship, whichever you prefer to call it) is my preferred form of training, and from what I've seen/heard it is the best and easiest way for people to become versed in their new trade. Being able to watch someone who is proficient at nearly every scenario you will encounter throughout your new profession is great. You get a personal course on whatever it is you've decided to do, you are submitted to work you will actually be doing (gives a real-world feel for what the job really entails), and apprenticeship graduates tend to earn higher wages and receive promotions more quickly. On-the-job training can also be a bit of a curse for a newcomer, however, as sometimes they are assigned to a veteran employee who a) doesn't care for them, b) is inexperienced themselves, or c) all of the above. Should that happen, another lackluster employee is very likely to be produced. No matter how well job shadowing and the necessary orientation training goes, to back up these experiences and to ease the process each employee needs
TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION-
Just like virtual training, you can have sit through as many lectures as you'd like, study as many books, and do as much homework on the subject as you'd like, but it still won't prepare you for the real deal. To me, classroom training is indispensable because it gives you a very defined advantage over someone without it. However, classroom training needs a good teacher, a good course plan, and an eager student to truly be effective. Anyone can sit through hours of class and say they've taken the course, but not many people can say they have experienced a course and are better because of it. You have to put in the effort to get the rewards.
To summarize, there is no truly perfect way to train someone; more effective ways, but none truly effective alone. Many places use the three-course method of classroom study, virtual orientation, and then finally some real time in the profession. Whether that time be starting immediately or having an apprenticeship can make quite the difference depending on the person- some learn from being thrown into the mix and adapting, and some learn from being lead by a seasoned individual. Either way it's looked at, job training programs need to have the ability to tailor themselves around the individual they'll be putting to work. Talking with the new or existing hire about their training is the easiest way to find out how they will learn, how an employer will handle that education, and how the company can best get a return on its investment: you.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Workplace Learning
Click here for the articles I'm writing about...
Workforce Training-
There's no tip-toeing around it: America needs better workforce training. I have experienced the need first-hand. Companies have been and are lately (mainly due to the economy) ignoring the need for training or cutting out training programs altogether. This is something that should not be allowed to happen. I'm sure the companies could find better places to trim fat than to jeopardize the future of an organizations competent and precise operation abilities.
To summarize, the articles are getting to mainly two basic points, and those are that workforce training is suffering and America, as a functioning workforce, is falling behind quickly.
Addressing Congress in mid-2008, Bill gates has mentioned himself that-
To me, this is sad. Capitalism is great, but penny pinching in the training department isn't something that should be allowed to fly. It doesn't just impact the money being saved by an individual or corporation, it effects everyone in the near future.
This all stems back to education and how our culture sees it. Many third world and rising economies are far more focused on achieving than Americans. This in turn creates a need for more workplace training, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's not great. Workplace training should be necessary as a sort of orientation and job shadowing is a must, but were students better prepared before entering the work world, competition may not be so stiff.
Workforce Training-
There's no tip-toeing around it: America needs better workforce training. I have experienced the need first-hand. Companies have been and are lately (mainly due to the economy) ignoring the need for training or cutting out training programs altogether. This is something that should not be allowed to happen. I'm sure the companies could find better places to trim fat than to jeopardize the future of an organizations competent and precise operation abilities.
To summarize, the articles are getting to mainly two basic points, and those are that workforce training is suffering and America, as a functioning workforce, is falling behind quickly.
Addressing Congress in mid-2008, Bill gates has mentioned himself that-
To me, this is sad. Capitalism is great, but penny pinching in the training department isn't something that should be allowed to fly. It doesn't just impact the money being saved by an individual or corporation, it effects everyone in the near future.
This all stems back to education and how our culture sees it. Many third world and rising economies are far more focused on achieving than Americans. This in turn creates a need for more workplace training, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's not great. Workplace training should be necessary as a sort of orientation and job shadowing is a must, but were students better prepared before entering the work world, competition may not be so stiff.
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