Organizational tool

The next time you need
● note cards for a presentation
● a pocket-sized list
● a handy planner
● quick reference material
● a diary
try this fun organizer http://pocketmod.com/v2/.

Educational technology and life skills

What if teachers, administrators, and budget-passing school board members viewed technology as a way of life rather than a tool? What if students were encouraged to learn how to find answers and solutions instead of just memorizing facts and figures? It can happen.

This week I attended the Educator Technology Clinic Showcase at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. Teachers from central Pennsylvania shared how they integrated computer technology into their classrooms. My favorite presenter, Lisa Butler from Hershey Middle School, just happens to also be my go-to person for educational technology. Check out her blog for more cool tools.

Not only are her students learning Spanish, they are also equipped to find answers, empowered to seek better solutions, and encouraged to use whatever technology is available to them in the process. Because Internet access is available in the classroom for all students, she uses Glogster to put directions and URLs related to an assignment on one very visually interesting page. She has her students using Moodle to test their mastery of concepts. They have a choice of using the classroom computers or their cell phones to search Google for facts, translation help, and culturally relevant information. They dialogue in Spanish in real time with Cover It Live. Every class has their own blog which tells parents and absent students everything they need to know about what went on in class that day. Senorita Butler’s students are excited about Spanish because they are engaged in the process of learning, thanks to technology.

Learning how to use technology is not the goal or the end result. Instead, Ms. Butler is nurturing a love of language, answer-seeking, and solution-providing that will be a valuable asset when these learners enter the business world and the global community.

Ask the right question to add value

Ask the right question to add value for your client or employer. Instead of asking “What do you need me to do?” ask “What do you think of this concept for boosting business?” and then present ideas you can implement that will save time or money, grow their business, or streamline production.

This is an especially important difference if you are a freelancer, a part-time employee in a company facing cut-backs, or a virtual assistant. By offering solutions to problems, you are adding value for the company while creating work for yourself. You are demonstrating your ability to be a partner instead of a drone and an asset instead of a drain on the budget.

By asking the right question, you are also more likely to get a satisfying answer. The answer to “What do you need me to do?” could be “I don’t know.” or “Nothing.” or “Get out of my space.” When you present ideas that free people to do what they love best, you are more likely to get a positive response. You end up being in a position to grow their business and secure your place in that process. Even if your client or employer needs to think about your ideas before taking action, you have demonstrated your value as a forward-thinking, proactive, solution-provider.

Are you asking the right question?

What does your audience want from you?

When you send out your e-zine or publish your blog, you are competing for your reader’s time and attention. Do you know what your target audience wants from you? Have you asked? Listened closely? Taken a survey? Read your e-mail? Have you taken a look at Google Hot Trends or Twitter’s Trending Topics to get a clue about what matters to the average Internet user?

Never assume they are looking for your product or service (or ads about what you sell). They are online looking for solutions to their problems, quick fixes, inexpensive (and sometimes costly) remedies for what ails them. They want answers to life’s troubling questions. They want things to make sense.

They have access to a trillion Web pages. A few mouse clicks and countless freebies, bargains, and special offers as well as information and misinformation pop up for their perusal. How do they decide what and whom to trust? Make it easy for them. Demonstrate through your consistent quality posts that you are a reliable, trustworthy expert on topics that concern them most. Provide value. Share. Be the answer to questions they have not yet thought to ask. Let them know you understand and you care.