I've been commenting a lot on education blogs these days. Maybe it's that my mom was a public school teacher for over 30 years. Maybe it's that I've been working in corporate/adult education for the last 20 years. Maybe that it's the fact that I have two kids who don't "fit" into traditional educational situations. Maybe that it's the fact that I'm sick of talking about a system that isn't working and especially tired of throwing money at it.
We've made so many advances in so many areas, but American children by most accounts are falling behind. Whether or not the statistics bear that out (whatever way you choose to skew them), I have seen with my own eyes that we are not preparing children for the future--we are barely preparing them for the present.
Do not mistake this for an attack on our teachers--teachers are heroes to me. They are called to their work and by and large they do an amazing job, working many hours, receiving insulting pay, and putting in ridiculous hours. Teachers are not the issue (again, for the most part).
The primary issue is change. I listened to Meryl Streep's address to the graduates of Barnard College the other day. She said something that rang so true to me: "There is only change, resistance to change, and more change." Our educational system has resisted change for hundreds of years. It's like a snail moving in a world on hyperdrive. We know so much about how people learn, and today's kids learn differently than even my generation did. AND they have so many more tools at their fingertips. WHY aren't we changing our educational system to fit the needs of our kids, the needs of our future, rather than continuing to throw money at a system that isn't working for so many?
We know better. It's time to do better. It's time to break out of the box. It's time to do better for our kids. It's time to make better use of our money. It's time to stop arguing, stop speculating, and start trying new things--on a large enough scale to give them an opportunity to work. It's time.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
I'm sick of SMART! It's time to be DUMB.
As an instructional designer, for years I wrote training programs that included in some way, shape, or form, SMART goals. I hate SMART goals. I will never, ever write about them again if I can help it. I tried to come up with other acronyms that could substitute, I had one at one point, but can't remember it now. At any rate, I came across this acronym on Avinash Kaushik's website and I LOVE it.
DUMB: Doable. Understandable. Manageable. Beneficial.
In my opinion, DUMB goals are much better than SMART goals. First of all, because there are only four things to remember instead of five. In SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-dated--in case by some one-in-a-million chance you've never heard of SMART goals), everyone always got confused with measurable/time-dated and achievable/realistic. DUMB goals are simpler and have the added bonus of being "beneficial." After all, if it's not beneficial, why do it? I've seen plenty of business initiatives well underway without anyone taking 2 seconds to discuss if the initiative was ultimately beneficial and why.
So, I don't know if Avinash came up with DUMB goals on his own or not, but I want to do my part in making the world a DUMB-er place...at least when it comes to goal setting.
DUMB: Doable. Understandable. Manageable. Beneficial.
In my opinion, DUMB goals are much better than SMART goals. First of all, because there are only four things to remember instead of five. In SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-dated--in case by some one-in-a-million chance you've never heard of SMART goals), everyone always got confused with measurable/time-dated and achievable/realistic. DUMB goals are simpler and have the added bonus of being "beneficial." After all, if it's not beneficial, why do it? I've seen plenty of business initiatives well underway without anyone taking 2 seconds to discuss if the initiative was ultimately beneficial and why.
So, I don't know if Avinash came up with DUMB goals on his own or not, but I want to do my part in making the world a DUMB-er place...at least when it comes to goal setting.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Getting More Comfortable at Public Speaking
As I am coaching people on public speaking, I am always looking for ways to get them to appear more comfortable, and as I write speeches and outlines, I'm looking for a way for their own words to have impact. Here are a few tips on being a better speaker:
1) It's not about you. Think about your audience. What do they want to hear? What do you want them to leave with? What is the best way to reach them, entertain them, or educate them? As soon as you can make it about them rather than you, you'll start to appear more comfortable.
2) Have a beginning, a middle, and an end. It's human nature for us to want to put things in order, but so often I hear speeches that go all over the map. When that happens, the audience is working hard trying to find the common thread, rather than listening to what you're saying. One of the biggest problems I see with speakers is not having a natural flow to their presentation--especially with people who are experts in a subject. They know too much and want to share it all! My advice: leave them wanting more. When you get to the end...stop. Please.
3) Practice, practice, practice. Being a good speaker really does take practice. Practice in your car, in front of the mirror, in your head, but practice. If you're someone who is in a position where you now have to do a lot of public speaking and you're not used to it, practice is even more important. It will give you a sense of timing and keep you from wandering off your main points.
These are just some basic principles and probably nothing ground breaking, but more of a good reminder!
1) It's not about you. Think about your audience. What do they want to hear? What do you want them to leave with? What is the best way to reach them, entertain them, or educate them? As soon as you can make it about them rather than you, you'll start to appear more comfortable.
2) Have a beginning, a middle, and an end. It's human nature for us to want to put things in order, but so often I hear speeches that go all over the map. When that happens, the audience is working hard trying to find the common thread, rather than listening to what you're saying. One of the biggest problems I see with speakers is not having a natural flow to their presentation--especially with people who are experts in a subject. They know too much and want to share it all! My advice: leave them wanting more. When you get to the end...stop. Please.
3) Practice, practice, practice. Being a good speaker really does take practice. Practice in your car, in front of the mirror, in your head, but practice. If you're someone who is in a position where you now have to do a lot of public speaking and you're not used to it, practice is even more important. It will give you a sense of timing and keep you from wandering off your main points.
These are just some basic principles and probably nothing ground breaking, but more of a good reminder!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
More Than Words
Back in the 80's I was in love with a band called Extreme--especially their song, More Than Words. When it plays, my husband and I still belt it out to each other, but it's really not our song, it's my song.
I've been writing my whole life in various forms, poetry, creative fiction, short stories, then in work, as an instructional designer writing training programs for almost 20 years. I'm a singer, an actress, and now a speechwriter and public speaking coach. And if you know me--I can sometimes talk the leg off a chair!
I guess you can say my life has been about words, but (here it is...are you ready for it?) it's really been about more than words. It's been about reaching people, touching people, communicating a message, trying to change lives. So that's why the song title seemed an appropriate name for my business. It has continued to work even as my work has shifted over my adult life because it is my theme--even if the way in which I am using words has changed, it is still my preferred tool for connecting with others. (On a side note, I really don't enjoy watching ballet/dance simply for the reason that there are no WORDS! I prefer the opera to the symphony because opera has words--even if I don't always understand them.)
For most of my life, my words have been other people's words--the script writer's, the song writer's, my clients'. It seems like this is the time of my life to start sharing my own words, my own thoughts, and using my own expertise to shape others' experiences and help them reach their goals. This site will hopefully be a place of sharing insights, resources, and passing along other people's great ideas as well as my own. That's my plan--but I'm not much of a planner, so we'll see how that goes. Welcome, to More Than Words--Dana style.
I've been writing my whole life in various forms, poetry, creative fiction, short stories, then in work, as an instructional designer writing training programs for almost 20 years. I'm a singer, an actress, and now a speechwriter and public speaking coach. And if you know me--I can sometimes talk the leg off a chair!
I guess you can say my life has been about words, but (here it is...are you ready for it?) it's really been about more than words. It's been about reaching people, touching people, communicating a message, trying to change lives. So that's why the song title seemed an appropriate name for my business. It has continued to work even as my work has shifted over my adult life because it is my theme--even if the way in which I am using words has changed, it is still my preferred tool for connecting with others. (On a side note, I really don't enjoy watching ballet/dance simply for the reason that there are no WORDS! I prefer the opera to the symphony because opera has words--even if I don't always understand them.)
For most of my life, my words have been other people's words--the script writer's, the song writer's, my clients'. It seems like this is the time of my life to start sharing my own words, my own thoughts, and using my own expertise to shape others' experiences and help them reach their goals. This site will hopefully be a place of sharing insights, resources, and passing along other people's great ideas as well as my own. That's my plan--but I'm not much of a planner, so we'll see how that goes. Welcome, to More Than Words--Dana style.
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