Collaboration Technology

Technology is a huge part of education. It seems now every university professor uses powerpoint presentations for their lectures instead of a chalkboard or whiteboard. Students communicate with their professors and each other through e-mail. Assignments and tests can now be done and submitted online. It's a very different world from what my parents' world was. One of the newest technologies that is starting to show up in university classrooms in called "ClassSpot." "ClassSpot transforms teacher-centric presentation classrooms into interactive spaces where students can participate more fully." It enables students and teachers to share screens and work together on in class examples. This facilitates participation in a more open and effective manner. Students are more involved in lectures as they are able to work on examples.

An article posted on campustechnology.com talks in great detail about how universities are using ClassSpot to make the classroom more interactive. A great example shared in the article talks about how a classroom equipped with three display screens could post a poem on the central display, while web pages or an interactive "white board" could be displayed on the other two. This would allow students and instructors to work together to edit, critique, and find other information about the displayed poem. Students and instructors are both able to control the screens and edit information. This is just one small example of how technology is changing the classroom that we know. There are undoubtedly even more inventions on the way.

Sources:

www.campustechnology.com

http://www.tidebreak.com/products/classspot

Presentation Tips

Nearly everyone has had to give some sort of presentation at some time or another. Whether it be speaking before a large group, presenting a project for a class, or promoting some new idea at work, putting yourself in front of people is always nerve racking. However, there are great ways to make your presentation great, and help you feel confident in doing it. Of course the greatest way to make your presentation great is in your preparation. If you are well prepared then you know your material well enough that you won't worry about messing up. Lack of preparation leaves you feeling that if things to go just right, the whole presentation will be ruined. Since things usually don't go just right, you're most likely going to falter in some part of the presentation, and the audience will be able to tell you weren't prepared.

Another great tip is to create a good relationship right off the bat with your audience. The blog "Presentation Zen" talks about how Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, does a great job of doing this. One of the main keys is to begin your presentation smiling. Even before you get to the front or to the mic, smile. This helps your audience begin to feel good about listening to you. Also, as you actively acknowledge your audience you will be able to gain their trust more easily. You have to let them know that your presentation isn't about you, it's about them. Help them see why they should trust you (think bananas) and show them how your presentation will help them.

If you do these two things you'll be on your way to a great presentation!

Maybe It's Good I'm Not Graduating Yet

This past week MSNBC published an article from Business Week on their website. The article, "For MBA Grads, It's the Worst Hiring Season Ever," talks about the rough job market right now. There were some interesting figures brought up. For example:

-"16.5 percent of job-seeking students from the top 30 MBA programs did not get even one offer by

the time schools collected their final fall employment data three months after graduation."

-Starting pay for students graduating from one of the top 30 business schools was down about

$1,500. This is the first time starting pay has dropped in several years.

This is just a small sample of the challenges facing students as they graduate and enter the business world. Keep in mind that these statistics are for students graduating from the top 30 business schools in America. There are still more MBA graduates who are facing these challenges. The financial meltdown has really been a driving factor in the tough job market. Historically, financial institutions and firms were the main companies employing MBA grads. With the financial problems of this recession that job avenue has closed for many grads. Basically the job market right now is even more competitive than normal.

On the bright side, the economy is showing signs of improvement. Sunday Morning on NBC's Meet the Press, Timothy Geithner, U.S. Treasury Secretary, talked about the current state of the U.S. economy. "He acknowledged that the economic recovery, while showing positive movement, has been shaky and uneven" (Geithner: Economy Rebounding, But Job Growth Lags). Hopefully the economy will continue to recover and show greater growth. Job creation usually lags behind the recovery of the general economy as businesses continue to recover. However, continued economic growth can only mean greater job opportunities for students graduating later on.

Source: For MBA Grads, It's the Worst Hiring Season Ever