teaching | Ian M Rountree

There’s a lot of discussion in professional social media circles – from publishers, to consultants, to agencies – about education. Clients need it, businesses need it, the public needs it – but so do the professionals working in these very complex, highly unorganized fields.

There’s now very little stringent education directly related to social networking as a business communication tool; while there are plenty of dyed in the wool professionals, the building of a knowledge base accessible through higher education seems slow in catching up. This isn’t even a theory versus practice problem – I think it’s an educational system problem.

How can we create education for new kinds of professionals, when education itself is failing?

This article from MENG Blend on May 17th tells a strong story about the state of education in general:

[…] even though the real ROI of college over time is well-documented, college completion rates are falling rapidly. On average, four year public schools graduate only 37% of their students within four years. The story at community colleges, which account for 46% of all undergraduates, is even worse: just 25% of those at 2-year colleges graduate within three years of the time they start.

Damning, isn’t it? [Read more…]

Stop talking so damn much!

I’m learning an entirely new batch of knowledge almost on a daily basis in the new job. Loads about the differing languages of writing (content, copy, creative, technical and so on) as well as, naturally, SEO and other esoteric processes. But one of the things I’m finding is that trying to give input during learning really ruins the entire process.

I keep trying to give feedback. And it’s not helping.

It’s difficult for a lot of people to make sure that their instructors know they’re paying attention, without settling firmly in the camps of either (a) unhelpful “yes” and “I get it” answers or (b) overstating their reactions, or trying to apply too much of their existing knowledge to what they’re being taught that’s new.

It’s a hard line to draw in the sand for yourself, but being aware of the gap between those two camps, and finding ways to navigate the gap in a manner helpful to both you and your instructor, so you both know where you stand, and where there’s room for improvement.

The key can’t be just finding the right sensei.

You’ve got to embrace your inner grasshopper in a productive way. There’s no magic black belt (or in this case black tie) that suddenly aligns you with your best learning and response methods.

Remember, your inner grasshopper is your friend!

By the way, thanks for all the help over the last couple of weeks promoting and supporting The Dowager Shadow, everyone. It’s been a great help – the next chapter begins March 1st, and introduces the majority of the remaining cast. At least, on one side of the story. Action to follow!