December 7th, 2010
There was a loud knock on our office door yesterday. Not the usual UPS or FedEx knock when the driver needs help with the doors. This knock was loud and urgent. Upon opening the door, there stood a couple in their early 20’s, obviously hungry, cold and homeless. They stated that they had been living on the street, hadn’t eaten in days and it had come down to knocking on doors for help.
We gathered up some bagels from Dunkin’ Donuts that were leftover from an earlier client meeting and a few dollars. It wasn’t going to change their lives, but the couple gratefully took our “donation” and went on their way.
Now, I know there are organizations that help feed the hungry and shelter the homeless and you can take the view that some people “make their own beds” or need to help themselves. I also know that it has been a difficult couple of years for many, maybe even you. But if you are reading this, it means you have internet access and therefore probably shelter and food.
So during the holiday season, when for a few weeks anyway, we count our blessings and look forward to a new year, I hope you will remember that there are those truly less fortunate and make a donation, no matter how large or small to a charity of your choice.
Even a few bagels and a handful of dollars might make a persons day easier.
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June 3rd, 2010
Ok, it’s a nice day out and the weekend is close, so I’m going to let Register.com do most of the heavy lifting today. They’re the one’s you register your domain name with when you create a web site, and they have an article called “7 Reasons to Add Video to Your Marketing Strategy”.
Adding video as a recruitment tool was one of the main ideas when we created YouSchools.org. Videos can show a schools attributes to potential candidates in ways that traditional print advertising and marketing never could, and YouSchools.org gives those schools a free platform in which to show those videos. The idea was that students could develop the video, learn writing, editing and story telling skills and feel some ownership and pride in the school they were “selling”.
But there is another message that comes from this article and that message is making itself more obvious around us every day. Television, movies and now websites are making video the predominant method of communication in the 21st century. Web connections are getting faster, high definition is growing and companies, (employers) are hiring journalists to add everything from instructional, orientation, product demonstration, and how-to videos to their web sites. Newspapers and magazines may be downsizing and yes, reading is still fundamental, but learning to communicate via video is an important skill for today’s students.
Here’s a link to the article: http://www.register.com/learningcenter/marketing/7-reasons-to-add-video-to-your-marketing-strategy/
Posted in In the Classroom, Videography | No Comments »
May 27th, 2010
It’s here. Or, almost. Graduations and finals are taking place and in classrooms all over the country teachers are handing back the “toys” they confiscated from students over the school year. Don’t ask my why the end of the school year reminds me of the later part.
Anyway, it’s been a good school year for YouSchools. We added a lot of schools/jobs, and introduced the site to a lot of teachers at recruiting events such as MERC, RICE and many colleges and universities. We also awarded an HD video camera to the students at Shawsheen Regional Tech for their winning entry to the “Why My School is Cool” video contest. All in all, we’re pretty happy with the progress the site has made and the people we’ve met.
Now, it’s time to relax a bit and enjoy the summer. But before you find yourself giving out the “What I did over summer vacation” writing assignment, let me pose the question to you - what are you going to do this summer? Working part time? Traveling? Just getting away for a little beach and boating? Some golf? Write back and let us know if you have anything exciting or different planned.
Posted in Out of School | No Comments »
April 16th, 2010
I was watching the news last night and, I’m not exaggerating, the first 6-7 stories were about K-12 schools in the Greater Boston area and none of the stories were good. Besides talk of cutting programs and teacher layoffs, there were stories of shootings, stabbings, bullying, sex offenders in the schools. It just went on and on. So my question is this. Are things that bad in our schools today or is the media making more of these stories than justified?
Let’s hear your opinion. Would you say – “Things aren’t that bad”, “the news has it about right” or “you don’t know the half of it” You don’t need to name names, not even yours, but post a comment and let us know what things are like at your school.
Posted in In the Classroom | No Comments »
April 15th, 2010
It’s a busy time of year for recruiting students to K-12 teaching positions so we’ll be at the MERC show too. It’s at Northeastern University on Friday, April 23 and we decided to do a secret raffle there too. So, just like the RICE show, mention the phrase “I love Fenway” and we’ll enter you to win a pair of Sox tickets. Hope to see you there.
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April 14th, 2010
YouSchools will be attending the 16th Annual RICE Education Job Fair at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick, RI next Wednesday, April 21. Stop by and say hi. While you’re at it, mention the secret phrase, “I love Fenway” and we’ll give you an entry form to enter our secret raffle. The winner gets a pair of field box seats to an upcoming Sox game at Fenway.
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March 30th, 2010
Today, I presented Shawsheen Valley Technical High School with a high def video camera and framed award for the school and Apple gift cards to the students for winning the 2nd Annual “Why My School is Cool” Video Contest.
We talked about why their video won the award; it was a creative, well crafted combination of video and music that communicated why their school is “Cool” to prospective teachers, students and families and to the community at large.
Afterwards, my associate and I were treated to a partial tour of Shawsheen Valley Technical High School. I was so impressed with everything; the students, their teachers, and the facility! In every classroom (or shop, as they call them) students were immersed in fascinating work–some of them working on a Flash animation, some working on systems analytics for their A+ certification. And the aroma wafting from the Bakery Shop down the hall was an added bonus! It was truly inspiring to speak with these students, most of whom had gotten accepted at their ‘first choice’ colleges!
Kudos to the terrific people at Shawsheen and thanks for the goodies from your Bakery!
Posted in Videography | No Comments »
February 9th, 2010
I completed my student teaching about a year ago. The school was a very small, tight-knit community. I loved every minute of being there, and learned so much. The kids in my classroom were my favorite part of the school community. They were just a great group of fourth graders. Each one had his/her own special characteristics that I think I will remember forever.
I subbed at that school yesterday for the first time since then. I was lucky enough to run into many of my old students, who are now “big 5th graders”. It was like I returned home after a long time away! They were all so excited to see me, gave me hugs, wanted to share with me everything I’ve missed since last year. It was wonderful. I left feeling so good and happy. It is nice to feel like they really connected with me the way I did with them. I can only imagine making that connection with classrooms full of children year after year.
Posted in Finding a K-12 job | No Comments »
February 9th, 2010
The 2nd annual “Why My School is Cool” student video contest has been completed and the videos have been uploaded to both YouSchools.org and our YouTube.com channel. Now we need your help to choose a winner.
Simply go to YouSchools.org or YouTube.com and go to the YouSchools.org channel. You’ll be able to watch this years entries and vote for your favorite. The entry with the highest rating will not only win bragging rights, but the school will receive an HD video camera!
Posted in Videography | No Comments »
January 26th, 2010
According to a recent CareerBuilder survey, 24% of all workers no longer feel loyal to their current employer. This backs up a number of other studies, surveys and anecdotal evidence that suggests that once the economy starts to add jobs, employees are going to jump ship in droves.
So my question is: How likely are you to move on if you are offered another job?
Posted in Finding a K-12 job | No Comments »