Month: February 2021

General Article

Cert IV in Business: What It Can Do for You

February 27, 2021 Comments Off on Cert IV in Business: What It Can Do for You

Cert IV in Business: What It Can Do for You

In today’s high-paced, hectic and competitive work environment, most adults just don’t have the time to be able to go back to school to earn their degrees. This will certainly hinder their chances to succeed in this competitive field. Luckily, there are now online courses that you can take at your own convenience so you can compete and earn more money. Here is a brief article explaining the Cert IV in business and what it can do for you.

First, there are several different ways that you can earn a Cert IV in business online. Many prestigious schools are offering these courses online and you will have the opportunity to select from a bunch. Use your due diligence and find an online school that is accredited in your community and one that will give you the best chance to learn and grow in your specific field of endeavour.

Most online Cert IV business accreditation will take right around a year to complete depending on whether or not you will need to take any courses leading up to the Cert IV. The Cert IV will expand on what you were taught for your Cert III so you can gain more knowledge and more experience in the business world.

These courses will teach you essential business skills that you will need to compete in today’s environment. Computer knowledge is an ever growing skill set that is absolutely required in businesses today. If you want to compete in business and earn more money, you will need to expand your skills beyond the basic know-how’s of a computer.

The Cert IV in business will in fact train you to be more proficient with computers and teach you how to work with and implement certain software programs that most businesses use today. You will learn how to develop complex text documents, spreadsheets and other forms of software that will display important business correlations.

You will also learn how to create reports and make slideshows for presentations and business meetings. These are just a few of the absolute essentials that any business uses nowadays. The more that you are skilled in using the computer, the more your knowledge and expertise will be valued in the business office.

A Cert IV in business is perfect for those looking to move up in the business world. It will give you the skill sets and knowledge to be a vital teammate for any company due to your new found knowledge in computers and how to use the computer to benefit the company.

General Article

Rationale and Relevance – The Challenges of Adult Learning

February 23, 2021 Comments Off on Rationale and Relevance – The Challenges of Adult Learning

Rationale and Relevance – The Challenges of Adult Learning

Does the teaching of adult learners require different assumptions and techniques than the teaching of children and pre-adult adolescents?

For centuries, the question was rarely considered, as what could be called the “pedagogical” model of education was universally applied. Pedagogy is what we now call teacher-centered learning. The teacher is the expert who by virtue of his or her superior knowledge and experience over the student determines not only the content of what is to be taught, but how it is taught as well. Teaching methodology is largely a one-way transfer of learning from expert to novice, most often in the form of lectures and reading assignments.

In the 1960’s American educator, Malcolm Knowles popularized a new approach called andragogy, which he described in one of his later books, The Modern Practice of Adult Education, as the art and science of teaching adults. Since then, the term is used to describe learner-centered education at all ages.

The passage from childhood to adulthood is marked by increasing degrees of independence and responsibility for decision making about one’s own life. Knowles believed adults would learn better were they more involved in the decisions about their own learning.

Knowles based his model on six assumptions:

Adults have a “need to know.” They must have a rationale for why they need to learn a body of content.

Adults come to the educational setting with more relevant experience.

Adults have a need to be involved in the decisions about their own learning.

Adults learn best when they see a direct relevance of the learning to their own lives.

Adults are better at learning content that is oriented towards solving problems.

Adults respond better to intrinsic motivation rather than extrinsic motivation.

Today there is a growing belief that many of these assumptions apply equally to the education of children. If you search the Internet for information on andragogy and the whole idea of adult education, you will find some who believe Knowles himself later came to believe the same principles should be applied to childhood education in certain situations.

For professionals involved in the education of adults in post-graduate and industrial settings, one could argue the most challenging of these principles are rationale and relevance.

Rationale

There are really three issues here: what is to be learned; how it will be learned; and why it is important. Spelling out the what and the how is not that difficult, but the why presents the challenge. An adult who has decided to pursue a Masters in Business Administration with a major in International Business finds himself or herself in an accounting class. Why?

The value in understanding this principle of adult education is recognizing the need to address the question, rather than assuming the student has no need to know. Under a pedagogical model, there may be valid reasons for learning something, but the instructor sees no reason to share them with the students.

Relevance

If adults have an immediate need to know something, they are more motivated to learn it. If you are teaching a class on appraisal techniques to a group of managers who are about to begin the process of appraising employees for the first time, they will be more motivated to learn. There is no denying the power of the principle of immediacy. However, being aware of the principle of relevance enables an instructor to focus on future applications rather than strictly immediate needs.

Education News

Great Leaders Welcome The Truth

February 20, 2021 Comments Off on Great Leaders Welcome The Truth

We often witness individuals who seem to fear learning the truth, either because of some sort of fear, or to protect some prejudice, prejudgment or bias. Especially during political campaigns, many of these individuals seem to treat truth as an enemy, replacing it with whatever spin, half – truth, or misinterpretation of data and facts best serves their predetermined point of view. However, truly great leaders welcome the truth, because whether they like it or not, actual facts are needed to make wise judgments. Wittgenstein wrote, “When one is frightened of the truth, then it is never the whole truth that one has an inkling.” Great leaders realize that the facts and the realities do not change imply because we don’t like them, and an understanding and desire for truths distinguishes great leaders from the wannabes.
1. There is generally some truth in almost any statement. For example, in advertising, while actual lies are generally avoided (if, for no other reason, than fear of legal ramifications), how these facts are interpreted often creates the desired spin. In recent years, for example, in politics, the many fact checking organizations are constantly discovering that statements made in political campaigns, etc., are often, at best, incomplete and misleading. Products are often marketed the same way, when every cable company claims to better, with better services at better prices, and every cellphone company states that it is better than its competition. Wouldn’t we all be better served by the truth?
2. Truth is a factor in a number of ways when it comes to the quality of leadership. It is obvious that truly great leaders are honest, and commit to absolute integrity. However, it is not only about simply being truthful, but rather how a leader gathers information. The information gathered generally determines the facts or basis by which decisions are made, and if those decisions are made on the basis of less than the whole truth, the probability of errors being made, and poor judgments, are compounded. Wisdom comes about as a result of a combination of attitude, knowledge, judgment, and self – confidence, so obviously if the basis of the knowledge is less than completely factual, there is a large possibility of misinterpretation or less than a thoroughly planned and vetted action. True leadership is about taking timely action, and that requires comprehending, in detail the possible ramifications, and examining as many alternatives as possible.
Our greatest leaders always want all the facts. They may not always like them, but realize that there is a need for a reality check.

Education Policy

Have You Had an Idea Today?

February 11, 2021 Comments Off on Have You Had an Idea Today?

Ideas! Do they just pop out of the blue or can you deliberately enhance your ability to have them?

Would you be surprised to learn that many people never consciously consider their “thought process” and howA� to deliberately create ideas? On the other hand most of us have experienced and easily relate to problem solving and brain storming techniques. Almost always, thought generation occurs in a formal way to address problems that require immediate solutions. It’s also almost always done “officially” (arranged by the organization and sanctioned by senior leadership) and in groups or teams.

Solving problems is absolutely necessary. In fact most companies and organizations probably spend the majority of their time and resources in whatA� I call “reaction thinking” or in other words, responding to calamity in their environment. I’m all for solving day to day – or probably in your world, “minute to minute” problems. Surly most of them are crucial for your organization’s immediate survival. Otherwise you wouldn’t be spending most of your time trying to solve them? Right? At least it appears that way as we struggle with each disaster that comes across our desk.

Often the difference between success and failure is directly related to our ability to shift from reactionary problem solving to forward looking and exponential ideas that lead to innovation.A� What process, method or plan do you use to consciously create ideas that result in innovation? Don’t use any now?, then read on – 🙂

Innovation doesn’t just happen. It’s deliberate, meticulous and calculated. Successful organizations instill in their team members a desire for constant idea generation. Not only do they generate ideas, but they have a culture where new ideas are acted upon. A right culture is harder to describe than a wrong culture. Your culture is wrong if you hear; “Been there , tried that – it didn’t work!” or “we have a policy that doesn’t allow that!” or even more insidious, “we’ll have to have that approved by THE steering committee.” – that last one is the kiss of death for an innovative oriented culture.

Here is one example to demonstrate the power of ideas. Remember 3M and Post-it notes? A company totally focused on making the strongest glues in the world comes up with an idea to use a glue that failed every one of their tests and the result? – Post-it notes were created! The concept is spectacular, but the real story is in their culture and their research or “idea” investments.

So lets get down to brass tacks. You need to personally contribute to your organization no matter what goes on in it’s current culture. Change always begins with ourselves. If you don’t have a regular idea system or use one already, then you need to start now! Here are some helpful hints to get you on the innovation/idea express train:

Schedule regular “idea”A� events in your appointment calendar for yourself.A� They could be daily – 10 minutes is all it takes or weekly for say 30 minutes.

Don’t let other distractions interfere with your idea time.

Dedicate a journal, file or paper pad for your idea’s list – keep in on or near your desk

Keep a paper pad and pen next to you bed – for those eureka moments. Your unconscious mind is your greatest innovation tool. Waking up and writing down an idea immediately saves those thoughts. (most of us forget our brilliant moments if we wait until morning)

Most of us think in terms of solutions to problems or challenges, start your thinking process list with your top 5 challenges you have today.

Consider everything, especially problems you’ve already dealt with as an opportunity.

Give your thought process form –

Write down your opportunity

Write down below it, the why, the what, the how, when etc.

Write down solutions, no matter how bizarre you think they are.

Keep your idea records

Always review your past ideas for a few minutes at the start of your idea session.

Never exclude a challenge or idea because you’ve thought about it before. Remember, Edison thought of 3000 ways of making a light bulb that failed before he found a way that worked.

Here’s an example to help you gain skill in deliberate ideas.

The What: I want my chickens to get across the road –

currently 9 out of 10 get run over before they get to the other side

fast cars and heavy traffic contribute to the problem

the chickens have short legs and run slow.

Drivers don’t see them

Why do chickens have to get to the other side of the road?:

More feed across the road

Chickens have eaten all the food on the current side they’re on – now starving

I like the eggs they produce and want more

Ideas:

Dress chickens in orange traffic vests

Buy running shoes for chickens

Hire traffic flaggers

Install traffic lights

Install chicken crossing signs

Roast all current chickens and buy eggs from supper market

OK we’re having a bit of fun here with chickens, but it demonstrates how you can implement a regular personal thinking strategy that will lead to innovative ideas for you. Give it a try today. Come back and tell us how your idea strategy works for you!

Education College

Where Are My Guys At?

February 8, 2021 Comments Off on Where Are My Guys At?

Believe me, guys are genetically configured to be proud, and as much as we want to learn about things outside the normal stuff like academics, health, career etc, we desire to know more about the less important stuff like sense of style, how to live how to woo and keep women etc.
Some Guys are good at these stuff others just suck! and what makes it even more depressing is guys rarely ask questions about stuff like tips on women, dress sense, for fear of being labeled uncool.
I’m not an authority on these subjects but I try to seek, ask and knock on the door for information on these subjects. These less talked about stuff are actually what makes life more masculine, that reminds us that we the dominant sex and specie.
In truth, guys actually tend to lie or embellish their stories on escapades with the female gender and so many less important stuff, which tend to make them not want to seek answers when they seek one on these matters. Asking will only render their stories untrue, which will hurt their pride.
Other just simply see themselves as self acclaimed pros on the subject but actually don’t know shit and don’t see any reason to seek any. no wonder my people perish for lack of knowledge.
Being a guy is by far the coolest natural phenomenon in creation, but being a “correct” guy requires knowledge, skill and confidence that you not pre-created with, which can only be developed and mastered over time.
Finally, it’s okay to exist but it’s by far better to live. Life gives far more pleasure than pain, and the greatest of them, is living. And to live right requires knowledge, so seek it!