The biggest mistake educators make when marketing new programs

September 17, 2010

My first job in educational administration was in 1989 at Saint Mary’s University. I worked in what was then the Division of Continuing Education. Part of my job was to promote current and new programs. I’ve learned a thing or two over the past twenty years of working in education. What’s the biggest challenge of marketing of new educational programs?

One word: Impatience.

As educators, we tell our students that they need to study regularly. We tell them that consistent effort over time brings results. We tell them to set aside time every day for their studies. We tell them that if they put in the work, that they’ll see results… but they just have to be patient.  If we followed the same advice, we’d be much better at promoting educational programs.

Instead, administrators want results NOW. If a program is posted in the course calendar in one semester and it doesn’t meet the minimum requirements for registrations, it’s canned. Wiped off the books. Written off.

Imagine if you saw a student giving up so easily after getting less than stellar results on a test. Would you say, “Yeah, you’re right. You bombed this first test, so clearly you don’t have what it takes…”

No, of course not! You’d sit down with the student, review the results, determine strategies to improve and then monitor their progress. We can do the same thing with educational programs. If a new program bombs the first time, examine the results and try to figure out why. Develop some new marketing strategies and go out and try them. Keep an eye on your process and watch for improvements.

If we promoted our programs with the same vigilance and patience that we have with our students, we’d have better long term results.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Resources for Language Program Administration and Management

September 16, 2010

Here is an online list of resources relating to language program administration and management. This has been an emerging field over the past decade. Most of these resources are free and available on line. There are also links to a few books on the topic that are available for sale through selected booksellers:

Here’s the list: http://www.diigo.com/list/saraheaton/language-program-administration

This is a companion list to the one that is specifically on marketing and public relations for language programs: http://www.diigo.com/list/saraheaton/marketing-language-programs

I’ll keep adding to the list as I find more resources. If you know of an excellent resource, please e-mail me at sarahelaineeaton (at) gmail.com.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Teaching formal and informal language register to native English speakers

September 14, 2010

As a university level-Spanish instructor, I often find that native English speaking students who have never studied languages before struggle with the concept of formal versus informal forms of address. In Spanish, it’s usted (formal) vs. tú (informal). The concept exists in many other languages, too. Here’s how I teach it:

1. Present the formal and informal words in the target language.

2. Explain that both the informal and formal equal “you” in today’s English.

3. Give some examples of when it is appropriate to address someone formally and when it is OK to address someone informally. Explain generational and regional differences.

4. Point out that we used to have both formal and informal in English. (I love this part!) Watch their faces scrunch up as if to say, “Huh?” I ask if any of them have studied Shakespeare, watched Shakespeare movies or heard language from that time period or before in movies. (If you’re teaching the secondary, post-secondary or adult levels, you’ll likely get a few nods if you try this.) Then I give them this example from Romeo and Juliet:

Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art ___________?

What goes in the blank? Thou, of course. Juliet addresses her lover informally.

I point out other related words such as “thee” and “thy”, which also fell out of use in favor of “you” and “your”, which was traditionally our formal form of address. We dropped the informal, in favour of using only the formal.

I don’t discuss religion much in my classes, but given that most of Latin America and Spain are Catholic, it is an interesting cultural note that God is addressed informally. (I could never figure that one out, myself. I mean, if there was one being who merited the respect of a formal address, you’d think it might be God, but what do I know?) If you’re teaching in a Christian faith-based environment, you can also point out that “classically” the “Our Father” prayer used “thou” and “thee”, too. Many churches have updated that to “you” nowadays, but “hallowed be Thy name” can still be heard in some places. Traditionally, God has been addressed informally in the Christian faith.

I also point out other well known phrases and verses using the traditional informal such as:

“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” (Elizabeth Barrett Browning)

“To thine own self be true.” (Shakespeare, Hamlet)

“How great thou art.” (Christian hymn)

Once the students have made the connection that the formal and informal both used to exist – and be used quite regularly – in English, it is easier for them to transfer that knowledge to a new second language. That takes care of the conceptual block and all they have to master is when to use each form correctly.

Check out these related posts:

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Update – January, 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

 

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

7 Global Trends in Education in the 21st Century

September 9, 2010

The Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration invited me to give a Spotlight presentation today via webinar. I took the research I’d done on Trends in Language Learning in the 21st Century and expanded it, examining trends in education as a whole in the 21st Century. The main question I wanted to answer was:

What trends are occurring in education in both developed and developing nations, at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, as well as in adult education regardless of whether the education is pubic or private, on every continent of the world?

The research is still in progress and so far, 7 main trends have emerged:

  1. Technology use and integration – Technology will not only enhance education, it will drive learning of all kinds.
  2. Expansion of mobile technology – Technology will become increasingly mobile, meaning that opportunities for learning will – and already do – exist everywhere, all the time.
  3. Asset-based approaches to evaluation – At the classroom level (through the use of portfolios), at the regional or national scale (through the use of benchmarks) and on a multi-national or international level (through the use of large scale frameworks).
  4. Increased creativity – Knowledge will be created and co-created, not simply “imparted” by teachers. Students are not just taking in facts, they are creating new knowledge.
  5. Global approaches to learning – Shared interests, curiosity and a hunger for learning are driving us to reach beyond our own borders.
  6. Global mobility – Teachers and students are experiencing more of the world, more often, starting from a younger age.
  7. Borderless education – The barrier of geography is being transcended by technology, creativity and a desire to “go global”.

Check out the slides for the presentation here:

21st Century Global Trends in Education (2010)

Testimonials

This is what participants said about this webinar:

“The webinar on Global Trends in Education in the 21st Century was very informative.  The easy-to-understand format presented developing trends in the field of education with a focus on how technology is impacting learning.  I highly recommend using these webinars as a means of keeping abreast of an ever-changing field.” -Debbie Fontenot

“Dr. Sarah Eaton’s informative presentation on Global Trends in Education reflects all of the current research on best practices for teaching/learning. I applaud her vision as we navigate  a new mindset in education. I would like to think of my colleagues and I as 21st Century Teachers Without Borders.” -Deborah Gavin, The Haverford School, Conshohocken, PA, USA

APA citation

How to cite this for your own research:

Eaton, S.E. (8 September, 2010). “Global Trends in Education in the Twenty-First Century”, presented online at the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC).

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Happy International Literacy Day

September 8, 2010

UNESCO has proclaimed September 8 as International Literacy Day. Literacy is a complex issue and defining it can be tricky. Just about every country in the world has its own definition of literacy.

In Canada, literacy is defined in broad terms. It includes 9 Literacy and Essential Skills.

These skills are:

  • Reading text
  • Document use
  • Numeracy
  • Writing
  • Oral communication
  • Working with others
  • Continuous learning
  • Thinking skills
  • Computer use

How are you celebrating International Literacy Day?

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

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