Creating an environment to grow leaders.

 

Jack Welch said; “before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”

Yet to grow yourself and others, the environment for such growth has to be established.  Successful innovation doesn't just happen overnight - it needs to be nurtured. The healthier the environment, the greater the results will be.

The environment in which we find ourselves creates behavioral patterns in human development; either positive or negative depending on the factors we are exposed to.

To ensure that the experience is positive, the following factors need to be taken into consideration when you want to grow leaders in a working environment:

Equipment and facilities

The equipment and facilities that workers use to perform their tasks should be in good working order and regularly maintained.  It should comply to all standards they need in order for them to do their work thoroughly.

Workspace

The workspace should be an expression of not just the corporate culture but also that of the employees, a place they would want to spend more than 5 or 6 hours of their day.

Conflict resolution

Conflict in the workplace can seriously reduce productivity. Failure to properly resolve conflict is even worse than the conflict itself because it secures a habitual environment for conflict in the future.

Freedom of expression

Freedom of expression goes further than just expressing thoughts and ideas.  This freedom should allow them to express themselves in terms of religion, gender, ethnicity as well as culture.   This will create an environment of respect, confidence and security.

Innovation

Members of the workspace have the talents and abilities as well as potential of acquiring great leadership skills.  One way of developing this with maximum results would be to encourage employees to seek innovation in their work. Here are a few ways in which you can create an environment conducive to innovation:

·        Reward creativity,

·        Support diversity amongst employees and

·        Establish good relationships with your people.

Remember this, leaders do not create followers, they create leaders and when it comes to the working environment or any other, you need to create a habitat conducive for others to grow in.

The advantages of distance education

With the need to education becoming increasingly more, universities have to find innovative ways on how to hold up the masses.

Although sometimes considered as second best, distance learning has become the answer to many a prayers and the solution to the mass universities are struggling with.

Not just a can you continue with your everyday working routine and tend to your family and other commitments, but you will be able to attend to a full time study course.

What is the value of distance learning, the answer to that is simple, it depends solely on you as the student.  The advantages of distance learning however allows for:

Flexibility

Probably being the biggest advantage of distance education is that depending on your diary and the responsibilities you have you can fit your study time to a time that best suits you. 

Saves time and money

These courses are most of the time a whole lot cheaper for the same quality material, you will also be saving on university accommodation as well as on commuting.

Convenient

Having the luxury of studying for your own home, you can sit in you PJ’s and do the required tasks.  It’s sometimes as easy as dropping your assignment off at the post office and or submitting it online.

Self and community empowerment

Changing you career and future prospects wherever you are not matter how rural the area.  Being from a rural area will allow you to educate those around you as well showing them that everything is possible.

24/7 access to study material and other students

Be included in university life through contact with other students through online learning environments, as well as through direct contact with your lecturers via the provided forums, through emails or by phone.

Although the over-dependence on technology, the lack of discipline or the fact that there is little to no direct contact with faculty could be a few disadvantages of distance learning, many studies have shown this to be a valuable and efficient way of education.   Just believe in yourself and make the best of the opportunities presented.

 

Innovative Education Trends In 2014

Whether you are one of the first years who have to own a tablet for this year’s studies or whether you are a teacher looking for new ways to inspire your students, here are a few innovative trends in education for this year… and most of them is about increasing access to information…

Online Collaborative Learning

We spend a lot of time online, sharing information. It only seems natural for learning to take the same course. Online independent learning can happen a lot easier because of the online skills that many students already have. This model is great for collaboration, allowing students to benefit from shared memory and shared resources. Just imagine study groups online, where you will be able to talk about articles, books and ideas that will help each other.

Online Resources and Textbooks

Many often consider online learning as a static learning process with little interaction. Many of the online resources that we will be seeing reenacts face-to-face learning experiences, so the classroom will physically be represented online with the help of video and audio mediums. Sharing digital resources is also a lot more efficient – you no longer have to wait for your textbook to arrive at your local bookstore (and chances are that you can access them on your smartphone or tablet).

Social Media for Learning

87% of Facebook and 85% of Twitter users in South Africa are accessing these platforms on their mobile phone and with South Africa having a mobile penetration well over 100%, social media is going to become important in providing students with access to information and encourage them to participate in conversation. Challenges still exist in proving the credibility of this medium, although we should be seeing a lot more interaction between educators, students and industry specialists on platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

The Flipped Classroom

Many learning institutions have a structure where most of the time spent in class includes an educator delivering information to the students and then, by use of a textbook, it is up to the student to read the relevant chapters. The idea of the flipped classroom allows students to access information how they want to, allowing them to absorb the information in a way that is best suited to them. This might include watching videos, listening to podcasts, collaborating with peers online for example.

Regardless of what you are studying, remember that we offer loans for textbooks, study-related equipment, laptops and tablets to ensure that you have everything you need to help you during your studies! Contact us today to find out how we can assist you!