Nicolas Lambeth

It is continually important to develop staff, especially those that you are managing from a distance, in regards to professional development, teaching pedagogies and technology. When a new instructor on-boards, it is important to have a faculty trainer to show them the ropes of the LMS and it may be beneficial to support the new instructor with a classroom assistant. This is a two-fold benefit as the assistant can also track the instructor's progress and show them where to continue in their devleopment further. Continuing education in our industry as a whole is a requirement of many licenses, and not… >>>

This module offered a lot of insight into how to track instructor performance in delivering quality education in an online classroom. My biggest takeaway is to focus on the behaviors of effective instructors who create positive change and growth in their classrooms, rather than focusing on what is negatively impacting student performance. It was also interesting to learn that the "best practices" used in online classrooms over a decade were not found to be highly effective. I believe this is becuase too much focus was placed on quantiative alaysis of instructors and not enough focus on the qualitative analysis. Every… >>>

It is just as important, if not more, to have a structured and clearly defined on-boarding plan for online faculty as it is for on-campus faculty. If instructors do not know what is expected, then they will not know what parameters to meet or exceed in their position. A multi-phase on-boarding can help to ease staff into the LMS, and provide a more seemless transition into the institutions SOP's and best practices. It is important to considered state and accreditor regulations and requirments when selecting instructors and deciding which programs they are able to teach. 

In an online learning environment for an institution of higher education, there are a plethora of considerations to make when hiring instructors for online teaching. Depending on the type of program being taught and the specificaitons of the institution, considerations like professional/industry experience, specific online teaching experience, workload with other commitments, and the degree of educaiton are vital. For our school, we would need to have in-state practitioners employed due to HECC and Oregon HLO requirements, as a College of Beauty. Thinking of adjunct instructors, I would like to look more in-depth at recent graduates or professionals who are younger… >>>

In this module I have gained more in-depth understanding for what it takes for an accrediting body or commission to be recognized by the Department of Education, as well as their purpose and function in higher education. I had a vague understanding that accrediting bodies allow for an institution to receive Title IV funding, however I didn't realize the accrediting body also undergoes an in-depth process like the institutions go through. I learned about each of the types of bodies from regional and national to programmatic/specialized and what their unique functions are overall. I've found it is important to understand… >>>

This was a great course for professional development and I learned a lot about how to bring my ideas to fruition in the face of adversity, or even when people may already be on my side. As an Education Director it is my job to keep up with changes, trends, and the industry in order to make necessary adjustments to our curriculum or processes. When I have an idea that I have researched and fully believe in, I need tools in order to get Senior Managment to agree with, back, and approve my ideas. Not only that but my team… >>>

I learned many valuable tools in this module from timeblocking and prioritizing my days into three main tasks and finding where my peaks and valleys are in my energy levels. I find value in being able to know yourself well enough to know what the best times of day will be to perform specific tasks or funcitons, such as more routine and monotonous tasks when energy is low and more creative or complex tasks when you have the most energy or mental clarity. In one of the linked podcast episodes, they spoke on creating a timeblock calendar to run by… >>>

In order to effectively maintain and motivate a board, a few things need to take place including professional development, recognition, and proper communication. I believe that offering individuals on a board professional development is also a form of recognition or thanks for their time and service. However, I understand and agree with the value that can be added by presenting awards or utilizing activities like retreats for governing boards, where appropriate. Using concise, meanginful, and timley communicaiton with relevancy to the members' responsibilities, using the best available information within context will create a more cohesive team and board. Without communication… >>>

Planning, preparation, expectation setting, and a structured agenda are all key elements to managing a successful board meeting. Ensuring the facilitator is skilled in time managment, facilitation of candid discussion and engagment is another key element as well. It is important that all members have what they need to prepare no less than two weeks before and receive minutes and notes no more than two weeks after. Assessing the effectiveness of the governing board bi-annually and advisory boards annually is vital to ensure the board is accomplishing their goals. As long as the chairperson is managing the board well, conducting… >>>

When forming a board, such as a curriculum advisory board, is in important to consider many factors. Not only the potential member's professional experience and contributions, but their values, integrity, and ability to commit to serving on a board. Knowing whether the members are aligned with the mission and vision of the institution is integral to the success of a board. With that, the proper training and continued management of a board will determine its success and the outcomes of decisions and projects the board will work on. It is best to keep them as small as possible, with an… >>>