Creating conditions for teaching online

In this post, the interest will be on how do we create conditions that will facilitate online teaching in way that is authentic and formal. The input for this post will come from some of the readings for this week and my own experiences facilitating online. 

According to Baran and Thompson (2013), four areas in which teachers experience a pedagogical transformation in an online environment were identified: (1) increasing structure and planning during course design (2) increasing organization in course management (3) increasing teacher presence for monitoring students' learning and (4) reconstructing student-teacher relationships. The role of the Teacher in teaching in general and in teaching online in particular stood out. The teacher, in the various roles (Facilitator, Manager, Coach, Designer, etc) has responsibility to ensure that learner engagement happens. And the ability of the teacher to create learner engagement will be determined by the teacher's philosophical orientation - how do I see my role in the learner-teacher relationship.

In my experience facilitating online with leaders from both the private and public sector, I have used a combination of formal and informal instructional style. For example, sending the welcome email and inviting participants to share their intentions / expectations ahead of time shows a formal (welcome and outline the objectives) and casual (Invite participants to introduce themselves playfully and share their intentions). The design of the session plan is another formal process to ensure that we co-initiate, sense, create and co-evolve the outcome of the online session (to draw from Otto Scharmer's Theory U (2019) framework for change. During the session, I found that retaining the flexibility to 'go anywhere' with the participants is helpful in creating a safe space for learning. And I saw a great example of this during a particular online session on coaching which happened a few days after the election of President Trump. Check in was on how people felt about the election. How we approach, formal and casual should have flexibility to attend to the learner in real time.

In another experience with a large financial institution (client) during the pandemic, a group of 20 or so Facilitators were trained in facilitating online. The client wanted to ensure that there was consistency in the online delivery across the various regions in Africa. Here the process was very formal and facilitators were evaluated based on adherence to the principles and practices. Some of these principles were covered in this week's readings and videos. Some of the practices on engagement like use of whiteboards, chats, and breakout rooms were mandated. Facilitators received feedback from the Master Facilitator and participant post workshop level 1 assessments. 

In summary, to teach online, we should pay attention to (1) the design of the session, (2) how we show up (3) flexible approaches to delivery (formal and casual) and (4) opportunity to get feedback from learners. And we do these in a way that incorporates the five faceted model of authenticity (Cranton and Causetta, 2004), these are:

1. Having a strong self awareness of who we are as teachers and as people

2. Being aware of the characteristics and preferences of learners and others

3. Developing a relationship with learners that fosters our own and their ability to be genuine and open

4. Being aware of context and constraints

5. Engaging in critical reflection and critical self reflection (aware of the assumptions and values we hold and where they originate

Using peer to peer learning to sustain community

HOW have you learned from your colleagues or mentor? How might you make use of Peer to Peer, PLN, or COP in the future? 

One of the things I have learned from Adult Learning and Leadership program is the opportunity to learn from peers as much as one learns from the readings and professor. The collaborative nature of how new knowledge is created, shared and extended has been deep and enriching. It confirmed George Siemens assertion in one of the videos for this week, that learning happens in a socially connected way and that knowledge is produced in a networked way. This process of collaborative knowledge creation taps into, what Clay Shirky mentioned in his TED Talk, into human generosity and digital technology.

The example of USHAHIDI - the online bulletin board created in 2008 as a response to the political violence on the streets of Kenya after the elections, reminded me of the use of WhatsAPP groups during the Nigeria presidential elections of 2023. Of note, it is the reporting from the various groups on election day that showed the widespread voter intimidation, violence at polling stations and ballot box stuffing. I found the up to date reporting by citizen journalists to be essential in keeping us informed.

How might you support these concepts in the capacity of a teacher or facilitator?

I have used peer to peer learning in workshops where we use Padlet to enable interaction before, during and after the sessions. I found the informal interaction to be fun while encouraging sharing of ideas and building better connections. I can use the tools to facilitate learning - share assignments, invite input and keep a continuing log of learner participation. 

One of the challenges I see is how do I keep the community connection long after the work session is done. I learned from the reading that creating an environment where people feel safe to share and tell their story of how they apply the learning will be one way of keeping the alive. 

Accelerating business growth through Character and Competence

We had the privilege to facilitate a learning session with members of the Uganda Private Educational Institution Association (NPEIA) held at St. Lawrence University last week. The session was attended by about 110 members from the various districts around Kampala, Wakiso and Luwero. This learning session was part of the multi year partnership between NPEIA and our firm CEMM. The objectives of the partnership are to enable NPEIA members achieve the learning and commercial objectives of the association, create process, content and faculty for on-going professional development for administrators, head teachers, teachers and other staff and provide access to Franklin Covey's whole school transformation process called The Leader In Me. CEMM is the exclusive licensee for Franklin Covey in Uganda, Rwanda, Togo and Burundi.

As part of the interaction, we shared the following in response to NPEIA members interest:

1. Leaders who make a difference in peoples lives have a combination of Character and Competence to accelerate results. What sets them apart is who they are, how they think, the actions they take and the results they get. We drew from the work of Stephen M.R Covey in Trust and Inspire and NPEIA members own experience to show that a Leaders character is foundational. We said Character was made up of the leaders Integrity (deep honesty and truthfulness. It is who the leader is and it get demonstrated in the Leaders congruence, humility and courage to act in the face of constant change. The component of character is the leaders intent - the fundamental motive or agenda and the behavior that follows. To use the analogy of a tree, character is the root while Competence is the fruit (the leaders track record of results and capability to lead people, process, values, strategy and structure.

2. Leaders who achieve greatness are driven by five fundamental mindsets as captured by M.R Covey. These mindsets and resulting behaviors are;

a. I believe people have greatness inside them - so my job as a leader is to unleash their potential, not control them

b. I believe there is enough for everyone - so my job as a leader is to elevate caring above competing

c. I believe people are whole people - so my job as a leader is to inspire not merely motivate

d. I believe enduring influence is created from the inside out - so my job as a leader is to go first

e. I believe leadership is stewardship - so my job as a leader is to put service above self interest

3. Leaders who inspire their teams to achieve great results create conditions where people are safe to make a contribution without retribution (a process called psychological safety). Drawing from the work Professor Amy Edmondson (The Fearless Organization), we shared that people are more likely to be engaged in their work when they are included, can contribute, learn and can challenge without fear. Edmondson wrote that psychological safety is a "shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking." Psychological safety is a "sense of confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject or punish someone for speaking up". Back to what we said at the beginning on trust, Edmondson wrote in a study published in 1999 that Psychological safety "describes a team climate characterized by interpersonal trust and mutual respect in which people are comfortable being themselves".

4. Leaders who achieve sustainable record of performance understand the money making model of their business. This point drew great interest, coming after the comment from the Director of Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) Director for Education, who hinted that several school owners were running schools that were going concerns. Here we drew from the work of Ram Charan in What the CEO Wants You to Know. Charan identified 5 building blocks that every great leader must know and operate. First is Cash. Cash is money in the bank. Cash flow is the difference between all the money that flows in and all the money that flows out of the school at any given time period. Second, is Margin. Margin is the money left over after paying expenses. To improve margin, increase revenue, decrease costs, or both. Third is Velocity. Velocity means speed.-how fast and how hard you make your assets work to make more money. Decreasing cycle time, increasing employee productivity are examples of velocity. Fourth is Growth. Growth measures whether the organization is producing more or getting larger. Getting new learners or hiring more teachers must be profitable and sustainable. And lastly Customers. Customers are the organizations or people your team is in business to serve. How well you serve parents and learners directly impact growth, cash flow and margins. 

During the discussions on the money making model, we took time to discuss how schools could get feedback from stakeholders. We shared the use of Net Promoter Score (NPS). The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a customer loyalty metric and a key gauge of the customer experience. Based on survey data, NPS is derived from answers to the question "How likely are you to recommend our school to a friend?". The NPS score is then calculated based on the number of promoters of the school brand minus the number of detractors of the brand. Promoters are likely to refer the school to a friend while detractors are not all likely to refer the school. Neutral responses have no impact on the Net Promoter Scores. Net promoters become loyal to the school.

As we reflect on the interactions with NPEIA, we are grateful to the leaders of NPEIA for the partnership and opportunity to facilitate the learning. We look forward to our continued relationship to ensure that our schools produce leaders who will thrive in the 21st century. As Tom Wagner from the Global Achievement Gap asserted "In today's highly competitive global 'knowledge economy' all students need new skills for college, careers, and citizenship...Schools haven't changed: the world has. And so, our schools are not failing. Rather, they are obsolete.-even the ones that score the best on standardized tests. This is a very different problem requiring an altogether different solution".

Where do you see the future of online teaching & learning going in Africa?

During the Covid-19 lockdown in Uganda, one of our clients - a financial institution with a footprint in 12 countries in Africa, offered our firm the opportunity to train in online delivery. The purpose was to have a team of trained Facilitators in Africa who could deliver their content on Self- Management. This was our first encounter with online delivery at scale. We had another opportunity with another financial institution to deliver to over 600 branch managers. This institution had a footprint in 35 countries in Africa. This delivery was done at a time when most of sub-saharan Africa was experiencing lockdown.

Since these two experiences, we have gone on to include online teaching and learning as an integral part of our delivery experience. We have done so for corporates, public sector, educational institutions and preparing young entrepreneurs in East Africa.

Based on these experiences, my sense is that online teaching and learning will shape the way we learn and apply learning in the future in the following ways:

1. Integrated as part of most learning interventions regardless of sectors. In pre-Covid, it would have been unthinkable to include online teaching and learning as part of interventions in the public sector. In Uganda, all universities and other tertiary institutions have been directed by the Ministry of Education to do e-learning as a matter of priority, according to a directive from the Ministry of Education. According to the International Association of Universities' (IAU, 2020b) global survey on the impacts of COVID-19, two thirds of the responding institutions worldwide have replaced classroom teaching with distance learning. In the United States, the American Council of Education (ACE, 2020), COVID-19 survey of 268 college and university presidents found that more than half (55%) planned to offer "predominantly online, with some in person instruction" in the spring of 2021 semester, which meant that the entire academic year would be online.

2. Enable greater reach to the African population via the use of mobile phones. In a continent, where we have more mobile phones than bank accounts, the future of online teaching and learning will be driven by continued penetration of mobile technology and flexible learning applications. According to the World Bank and African Development Bank, there are 650 million mobile users in Africa, surpassing the number in the United States or Europe. IN some African countries more people have access to a mobile phone than clean water, a bank account or electricity.

3. Require standards and certifications of Faculty to ensure that Facilitators have the skill to facilitate learning online. My experience with the financial institution who invited us to be trained in their content, showed that the ability to make learning easy online is different from the face-to- face classroom interaction. Proficiency with online collaborative tools (Zoom, Padlet, Canvas, etc) are a must in addition to a Facilitators ability to apply the principles of adult learning via a mobile device.

4. Drive on-demand learning in very significant ways. For example, in 2022, University lecturers in Nigeria went on strike for 6 months - a practice that is not uncommon in other African countries. Online teaching and learning could have facilitated student learning and contract the time to graduate. 

5. Make it easier for young people to mobilize and drive social change. For example, access to online platforms and tools was one of the contributing factors to the successful effort by young people in Nigeria to combat the police brutality. Young people were able to organize, crowd fund and source ideas on the best ways to communicate and coordinate the activities in Lagos and other major cities in Nigeria. 

6. Investments in high-speed connectivity. According to the World Bank, “Nearly 300 million Africans live more than 50 kilometers from a Fiber or cable broadband connection, hence the lack of widespread availability of high-speed internet remains a significant hurdle for Africa to fully harness the potential of digital transformation”

 

 

 

The Case for Everyday Legacy

 My wife and I had breakfast with Mariano Takishimi, an Argentine born Japanese Chef who manages 3 operations in Los Cabos Mexico. After I got beyond the awe of dining with someone who actually knows about food, I asked Mariano what legacy he would like to leave behind. This is a question I am wrestling with based on a class project on Action Learning and Coaching.

As part of the data collection portion of the class, I set out to interview a number of stakeholders to get a wide angle view of the topic of what it takes to live a life that is Legacy driven. My interview list includes two entrepreneurs, two leaders of businesses we provide services to and are intimately familiar with the work we do, and selected members of our staff.

So Mariano would be me or the two entrepreneurs. Mariano, who is Japanese, was born in Argentina. Mariano’s father wanted him to study business so he could join the Hitachi corporation where his father worked as an executive. Mariano followed his passion for the culinary arts, he went to school in France where is honed his craft. Today, Mariano is part of the MBU business group in Mexico who operate a number of boutique hotels.

I asked Mariano what thought about his legacy. He said life’s work or legacy is something rarely talked about. That was until a routine blood test revealed that a stage 1 cancer. A month later the cancer had progressed to stage 2. Post surgery and now cancer free, Mariano said he thinks now about what he would leave behind. And figured that his life journey of multi cultures, family, work experience and leading several businesses, including a failed restaurant venture in the middle of holiday destination Los Cabos, would inspire people.

There is a something about how a crisis or some “disorienting condition” (to use use Mezirow’s language from transformative learning) can force us to focus on what really matters. According to the late Art Ciocca, CEO and owner of The Wine Group, a head on accident while riding his bicycle, “motivated me to get working on things that had less to do with work and more with giving back to life,".

Mariano would love inspire people with his story to communicate the power of passion, hard work, failure and perseverance in life. How does he intend to do this?. Mariano is in advanced stages to begin a weekly podcast.

At this point in the breakfast, Mariano took one glance at his watch, I knew we were getting to the end of the lovely breakfast. Mariano had mentioned he had an appointment with his Dentist at 10am and we had an UBER to catch to get to the airport.

So what did I learn from Mariano?

First, that we create legacy daily even when we may not think about it or be forced to reflect on it by a “disorienting condition”. What our epitaph would say would be the sum of our lives, whether lived intentionally or not.

Second, there is something about how our passion is a source of our life’s work. Christian Larson reminds us that there is something inside of us that is greater than any obstacle. Our passions provide clues to what

matters to so and hopefully we can make the choice like Mariano to follow it. I can contrast this with some folks who say passions don’t pay bills. In the case where of Mariano, his passion as a Chef more than paid his bills. It has been a source of fulfillment.

Third, legacy requires hard work. As a Chef, Mariano said 20-30 percent is spent in actual cooking, the rest is the preparation, cleaning, washing and all the things “most people don’t want to do”.

Our passions would also have parts that are demanding and less glamorous but has to be done. A life of legacy requires a commitment to the valleys and mountaintops of daily experiences.

One example of Mariano’s commitment was during the pandemic, he cooked at home for a group who continued to support his work. And to this day, he makes time to fulfill his commitment to this group.

 

A 5 Star is remembered

Today friends and family came together in Olney, Maryland United States to bury a friend, colleague, Aunty, mentor and a believer in the saving grace of God, Khalea Queen. Khalea Queen passed away July 11th 2022 after a period of hospitalization. 

My wife and I met Khalea at the Bethel World Outreach (now Harvest International) church where Khalea and I served on a Church committee called the 5 Star team. The team was setup by the founder of the Church Bishop Darlingston Johnson to review and make recommendations to provide a more excellent member experience. While Sister Khalea volunteered at the Church, she was a teacher with the District of Columbia public school system.

In that capacity, we came to know Sister Khalea (as we fondly called her) as a hardworking, loving and delightful human being. Sister Khalea made significant contributions to the team especially in the area establishing a program management office (PMO) for managing all church projects. And it was no surprise, that Sister Khalea left her teaching job in the District of Columbia (DC) to lead the first PMO at the Church.

We remember Sister Khalea as a family friend who made time to do lunch or dinner with us each time we were in the DC area. Sister Khalea was not too busy to invest in relationships. And as the daughter of Sister Khalea’s long family friend Yvette, read from a poem by Maya Angelou;

When great souls die,

the air around us becomes

light, rare, sterile.

We breathe, briefly.

Our eyes, briefly,

see with

a hurtful clarity.

Our memory, suddenly sharpened,

examines,

gnaws on kind words

unsaid,

promised walks

never taken.

Yes today brought the hurtful clarity needed to remember our most important relationship-the free gift of salvation by Our Lord Jesus Christ. The blessed assurance that to be absent in the body is to be present in eternity. While we mourn Sister Khalea, we are comforted that Sister Khalea gave her life to our Lord Jesus Christ and is a better place that we are today.

As my wife and I drove by the burial site, a few hours after the repass, I reflected firstly on the what is the ultimate purpose of life? when all is said and done is life truly vapor as the Teacher in the book of Ecclesiastes opined 'Life is fleeting, like a passing mist. It is like trying to catch hold of a breath; All vanishes like vapor; everything is great vanity. What good does it do anyone to work so hard again and again, sun up to sundown? All his labor to gain but a little?'

Secondly, what should the focus of my daily life be? all of a sudden the daily grind of tasks, appointments, gossip and the number of Facebook likes look so small compared to the significance of a freshly filled grave.

Thirdly, my commitments to my most important earthly relationships - what do I need to do ensure that I invest in my most important relationships, to make and keep commitments today and not allow the spirit of procrastination to take hold.

We will miss Sister Khalea who taught us to live for Christ and focus on our relationships. To make a contribution through our daily commitments to one another. And to do so knowing that life maybe vapor and every vapor has a unique purpose.

        

The Mindset and skillsets for Goal Setting

I had the privilege of been a guest on the Watoto Church Power, Sex and Money program last week Friday on the topic of goal setting. Watoto Church is Pentecostal congregation established over thirty years ago by Pastor Gary Skinner and his wife Marilyn.  The interviewer Ronnie Habasa did an excellent job of facilitating the process to ensure that we focused on the topic in a conversational, light hearted and meaningful way. 

Now, with most people’s experience with making New Year resolutions and not keeping them beyond February 14^th (Valentine’s Day) of the same year, and the feeling that people in the Church may think of goal setting as some corporate ritual, I was very impressed by the level of interest and enthusiasm from the audience.

And it was the preparation for the session that also proved to be very rewarding. I listened to Pastor Rick Warren’s sermon on Transformed: How to Set Personal Goals By Faith and Change Your Life By Changing Your Mind. Two pivotal sermons that shaped my understanding and provided great biblical references. I also returned to some of our content from Franklin Covey on The Five Choices for Extraordinary Productivity as well as The 4 Disciplines of Execution.

I learnt from Pastor Warren’s sermon the following six reasons why we must set goals and work to ensure that we accomplish them. First, Goal setting is a spiritual responsibility as articulated by Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:12-15, “I don’t claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself, Of course, my brothers and sisters, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is head. So, I run straight towards the goal to win the prize, which is God’s call through Christ Jesus to the life above. All of us who are spiritually mature should have this same attitude. But if some of you have a different attitude, God will make this clear to you”

The above scripture also draws our attention to the fact that we should live by design and not default. I once heard a Deejay on one of our city radio stations say that ‘’my life is like a river and I let flow anywhere’’. That may sound cute on radio but a disastrous recipe for living. While each New Year provides and opportunity to look back and set priorities for the coming year, setting short, mid and long term goals are required if we are to achieve the very reason we were created.

Secondly, goals are statement of faith. Ephesians 3:20, ‘’To him who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of’’. If God can do more, then our goals communicate our dreams, hopes and aspirations with the knowledge that God is able to make them in accordance with his plans for our lives. Matthew 9:29 says ‘’According to your faith, it shall be added on to you”. Goals provide us an opportunity to exercise our faith.

Thirdly, goals keep us going. Job 6:11 ‘’I do not have strength to endure, I do not have a goal that encourages me to carry on’’. Goals provide the motivation to achieve. For instance, Mitchell (1982) defines motivation as ‘’those psychological processes that cause the arousal, direction, and persistence of voluntary actions that are goal directed. We also know that giving people specific goals to achieve rather than telling them to do their best increase their motivation (Locke & Brian 1966).

Fourthly, goals focus your energy. In 1 Corinthians Chapter 9, verse 26, Apostle Paul says ‘’I do not run without a goal. I fight like a boxer who is hitting something’’. Meaning I do not engage in meaningless activity, my actions are directed at achieving something, a goal. A goal that will honor God, demonstrate love and require you to depend on His strength. At a time when 54% of people spend much of their time on activities that demand their immediate attention but have little relevance to their top priorities, goals help filter what activities to do or not. Goethe said things which matter the most must never be at the mercy of things which matter the lest. Let me add that it does not matter if those ‘’urgent things where delivered to your phone instantly.

Fifthly, goals build character. The process of working on a goal will test our perseverance, tenacity and grit. In this process, we learn the mindset and skills necessary to endure. We clarify our integrity and crystalize our intent in the journey to live for something greater that ourselves.

And finally, good goals will be rewarded. Proverbs 11:27 says “If your goals are good, you will be respected, but you are looking for trouble, that what you will get”. 

And we know men and women who have lived sacrificially for the advancement of a cause greater than themselves. From Mahatma Ghandi to Martin Luther King Jr, people who set and accomplish good goals leave a legacy. Think of President John F. Kennedy who announced a goal to an American on the moon and return them safely before the end of the decade. Many thought this was impossible, but this goal was achieved on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon’s surface.

Now that we know the scriptural foundations for goal setting, what do we do on Monday morning? A few steps, first we must be clear on the type of contribution we want to make. Tools like Franklin Covey Mission Statement Builder found in Franklincovey.com/msb, Tom Rath’s Strengths Finder and Rick Warren SHAPE come in handy. We believe everyone has a meaningful contribution to make and it is important we are clear before we begin to set goals make new year resolutions.

Secondly, we suggest you identify your key roles, since our goals happen within the context our roles. For example, I am a father, husband, brother, Uncle, Facilitator, etc. We also remind folks to remember to set specific goals their most important asset which is you. So your physical, social/emotional, mental and spiritual dimensions require our attention.

Thirdly, you clarify the kind of legacy you want to live in each role, instead of a father, my goal is to be a loving father. And instead of a husband, I will love to be a faithful husband. With that we recommend you move to the fourth step, which is to set the specific goals that will make that role statement become a reality. Now, these will be a series of goals over time and the caution is to focus on no more than three goals at the same time.