Expression GreenExpressing the need for a healthy green lifestyle

Every organization understands the value of ongoing education and training. We all want to have a staff of professionals who continue to grow and improve themselves in their specialty, to learn the ropes of their industry, and to learn about your company and your customers.

Active adult learners make the best employees. But many managers and trainers fail to recognize the fact that adults learn very differently than children and younger adults who are in the formal school system.

The Solution
This article is a comparison and discussion of the concepts of andragogy, meaning “the art and science of helping adults to learn”. . . contrasted with pedagogy, the art and science of helping children to learn. There is some discussion about whether androgogy is a theory of learning, a theory of teaching, or a set of assumptions. Despite the controversy, androgogy is a workable concept and an excellent “conversation-piece” to describe many of the issues with adult education and ways it can and should be different from the education of children. What follows are five of the key factors that define androgogy and differentiate it from pedagogy, together with illustrations or examples of how they might be used by an instructor.

The need to know
In a classroom of children, there are some concrete guidelines established by a school board with cultural and demographic information that establish what children should be expected to know by the fifth grade, for example. Adults, on the other hand, may be influenced by the boss or co-workers, or friends and family, or may even be compelled to enroll in some educational programs. For the most part, however, adults determine what they want and need to know for themselves. The largest majority of adults elect to enroll in classes, seek private instruction, or engage in independent learning projects.

It is very important to ensure the course is positioned and marketed appropriately. Perspective learners that select a particular course need to be assured that the course objectives and materials. That would help ensure the adults that enroll have a stronger desire to learn. The instructor should also conduct a short needs analysis (depending on the length and complexity of the course) in the first session to find out WHY each person enrolled and what they expected to learn.

The learners’ self-concept
The self-esteem of children is fragile yet fairly malleable. Most children can be persuaded to take part in various activities using fairly simple methods. Adults, however, sometimes have self-concept issues that interfere with learning. Overcoming a self-developed label, such as “I’m not technical” or “I’ve been out of school too long” can interfere with an adult’s participation or success in a learning endeavor. It is important for the instructor to ferret out these concepts if they are causing problems, and to address them directly. When I encounter a student with a self-concept issue of “I’m not technical, and this assignment is technical, therefore I won’t try it.” I break down a web-development assignment into smaller pieces and go through it on an individual or small group level, using a comfortable and familiar metaphor, such as following a recipe to bake cookies or building a house. (The learners themselves often suggest a good metaphor with some intelligent questioning.) One early success in a course often goes a long way toward resolving this difficulty.

The role of learners’ experience
Children generally have fewer unique experiences to draw knowledge from, partly because they have had less time to accumulate it and partly because children in public school have a similar experiential background. Adults often have rich layers of experience that are very different from one another and that provide excellent, relevant and compelling learning material, if it can be tapped for a course.

I recently attended a process planning workshop hosted by IBM. There were six attendees, all of whom were from related departments at Wells Fargo. In a needs assessment, the instructor hit on an issue that we were having. She scrapped the generic example used in the course materials and used our “case study” instead. She incorporated our example throughout the course as an example. My classmates and I were very motivated by the opportunity to solve a real world problem during the course. The course became much more powerful for us because it was immediately relevant.

Readiness to learn
The curriculum for children is often designed so that courses follow the predicted developmental stage of the child, courses build on each other in sequence. With adults, the instructor cannot make such assumptions. Material taught before the student is ready to begin using it will not be as effective as material that can be used right away. As an example, I was part of a team that delivered software training to a group of people. The training was successful, and got excellent reviews. However, the software that was supposed to be delivered and used at the conclusion of the training was delayed by two months. We were asked to design and deliver a refresher course (at a considerable cost to the company) because the students were not comfortable using the software because of the delay between matriculation and availability.

Readiness to Learn also addresses the potential of learning disabilities and other disabilities. Many adults have disabilities that were not diagnosed when they were children, so this possibility (and eventuality) must be addressed.

Motivation
Children can be motivated to learn nearly any topic by an enthusiastic and supportive teacher. Adults need more specific motivation. As an example, many adults engage in learning activities with anticipation of a better job. By providing placement services, networking opportunities, and marketable certificates; a learning opportunity can better meet that expectation and hence, more effectively motivate students to complete and excel at the program.

It is important for an instructor to understand the concepts of androgogy when teaching adults. In many key factors, there is a significant difference between adult and child learners. By designing courses with the needs and characteristics of adults in mind, an instructor or educator stands a much better chance of success. When designing educational programs for your company, design your training programs for adults.

References:

• Charles, S. and Pasupathi, M. (2003).Age Related Patterns of Variability in Self-Descriptions: Implications for Everyday Affective Experience. Psychology and Aging, 18 3 524-536. 

E-Text Merriam, S. et al.
• Adult Learning Theories, Principles, and Applications. University of Phoenix, John Wiley and Sons. Llewellyn, G. et al (2002)
• Home-based Programmes for Parents with Intellectual Disabilities: Lessons from Practice. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, l 15 4, 341-354.
• Principles of Pedagogy and Androgogy, University of Phoenix Material. Retreived December 10, 2003 from https://mycampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp

Cheap property values are not slowing down realtors who have found a new business and a new source of income. America’s economic meltdown over the past two years has created a treacherous environment for small businesses and many realtors to stay afloat. Even the country’s top business leaders are taking a hit and many of them are working hard to find diversified means of business to keep them moving forward. During a time when property values are less-than-par, investment portfolios are struggling on a volatile market, and unemployment rates are at an all-time high, the field to choose from is skim and it has created an even larger dog fight. But the recent release of a revolutionary business model by one of the world’s top developers is building international hype and is expected to become the solution to business leaders and income-earners all across the United States.

Release of Donald Trump’s ‘The Trump Network’ is scheduled for November 13th, 2009; less than 2 weeks away. As a leading marketers in the network who is currently located in Denver, Colorado, I believe that Mr. Trump’s network is the model that’s going to change the lives of business leaders forever. I have been researching the industry for quite some time now and have even been a part of a handful of other network marketing companies. But the very minute I saw the business model, the compensation plan, and the other businessmen involved in Mr. Trump’s new network, I bought-in right away. I have never seen a business model quite like this, and as a fellow businessmen looking to partner with a big opportunity, it’s natural to follow the lead of an internationally-renowned, media hound, $3billion net worth, developer and business leader, such as Donald Trump.

I, a native of Colorado, have already had phenomenal growth with the Trump Network in only 1 month of time and the network has not even officially launched yet. I have created partnerships with realtors, entrepreneurs, and other business executives in Miami, New York, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, making me a part of one of the fastest growing teams in the entire Trump Network. Day by day, I drive my business to continue its national expansion before launch. Together, my partners from across the country and I are working hard to share our partnership offers, our marketing offers and our cutting-edge, customized-health products with business leaders just like you and me in every corner of America. By doing that, we are growing the most powerful business team in the Trump Network which itself is going to become the largest network in the network marketing industry.

Mr. Trump will be launching the Trump Network from Miami, Florida on November 13th, 2009. Following that date, all of America will have the opportunity to partner with Mr. Trump and myself in the business that’s about to shake the network marketing world. But before Mr. Trump makes appearances on the nation’s biggest media outlets (Oprah, The Today Show, Larry King Live, Jay Leno, The View, CNBC, Wall Street Journal, and more) just to hype the Trump Network, my business business team has the privilege of offering you the opportunity to partner with my business now. We’ve only got 2 weeks until launch of this thing, and my team wants to become the most powerful team in the network before launch. We already are #1 in the company but we are hungry for more leaders and entrepreneurs who will make this thing big. With only a few thousand in the entire network right now, those who see the opportunity now and join will become a part of the elite first percentile this company will ever have.

It is reported that by the end of 2009, the network hopes to grow their few thousand into 100,000 marketers. By the end of 2010, the Trump Network hopes to be the name of 1,000,000 independent marketers who will become the leaders of a network that goes international. At that time, the Trump Network will begin its move to international territory in which the network hopes to have 5,000,000 marketers by the year 2013. It just doesn’t make sense to me why business leaders presented with this would not see the opportunity in being a part of the first few thousand of what’s going to be a 5,000,000 person network. That’s less than .2%! This is an opportunity of extreme rarity, and if anybody has ever considered being a part of the industry, now is the chance to join the first percentile group of a network in name of one of our world’s best-known business leaders.

As mentioned, I am currently a part of the fastest growing business team in the Trump Network and there are four key reasons why our team is the best:

 1. Team-exclusive, password-protected online training systems teaching entering business partners about lead generation, social media marketing, search engine optimization, and other tools used in the cold and warm market.
2. Weekly online webinar training and meetings allowing business to work with partners from any part of the globe to assure sufficient support and mentorship to new independent marketers.
3. Business built around a series of customized-supplement and health products manufactured in country’s top supplement lab.
4. Partnership with a trademarked, internationally-renowned business entrepreneur: Donald Trump, Founder of the Trump Network

I don’t need professional network marketers to join my business. I need driven business leaders who want to build a multi-million dollar business with me through creative thinking and large-scale leading. If there is any entrepreneur out there looking for a big opportunity, then they need to check out my business and consider partnering. We have the training, support, and tools to teach anyone anything. No experience in this industry required! Why? Because with persistence, creativity, and 100% certainty in all that we do, our business will turn into the hottest team in the hottest network marketing company in the hottest industry. The recognition, the network, and the monetary rewards, will all be priceless in a matter of months and years.

This has become an extraordinary opportunity for realtors and developers struggling in the current market. This allows realtors and other entrepreneurs to practice their professional skills, network, build a business, and return huge income. Being behind Mr. Trump’s name helps too.

Creating goals is one way of making empowered changes in your life. But how do you create an effective organizing goal? Here are a few simple steps to help you.

1. Write it down.

Writing down your organizing goal makes it more real to you. We tend to stick to our written commitments better than our verbal commitments. Saying you are going to do something is one thing. It creates more resonance with you and a better likelihood that you will stick to your goal if you write it down. Even better, write it down every day from now until you have actually accomplished it.

2. Make it a goal that will make you feel better about yourself.

Think for a moment about the number one thing in your life right now that if you got it organized, would make you feel 10 times better about your life. You know what it is, that one thing that would change how you feel if you got it organized today. Maybe it is an area of your home or of your office. Maybe it is getting your schedule organized or getting your morning routine to go more smoothly.

The reason why it needs to be something that will make you feel better about yourself is because you will be a whole lot more likely to take action on that goal if it is something that will make you feel better about you. It is one thing to be happy that your living room is organized. It is a whole other ballgame to feel better about who you are as a person because you finally got your schedule organized and you are no longer showing up late everywhere.

3. Make it specific.

Writing down a goal like “I want to get my life organized” is not going to help you. Get specific with your goal. The more specific you can make it, the better off you will be. Something along the lines of “I am going to organize my kitchen” is much better and gives you a clear idea of what you are going have actually accomplished once you meet your goal. What exactly does an organized life look like anyway? I know I have not accomplished this one and I am a professional organizer!

The one caution I have here is that you not make your organizing goal too specific. So having a goal of getting the kitchen utensil drawer organized would not be a good one. Setting organizing goals like this means you would be setting a new one every day! Your target here is to have an organizing goal that is general enough so that it is going to take you at least one month to reach it but specific enough so that you have a definite end in sight.

4. Make it measurable.

This goes hand-in-hand with getting specific about your organizing goal. The best way to make your organizing goal measurable is to give it a specific timeframe. So if your goal is to get your kitchen organized, then give yourself a date for when you will have that organizing goal accomplished. Then circle that date on the calendar, put stars on it, whatever you need to do to make that date stand out for you.

My caution on this one: make it a realistic date. Don’t overestimate what you can do. You are better off overestimating the time it will take you to get it finished than underestimating it. Yes, there is psychology at work here. If you get your organizing project done in less time than you estimated that it would take you, you will feel better about yourself and about the organizing project. It will also help keep you motivated so that you do more!

5. Believe you can do it and get excited about it!

If you don’t believe that you can accomplish your organizing goal, guess what, you won’t be able to do it. And if you know with certain knowledge that you can do it, that’s even better. When you know, and I mean really KNOW you can do something, you get the power to do it. If this is an organizing goal that you have set for yourself repeatedly but that you have yet to follow through on, ask yourself why. If it is a goal that isn’t really all that important to you, if you can’t get excited about accomplishing it, then don’t bother because you’re not going to get it done anyway. The way that you stay motivated towards achieving any goal in your life is by getting excited about it, by getting excited about how your life is going to look and feel different once that goal is accomplished. If you can’t work up some sort of passion for this organizing goal, pick a new goal.

Creating goals is one way of making empowered changes in your life. But how do you create an effective organizing goal? Here are a few simple steps to help you.

1. Write it down.

Writing down your organizing goal makes it more real to you. We tend to stick to our written commitments better than our verbal commitments. Saying you are going to do something is one thing. It creates more resonance with you and a better likelihood that you will stick to your goal if you write it down. Even better, write it down every day from now until you have actually accomplished it.

2. Make it a goal that will make you feel better about yourself.

Think for a moment about the number one thing in your life right now that if you got it organized, would make you feel 10 times better about your life. You know what it is, that one thing that would change how you feel if you got it organized today. Maybe it is an area of your home or of your office. Maybe it is getting your schedule organized or getting your morning routine to go more smoothly.

The reason why it needs to be something that will make you feel better about yourself is because you will be a whole lot more likely to take action on that goal if it is something that will make you feel better about you. It is one thing to be happy that your living room is organized. It is a whole other ballgame to feel better about who you are as a person because you finally got your schedule organized and you are no longer showing up late everywhere.

3. Make it specific.

Writing down a goal like “I want to get my life organized” is not going to help you. Get specific with your goal. The more specific you can make it, the better off you will be. Something along the lines of “I am going to organize my kitchen” is much better and gives you a clear idea of what you are going have actually accomplished once you meet your goal. What exactly does an organized life look like anyway? I know I have not accomplished this one and I am a professional organizer!

The one caution I have here is that you not make your organizing goal too specific. So having a goal of getting the kitchen utensil drawer organized would not be a good one. Setting organizing goals like this means you would be setting a new one every day! Your target here is to have an organizing goal that is general enough so that it is going to take you at least one month to reach it but specific enough so that you have a definite end in sight.

4. Make it measurable.

This goes hand-in-hand with getting specific about your organizing goal. The best way to make your organizing goal measurable is to give it a specific timeframe. So if your goal is to get your kitchen organized, then give yourself a date for when you will have that organizing goal accomplished. Then circle that date on the calendar, put stars on it, whatever you need to do to make that date stand out for you.

My caution on this one: make it a realistic date. Don’t overestimate what you can do. You are better off overestimating the time it will take you to get it finished than underestimating it. Yes, there is psychology at work here. If you get your organizing project done in less time than you estimated that it would take you, you will feel better about yourself and about the organizing project. It will also help keep you motivated so that you do more!

5. Believe you can do it and get excited about it!

If you don’t believe that you can accomplish your organizing goal, guess what, you won’t be able to do it. And if you know with certain knowledge that you can do it, that’s even better. When you know, and I mean really KNOW you can do something, you get the power to do it. If this is an organizing goal that you have set for yourself repeatedly but that you have yet to follow through on, ask yourself why. If it is a goal that isn’t really all that important to you, if you can’t get excited about accomplishing it, then don’t bother because you’re not going to get it done anyway. The way that you stay motivated towards achieving any goal in your life is by getting excited about it, by getting excited about how your life is going to look and feel different once that goal is accomplished. If you can’t work up some sort of passion for this organizing goal, pick a new goal.

Ever made a New Year’s Resolution only to be disappointed in yourself and back to your old habits by February? We’ve all been there!

We make a pact with ourselves to live a healthy lifestyle because we know that good eating habits will enhance our lives. Nobody doubts the ability of healthy eating habits to improve our health but not many have the will power to make the changes needed to create a new lifestyle unless they have help.

You can change your eating habits and have a healthier lifestyle without having to wreck your social status or have your friends turn and run. The biggest reason why people fail and don’t stick to this New Year’s resolution is that they expect to change overnight and become perfect. If you set your goals to high and make unrealistic expectations, you are setting yourself up to fail.

Here are some practice tips for eating healthy and forming good eating habits:

1. Tell Your Family and Friends

Plan a family night of making smoothies and let everyone know they are in for a fun night. Let them know why you are doing this. Tell them that everyone needs to have more fruits and vegetables in their diets. This will get everyone involved in a whole lifestyle change.

Don’t try doing it alone because you feel if you tell and then do your late night run to McDonald’s they will consider you to be a failure. You just might be pleased and surprised. Your family and friends will have respect for what you are working to accomplish and will be able to support you and hold you accountable.

Maybe get your husband to start doing the grocery shopping and have children start dinner – Miracles do happen.

2. Do everything you can to avoid the fast food restaurants in the beginning. It starts with small steps and the first one you may need to do is start cooking meals at home instead of resorting to a fast food restaurant. If we do go out to eat, we can make healthier choices from the menu.

It is very important when you make the decision to eat with health in mind that you avoid your triggers.

It is nearly impossible to change your eating habits when you visit a fast food joint often. The smell, the golden arches are all triggers that will dissolve your resolution to eat healthier. It is not a lack of will power that drives you to order a “Big Mac” and fries, much of the taste and aroma of American fast foods are chemically manufactured to elicit both emotional and physical responses.

Even just getting a smell of a McDonald’s burger causes you to feel hunger even when you’ve just finished eating. Everything that’s gone into their advertising is designed to make you associate the fast food with good times and great eating.

3. Take Small Steps: Poor eating habits are just as much an addiction as smoking or drinking. It is pounded into our subconscious our entire lives, and we fight it everyday. It may be the lack of time, or the social value it promises without having to slave in the kitchen that drives us to eat this type of food, but we have developed these types of eating habits to make our lives easier. The reality is they do more harm than good.

Changing your eating habits doesn’t have to mean you have to give up everything you love, or that you need to do all or nothing. The best we can do is to take a slow, steady approach to revamping our eating habits. Little steps that we can follow everyday. Sometimes small substitutions of healthy foods for those we know are unhealthy add up to a good start toward health.

If you’re like many of us who are stretching our food budget by eating more meals at home, or you just want to make a commitment to cleaner eating, you need to have a kitchen that’s in shape! A clean, well stocked kitchen is like a strong body core – it stabilizes your body to keep you strong. Keep healthy go to items on hand so you can put together meals in minutes and aren’t tempted (like me!) to fall back on takeout.

·         Invest in different sizes and shapes of storage containers to save leftovers. Refrigerate promptly, food should be stored within 2 hours of cooking. Eat or toss after 3-4 days.

·         Clean eating basics you should always have in stock: fresh fruit, veggies, herbs, salad mixes, low or nonfat dairy, egg whites/eggs, cooked lean meat, 100% juices, olive oil, condiments (mustard, lemon and lime juice, vinegars), pork tenderloin, chicken breasts, whole grain breads and wraps, nut butters, whole wheat flour, canned beans, low sodium soups, water packed tuna and salmon.

·         Don’t store spices over the stove or on the windowsill. Store in cool dark places and always keep lids closed tightly. Crush the herb in your hand, if it lacks aroma or color it probably has lost most of its antioxidant capacity and flavor.

·         Use 2 cutting boards – one for raw meat and one for veggies, fruit, and cheese.

·         Keep countertops bacteria and germ free by washing with a mix of one teaspoon bleach to one quart of warm water.

·         Keep a firm scrub brush near the sink and use to wash carrots, cucumbers, and celery – no detergents needed.

·         Clean your sponges in the microwave for at least 1 minute or run through the dishwasher.

·         Don’t store eggs in plastic egg holders. They are safer in the original carton on a shelf where the temperature is cooler and more constant.

·         Check your freezer/fridge temps regularly. Fridge should not be beyond 40°F and freezer should be a steady 0°F.

·         Don’t rinse raw meat of chicken before cooking, it simply splatters bacteria around.

·         Organize the fridge and pantry so the healthiest foods are at eye level and easy to grab. Keep a bowl of fresh fruit front and center in the kitchen – and eat it!

·         Divide your fridge into “need to eat more often” and “eat less often” areas. Keep lots of water at eye level to remind yourself to drink more.

·         Keep treats like breakfast bars, snack crackers, 100 calorie packs, cookies, chocolate chips, and other sweets out of reach – it’s too easy to over indulge in them.

·         Invest in a salad spinner to clean greens. They are the best for separating dirt and soil from the plant leaves.

·         Rice cookers not only make great rice, but convenient for making steel cut oatmeal in the morning.