This was originally posted on eFaceToday. I am inviting you to join us at their weekly chat coming Wednesday night, 9/19 at 9EDT/6PST. Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdkrebs #YouMatter - These two words hold so much power and potential in supporting kids in today’s world. School students come to us with unlimited potential and oftentimes all it takes is for them to feel a little extra support, confidence and love from their parents and educators to help them rise to the occasion. This week, we’ve invited @AngelaMaiers to our weekly Parent-Teacher Chat to help provide us the very best strategies in raising self esteem for students everywhere.  Angela’s life path has always been about teaching and communication. Her twenty years as an educator and her passionate pursuit of literacy and learning, gave her a healthy dose of courage and skills that have led to a variety of wonderful experiences, including classroom and University teaching, instructional coaching, research, writing, publishing, corporate training, and starting my own business. More on Angela Maiers can be found on her website here and in her TEDxDesMoines talk below. Also invited to this discussion is 2012 Blue Ribbon School Principal Tony Sinanis, whose school (Cantiague Elementary), employs multiple "bucket-filling" opportunities for its learning community. We’ll hear from Tony and others on applying these strategies at home and at school. Please join us on Wednesday night, 9/19 at 9EDT/6PST. Together we’ll create a gDOC school newsletter resource for educators & parents on student self-esteem. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FHdHUzRnms

Business simulations and other types of interactive elearning are more important than ever, especially as the simulations have more connections to real-world applications and problems. Welcome to an interview with Veijo Kyösti of Cesim, a Finnish educational technology company. 1.  What is your name and your relation to elearning? My name is Veijo Kyösti, Co-Founder and Managing Director of

Many of you have asked me to repost the YOU MATTER Manifesto image from my last post. Feel free to share the Manifesto with anyone who truly matters to you. I promise it will make their day!   Read the full story of the manifesto here.

I had a great time on the webshow, eLearnChat, with host Rick Zanotti and fellow elearning expert Dawn J. Mahoney -- they are quite funny when they start riffing and I have to say it was seriously fun. We talked about new trends in training, and how to be effective in a global context when we're looking at very specific topics and areas for training. A great time was had by all -- I was in

There are still a large number of folks who believe that Social Media is about the tools you choose and the content you create. Champion Tweeters, Bloggers, and Network Leaders think differently. They spend their time on the social web and in their communities with a different behavior set, mindset and belief system. I call these Habitudes — as success is a combination of disciplined habit and battle hard attitude. These "Social Media Habitudes" are what separate them from the rest of the pack. Their decisions about tools, techniques and trends are shaped and molded by their Habitudes. You have the ability to teach, guide, influence, activate, catalyze, transform, elevate, and make deeper connections every time you enter this space, but only if you are willing to make the following Habitudes a priority: 1. Insatiable curiosity Champion leaders and learners are curious about everything. They have learned that great questions are the best way to have a meaningful conversation, the best way to rope in a mentor and the best way to look like a star performer. Make it a priority to listen to people asking great questions. Be in charge of the questions you ask and keep a list of the best questions you hear. Use this to create a question toolboxyou can use and apply to every social media interaction you have. 2. Audacious imagination Imagination is not just for kids. Discovery, innovation, creativity, and learning all begin with imagination. We all have creative potential to dig a bit deeper, stretch ourselves father, and dream a whole lot bigger than we are now. You can increase your exposure to new ideas, look for new patterns and see how you can combine ideas to improve upon existing strategies and solutions. Learn to tap into this capacity by using one of my favorite strategies is called SCAMPER. Let the processes guide you in through the journey of looking for new ideas and craft your strategy to how to implement those ideas creatively. Opportunity awaits you. 3. Fearless learning A desire to learn new things and stay on top of trends is key to success in any social media endeavor. Eric Hoffer captured it best when he said, "In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists." Don’t be equipped for irrelevance — keep learning.The moment you proclaim yourself to be "expert," "guru," or "master of of your domain," you lose. Be sure any social media plan involves time and a budget dedicated to ongoing training and education. Use this knowledge and content to move you towards your objectives; and always remember to give thanks to your "teachers" in the process! Here is a great list of places to jump start your journey. 4. Unwavering persistence and perseverance I have learned that most things of lasting value take time and discipline to achieve, and social media is not different. There will be good days. And there will be bad days. There will be times when you want to turn around, pack it up, and call it quits. Like any ability we wish to master, a level of commitment and discipline is required. Be persistent in your engagement within the communities that you are a part of. Be willing to make an investment in time and people rather than the latest "get more traffic and followers" approach. The implementation of a social media strategy means more than just one or two events or tools. The key to moving forward is consistency and commitment. 5. Courage with confidence For those unfamiliar with technology and new to social media, I understand jumping into the world of social media can be scary. It’s a big step, especially if you’re accustomed to "old habits." But now is not the time to be timid. In today’s rapid fire economy, it is imperative that you be willing to accept, learn how to use, and implement social media and new technologies. Your competitors certainly are. Luckily you don’t have to take the jump in alone. There are tons of ways to find individuals to learn from and be mentored by. Be confident in your power to be the change. 6. Adaptability and agility Adaptability is more than just serving change; it is using change as a growth opportunity. In fact, with anticipation of change, you can control change. This kind of development requires robust adaptability. The world opens up for adaptable learners, as they approach each task and challenge willing to be a beginner. They approach their learning and life with a beginner’s mindset. These learners embrace challenges with openness and flexibility. Those willing to ability to adapt their own cultural behaviour and judgements to different situations and to people from different cultures. 7. Self awareness Putting out a honest and accurate sense of who/what you are is more than a nicety; it is a necessity for your social media success. You will not be trusted, admired or valued, if you are not real. Even if you are representing a company or brand; the people on the receiving end of everything you put out need to know you are real. This kind of authenticity takes commitment and dedication. Take time to really get to know what matters to you, hone your story, and share passion in everything you do. Give people a reason to want to know more! 8. Empathetic compassion In a social economy, being interested trumps being interesting. To be interested in another requires empathy and engenders compassion. Empathy — thinking about other’s needs, feelings, and perceptions before your own — is the secret ingredient needed for transformation and the inspiration necessary to finding meaningful connections and lasting relationships. Empathy is not a strategy; it takes asking, listening and responding in a way that instills trust and conveys passion into any/all types of engagement. Leaders on the social web out-listen and out love their competitors.Consider what you might do to listen more thoughtfully, notice more intentionally; the rewards are immeasurable. 9. Gracious generosity We lead our lives in the company of others. In social media (and in life) we are remembered for what we give and not what we get. In this space, if you give out help, you get back help. If you give out information, you get it back. And if you give out love, what is returned may just take your breath away. There is an opportunity everyday to exceed people’s expectations; to offer up the best you have from a hot-off-the-press news story to a must-have tip or resource. Surprise them, thank them with a retweet or direct message and never miss a chance to show the people how much they matter to you. 10. Realistic optimism No doubt, we live in challenging and complex times. We also live in a time where nearlyANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. As a leader, your ability to be hopeful and dispense hope is crucial to helping those you serve thrive in face of difficulty. And there is much to be hopeful for. Believe in the incredible power of the human mind. Of doing something that makes a difference. Of working hard. Of laughing and learning. Of all the things that will cross your path. Of the ability to start something new. All these bring the hope of something great to come. 11. Resilience Resilience involves being able to change direction. Failure is easy to repeat. You simply do the exact same thing you did previously while expecting the result to be different. (I believe this was Einstein’s definition of insanity.) It takes effort to consider alternative approaches and to maintain the hope that making such changes can yield better results. Ambiguity is unsettling. Faced with it, the temptation is to reach for a fast (and potentially wrongheaded) solution. A leader with the Habitudes holds steady, synthesizing information from many sources and acts strategically before abandoning or apply a tactic or strategy. To get good at this, you have to: •  Seek patterns in multiple sources of data and encourage others to do the same •  Question prevailing assumptions and test multiple hypotheses simultaneously •  Plan for Roadblocks and commit to efforts to overcome potential setbacks. Some questions to ponder as you examine your social media strategy: •  How resilient are you in face of challenge? •  How am I modeling resilience in my behavior and actions? •  How do I convey the importance of resilience to others who face challenges and obstacles? 12. Relentless passion What I love most about teaching five-year-olds, is their huge capacity to put themselves fully into the things they enjoy; with no fear or restraint. It’s their passion that stands out and inspires others around them. Like great innovators, scientists, artists, and world leaders, five-year-olds understand that passion is the ingredient that makes the impossible a little more possible. Passion is the genius of genius. I believe passion to be the single most important asset we have on the web and in the world. Passion is what differentiates us consistently over time. It needs to be nurtured, evolved, and invigorated with constant attention in order to keep it true and alive. Any leader who decides to adopt this level of intensity and conviction will be valued and admired. For those leaders willing to become more passion-driven, the following resources can help you in your journey. So, what do you think? Would you follow leaders with these traits and qualities? What can we add or do to help nurture those who seek or are called to serve? This post was written and published at 12most.

Facebook announced today a new integration with personal file storage company Dropbox. Now, you can share files to Facebook Groups using Dropbox’s cloud-based storage system. According to Facebook, this new feature does not replace the current ability to upload files from your computer.  It opens up the ability for people to upload files that they already have stored in the cloud to Groups (as long as they are stored in Dropbox.) Facebook is rolling out the feature today, so look for DropBox option in your FB Group very soon, and for more about how to use Dropbox and Facebook Groups, check out the DropBox help center.   We are very excited to explore this in the Choose2Matter Facebook Group and C2M Community if you have not joined, please do. We are almost 5,000 teachers/leaders strong working hard to do work that matters. So, what do you think? How do you see this improving your ability to manage the content and conversation happening in FB groups? Hat tip to Richard Byrnes for the find!

The need for innovative instructional design that works in many different types of organizational settings for many different types of learners is surging now with the advent of mobile devices. Welcome to an interview with Jeff Kissinger, Rollins College. Jeff designs and administers new programs in one of the nation's most innovative college, which is known for its passionate approach to

As a long-time Communication Studies professor, who teaches Interpersonal Communication, I have understandably devoured Angela Maiers’ You Matter message. I had the good fortune to first interact with Angela during Jodi Okun’s #CollegeCash chat, when I asked her how this message can apply to the college crowd. I watched Angela’s TEDxTalk and felt that You Matter was so inspiring—for a young audience, who hadn’t yet been darkened by the real world. I asked Angela, "How can I possibly help my students, 18-year-old’s on up, some of whom have been absolutely crushed by their environments and their circumstances, who don’t believe they deserve education… to perceive that they matter? How do I get them to accept my help when they flat refuse it? When I try to do everything I can to help them and then they withdraw from my course anyway? How do I get them to believe that they matter?" Obviously, there wasn’t enough time in Angela’s guest spot on #CollegeCash for her to fully answer my question, though she gave me some ideas. Fortunately, Angela kept in touch with me. In my quest to not let Angela’s manifesto escape the college crowd, I asked her if I could incorporate her message and TEDxTalks into actual assignments for Instructor’s Manuals and websites that I was working on for Oxford University Press ancillary products. In the next two weeks, as my students and I go through Chapters 3 and 4, Communication and the Self and Perception and Others, I am going to bring one of those assignments to life. My students are going to watch Angela’s TEDTalk and then she has agreed to Skype into my classroom and speak with my students about "You Matter," from their perspective. Will you, Angela’s blog audience, join my students and I… and do some homework, too? Will you join us in the assignment? Yes? Fabulous! Here are your questions: 1. How can those who have interdependent self-perception positively adopt the "you matter" principal? 2. Once one reaches their teen years or adulthood, is it too late for the "you matter" message to positively impact one’s self-esteem if their environment didn’t promote this message? Explain your rationale. How could someone strive to own or adopt how much they matter during these years? (Just FYI: My students will cite specific terms about the theories of self and perceptual tendencies the chapters in their responses!) 3. Tell three unsuspecting people in your life "you matter" and report their reactions. Based on their response, how do you perceive that you impacted their perceptions of themselves, even for a moment? What would it mean to you to have someone say "you matter" at this point in your life? Angela will be visiting the Highline Community College Interpersonal Communication (CMST 210) class on October 8th. We’ll report back and tell you what college students have to say about their perception of "You Matter." Ellen Bremen Ellen Bremen is tenured faculty in the Communication Studies department at Highline Community College (since 2004), outside of Seattle, Washington and the author of Say This, NOT That to Your College Professor:  36 Talking Tips for College Success