People love to joke that robots are going to someday steal our jobs. Don’t panic — nobody is being replaced just yet. You can put down your stapler. But don’t relax, either. Because it’s time to revolutionize the way middle management utilizes Big Data. The role of data collection and analysis commonly falls on the shoulders of middle managers. Given our increasing reliance on data, many business decisions are only made if they can be supported by data. This raises an interesting question: Do we still need middle management if Big Data is making all of their decisions for them? My answer: Yes and no. Big Data should replace some traditional management positions and help to evolve the roles of the remaining ones. Recite.com For example, Tom Montgomery, co-CEO of clothing brand Chubbies, explained that traditional marketing events were developed by managers who thought about the "why" behind their companies’ events — and an associate would make the "how" work. Today, Montgomery’s event planner can use her dashboards to track the sales and social media response from any given event, which allows her to make the call on not only how future events are held, but why. She doesn’t need a manager to validate her choices — she has data. Companies that use big data analytics are two times more likely to have top-quartile financial performance and five times more likely to make decisions "much faster" than the competition. If you’re not in this group, it’s time to start the evolution today. Evolving middle management It’s important to remember that this is not an all-or-nothing situation. This isn’t about replacing humans; it’s about redefining job descriptions. Big Data and your evolved middle manager positions should happily and productively coexist. Data analysis tools have become so efficient that managers can access real-time data and take informed action immediately. This means our evolved manager can be inventive and focused on the future. You should gradually bring together your data scientists, managers, and data tools to meet your unique business needs. You need to have a clear strategy so you can introduce this evolution without terrifying your team. Here are four tips to help: 1. Identify (and reap) the benefits. Replacing some middle manager roles with Big Data tools will shift your company’s mindset. It will free up time for your employees to focus on interpreting data to drive innovation. Big Data will make your company leaner and give you more bang for your salary buck. 2. Keep your employees in the loop. Some of your employees might feel uneasy when they learn their roles are going to change. You need to clearly explain how their jobs will be affected, what new opportunities they’ll have, and what tasks they’ll no longer need to complete. Be as transparent as you can and remind them that you are there to help ease the transition. 3. Research your tools. You have endless options to consider when developing your management structure. You’ll need to spend a lot of time plotting your infrastructure, identifying what you want your data to accomplish, and matching the capabilities of each tool to these needs. At the very least, your wish list should include data visualization, real-time collection and the ability to customize interdepartmentally. 4. Create a collaborative model. The only way that Big Data can effectively help you manage your company is if it’s incorporated into your employees’ roles. You can’t just leave it alone and hope it produces insights. There is still a necessary human element to the proper utilization of data. Go ahead and follow the Big Data trend. Trim the extra manager positions, but remember that you still need humans to steer the ship. Evolving your business to incorporate this deep level of data will empower your employees and put you in line with the most successful names in the industry. No robots in sight — yet. Asha Saxena is the president and CEO of Future Technologies Inc., a data management and analytics firm based in Plainfield, N.J. Contact Saxena to have her speak at your next event or conference. If you enjoyed this article, join SmartBrief’s e-mail list for our daily newsletter on being a better, smarter leader. Related Posts: Who’s the boss? It could be your team What parenthood taught me about being an empowering leader 9 ways to empower employees to be leaders Harnessing the power of your hidden leaders Celebrate mistakes: Creating a culture of forgiveness How to employ data to empower, not replace, your managers originally published by SmartBlogs

Rapid changes are occurring in the business-to-business space, and one of the takeaways at this week’s BMA15 conference is how marketers can - rather, must - adapt. The Chicago event by the Business Marketing Association, a division of the Association of National Advertisers, has brought together hundreds of companies from around the U.S. and countries from Japan to Saudi Arabia. The industries represented vary greatly, from transportation and publishing to health care and software solutions. But there is one common thread for all attendees: Changes are afoot, thanks to two trends in the B2B space. Technology, for one, is rapidly evolving and mobile is playing an increasingly important role in how B2B buyers make purchasing decisions. In fact, 42% of B2B searches on Google now happen through a mobile device, according to Google’s Jim Lecinski. And on LinkedIn - the primary B2B social network - half of unique visiting members are mobile visitors, added Russell Glass, head of products for LinkedIn Marketing Solutions. Those trends go hand-in-hand with the changing makeup of B2B buyers themselves: Millennials are increasingly becoming the decision makers in this market. They expect B2B purchasing to be as simple as ordering an Uber or an item on Amazon, the execs agreed. "Customers have come to expect these experiences and this relevance," Glass said. How can a B2B marketer adapt? Speak the language of your customers, said Kristi Lundgren, marketing executive for GE Transportation. Lundgren had a background in consumer marketing before she became part of GE’s team focused on railway technology, so she was surprised when she discovered that GE was still presenting its cutting-edge technology to customers on old-fashioned paper. She helped drive the digitization of the division’s marketing. "We put tomorrow’s technology in yesterday’s products, but really push to use today’s language," she said. Perhaps the most vivid example of how to implement such a shift came from Jesse Singh, senior vice president of marketing and sales for 3M. More than 80% of the tape and adhesive company’s customers are businesses. 3M technology helps build airplanes, combat helmets, respirators and, of course, the Post-it note. Singh said three guiding principles helped 3M communicate its complex and diverse product set in a way that resonates with customers: communicating a vision, being authentic, and connecting with customers in a relevant way. The resulting campaign, created with BBDO, focused on how 3M applies science to life. That vision drove the marketing effort. Incidentally, the most retweeted picture of the entire campaign was a selfie that Singh took with a colleague during the marketing roll-out, a fact he said speaks to how authenticity resonates. One way Singh and his team connected with customers is to take the marketing effort to South by Southwest, so that they could put social at the heart of their campaign and connect with millennials. They built an immersive "Life Lab" that demonstrated the ways that 3M technology is relevant to everyday life, from a station to swipe and measure the dirt on visitors’ cell-phone screens to a sewing space for people to make their own tote bags using 3M products. The effort goes to show how a 130-year-old company can resonate with tomorrow’s B2B buyers, Singh said, and it proves, "We’re anything but boring." For more insights from #BMA15, follow us on Twitter @SBoSM. And stay up to speed on social business and B2B news with our daily e-mail news briefs. We curate and summarize the day’s best stories. Related Posts: How wealth managers can attract Millennials Is the social media universe still expanding? How to improve social media marketing with video Live from #IFA: Prescriptions for plugging in from @TheDataDoc 4A’s Transformation 2015: Putting creativity and technology together to reach mobile consumers Live at #BMA15: How B2B marketers must adapt originally published by SmartBlogs

This month’s SmartBrief on EdTech Product Showcase roundup is running today due to the Memorial Day holiday. As the school year winds down, a number of new products are hitting the ed-tech shelves. Here’s what piqued SmartBrief on EdTech readers’ interest this month in Product Showcase: Bringing STEM to Light: Teaching about Light and Optics Educators can enroll to take a free online course this summer on the science of light. The five-week, self-paced class, Bringing STEM to Light: Teaching about Light and Optics, is designed for teachers with students ages 6 to 14 and will include a number of hands-on activities using Laser Classroom’s Light Blox Kit. The class begins June 22. Registration is open now for interested teachers. Online service delivers special education instruction PresenceLearning has launched a new service that enables students with special needs to receive live instruction from credentialed special education teachers. Schools can use the service for one-on-one instruction as well as with small groups. Summer STEM workshops for teachers Vernier is hosting a series of one-day training sessions this summer for science teachers. The sessions, which cost $99 each, are designed to help science educators integrate data acquisition technologies into their curriculum. Training specialists will be on hand to guide attendees through activities using Vernier’s probeware and handheld data-acquisition devices. Online platform lets teachers create and manage assessments for free EvoAcademics, a cloud-based assessment platform, enables teachers to build, share and grade tests and quizzes for free. The system includes a reporting function so teachers can analyze results. Authentication system helps establish identities for distance learners A new student authentication service is designed to help online learning programs prevent user fraud among students. Ucard, from ProctorU, uses a layered authentication process — webcam with live proctor, challenge questions and keystroke analysis software — to confirm students’ identities. A video walk-through of the system is available at the company’s web site. 3D curriculum teaches students how to prototype new designs Pitsco’s "3-D Printing: Design Solutions" curriculum aims to show students the process which engineers prototype new designs using 3D printers. The three-week program includes activities that teach students about copyrights, patents, trademark protection and simple modeling software. Students will also create and print out design projects, in teams of two, and present the projects with the class. Students pilot spaceships in new physics game Middle-school students learn about physics as they simulate piloting a spaceship in Motion Force, from Filament Games. Players practice adjusting propulsion and direction as they fly through the universe and get help from the Fuzzies, a quirky race of aliens that dole out advice on forces and motion. Partnership aims to help schools find qualified substitute teachers Kelly Educational Staffing, a branch of Kelly Services, has teamed up with TeacherMatch to create a new way for schools to find substitute teachers. The partnership gives KES access to TeacherMatch EPI, a platform that culls teacher data, where it can locate teachers that suit districts’ needs. Cloud solution offers safe home broadband access to students Wireless service provider Kajeet has created a cloud-based platform designed to help schools provide and manage students’ home broadband connectivity. The solution includes Kajeet SmartSpot, a mobile hot spot, and its Sentinel cloud portal. Sentinel includes features that allow IT teams and teachers to create time-based filters, manage access to content and monitor student traffic, among other functions. Mobile app aims to simplify on-campus job recruiting OneStop On Campus enables campus recruiters to manage their recruitment efforts from their mobile devices. The app, available for Android and iOS devices, includes features for finding and registering for career fairs; gathering resumes with QR codes; update notes in real time; rate candidates; and share data and notes with team members. The app requires a OneStop Campus Recruiter or Enterprise Recruiter account. Kaplan Univ. gives students access to personalized competency reports Students taking classes through Kaplan University can access a Competency Report. The report outlines students’ abilities to perform certain career tasks, based on the skills they have acquired through their classes. Mobile app helps bridge home-school divide Parents have a new way to stay on top of what’s happening with their children’s school life, right from their mobile device. Edmodo for Parents allows parents to see homework assignments (due and completed), teacher announcements, upcoming lessons and quizzes, and school events. The app is available at no charge from the iTunes and Google Play store. Make sure you’re staying on top of the latest and greatest tools breaking in education. Check out Product Showcase each Monday in SmartBrief on EdTech. If you’re not already receiving this brief, we invite you sign up today.     Related Posts: No Related Posts Ed-tech product roundup: May originally published by SmartBlogs

When it comes to leadership, is there such thing as too much of a good thing? There sure can be. In fact, just about any weakness can be attributed to one or more strengths that are overused. In a recent talent review meeting, the executive team was discussing the strengths and development needs of a promising up and coming leader. One of her greatest strengths was her customer focus. This was a company that placed a high value on customer service, so that strength had served her well. However, this leader was developing a reputation for breaking too many company policies and rules, alienating or bullying other departments, being too narrowly focused, and not strategic enough. Her passion for taking care of her customers at all costs was now truing into a liability. So yes, you can even be too customer-focused. Here are six other common leadership strengths that when overdone can turn into leadership weaknesses: 1. The results-focused leader. This is the leader that gets things done and delivers results. The downside? They often get results at the expense of others, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. In the worst cases, they may even cut ethical and legal corners. 2. The courageous leader. This is the leader that’s not afraid to take a stand, makes the tough decisions, and stands up for what’s right. However, when overdone, can come across as dogmatic, uncompromising and overly critical, picking too many fights and burning too many bridges. 3. The caring, compassionate leader. Yes, you can be too nice, especially when the leader can’t deal with underperformers, avoids conflicts, and can’t make tough business decisions that have a negative impact on people. They can also be taken advantage of and be seen as naïve. 4. The empowering leader. This is the leader that gives lots of room and freedom, is comfortable delegating, and takes a hands off approach to managing others. When overdone, the leader may give too much responsibility to employees that are not ready for it, and not enough direction to those that need it. They may also be seen as others as avoiding doing any work themselves. 5. The motivational leader. This is the leader that knows how to rally the troops and which buttons to push to get people energized. Could there be a downside? Only if the leader pushes people beyond their limitations, burns people out, or be seen as showing favoritism in their attempts to appeal to what motivates each individual. 6. The visionary, brilliant leader. The Steve Jobs leader. They are the brilliant strategists, masters of their domain, often the smartest person in the room, and always one or two steps ahead of everyone. However, when overdone, they may disregard the views of others, be impatient, and have difficulty relating with those that may not be as smart as them (meaning just about everyone!). The lesson here is when strengths are overdone, they can turn into weaknesses. While it’s good to be aware of and leverage your strengths, don’t overuse your strengths to the point where they can have negative side effects. Be open to feedback and learn to "dial it back", especially when under pressure. Dan McCarthy is the director of Executive Development Programs at the University of New Hampshire and runs the Management & Leadership channel of About.com. He writes the award-winning leadership development blog Great Leadership and is consistently ranked as one of the top digital influencers in leadership and talent management. He’s a regular contributor to SmartBrief and a member of the SmartBrief on Workforce Advisory Board. E-mail McCarthy. If you enjoyed this article, join SmartBrief’s e-mail list for our daily newsletter on being a better leader and communicator. Related Posts: 10 ways to take charge of your leadership development How to be recognized as a young leader How to plan a great off-site meeting How to become an extraordinary leader What to get your boss for a holiday gift Beware of your leadership strengths originally published by SmartBlogs

How can educators, employers and government leaders work together to prepare students for today’s technically-sophisticated labor market? And what kind of skills route students to good, 21st-century jobs? Panelists addressed these questions and more during a May 21 conversation hosted by New America Foundation. Much attention has been directed to the "skills gap," or the challenges employers confront in sourcing workers with the right qualifications for today’s fast-paced economy. Here are some lessons stakeholders shared at the discussion: The U.S. is not alone in this fight There’s a lot of anxiety surrounding skills in the U.S., from both the supply side — students weighing which postsecondary track or college major will land them a job — and the demand side — employers who are struggling in their search for highly-skilled workers. It is taking today’s college graduates more time to find a job, and recent graduates are more likely to be underemployed, noted New America Senior Policy Analyst Mary Alice McCarthy, citing a report from the New York Federal Reserve. Both established economies, such as those in the U.S., Australia and South Korea, and emerging economies, such as those in Mexico and Vietnam, keenly feel this tension between the labor market’s supply and demand, according to a 2014 report by the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills. The study surveyed global approaches to career training and found that many countries are grappling with how best to resolve gaps in skills. "There’s something of an emergence of a global disillusion with the college-for-all approach…as a model for career preparation," said Simon Field, project leader of the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills. Many countries are now focusing on technical and vocational education and how to bridge the education and workforce worlds, Field said. Germany is sometimes touted as the crown jewel of economic systems that rely on work-based experiences to guide students to jobs, but it’s important to recognize that many institutions work together to support that model, he added. The U.S. could increase its competitiveness by integrating more work-based experiences into its education model, Field suggested. "There are innovations out there that can help," he said. "Workplaces are a great place to both learn the hard skills, like technology, and the soft skills. They’re also a key to partnerships with employers." Foundational academic skills are an important path to workforce It’s a false dichotomy to pit occupational learning against academic coursework, said Byron Auguste, managing director of Opportunity@Work, a civic enterprise based at New America. "Look at the complexity of the text for a technical manual for any kind of machinery," Auguste said. "The decoding, close-reading and analysis is an application of academic skills." Holly Zanville, strategy director of the Lumina Foundation, challenged the group to think about what words they use to describe foundational skills as they apply to education and training. "There’s more and more understanding of the application of learning in K-12 and postsecondary education," she said. "Communication, problem-solving and quantitative literacy skills…are an important on-ramp to many different disciplines." Connection can lead to change All the panelists highlighted the importance of education, industry and government collaboration to support innovation in the U.S. The Federal Reserve, for example, is not traditionally viewed as leader in the country’s workforce development efforts, said Todd Greene, vice president of Federal Reserve System of Atlanta. But full employment is an important factor in the country’s fiscal policy and the Fed is increasingly engaging with workforce stakeholders, according to Greene. The Atlanta Fed has launched an initiative to align local employers with prospective workers. It helps to convene representatives from technical colleges, employers, workforce development boards and county officials as a relationship-building exercise. All 12 Federal Reserve systems are similarly invested in workforce and community building, Greene said. For more on the discussion, visit SmartBrief’s roundup of social media shares from the event. Mina Dixon is an editorial assistant at SmartBrief, where she helps write and edit content across industries, including education. If you enjoyed this article, join SmartBrief’s email list for more stories about education. We offer newsletters covering career and technical education, educational leadership, math education and more.  Related Posts: How making expands students’ visions of themselves All’s well that ends well? You can’t spell "college and career" without CTE Educator innovation: Re-Making teaching and learning #SBSTEM Pathways: Q&A with Kimberly Tobey, NACCTEP How is the U.S. faring in the great #skillsrace? originally published by SmartBlogs

LinkedIn may be king of business-to-business social media, but don’t rule out Pinterest. The pinning site most commonly associated with consumer purchases and planning for events such as weddings is increasingly becoming a useful space for B2B brands, Pinterest Head of Brand Strategy Kevin Knight said during a presentation at BMA15 on Thursday. "B2B brands are part of the way people live on Pinterest," Knight said, which he clarified is less a social network than a tool for self-exploration. Brands interested in Pinterest should focus less on increasing their followers and more on creating content that others will share, he advised. One-third of all millennials in the U.S. are active on Pinterest, and many of them are using it to not just plan consumer purchases but to pin tips associated with running a small businesses or writing more compelling blog posts. Content created by brands comprises 67% of all pins, according to Knight. B2B brands such as Marketo Inc. and HubSpot have picked up on the trend and seized the opportunity to pin content for others to share. Pinterest offers an analytics tool for businesses to track what boards, or lists, users are pinning content to, offering insights into how content marketing resonates. Knight said brands interested in getting started with Pinterest should start by simply pinning content from their site. By promoting those pins, they can begin to gain traction and then analyze the results to optimize efforts. The key is to think of Pinterest as different from Facebook and Twitter, which capture what users are doing or thinking in the moment. "Pinterest is about the future," he said. "It’s a tool people use to plan their lives. Many millions are using it to make their careers better and make their businesses more successful." For more insights from #BMA15, follow us on Twitter @SBoSM. And stay up to speed on social business and B2B news with our daily e-mail news briefs. We curate and summarize the day’s best stories. Related Posts: Social media for the complex sale: Where should you start? Live at #BMA15: How B2B marketers must adapt How 2 distributors created a digital tools strategy Networld Media: How a "top-heavy" company’s leaders found their niches 3 points about Pinterest you positively must follow Live at #BMA15: Should B2B brands be on Pinterest? originally published by SmartBlogs

The Abbi Agency is in the middle of collecting data on the life of UGC. If you are a marketer, contribute your personal experience with UGC and tell us about campaigns you’ve worked with. Two survey respondents will be randomly selected to win $100 Visa gift cards. Across the Internet marketers are writing about the gospel of the good acronym, UGC (user-generated content). It makes sense — people are snapping a whopping 150 new photos on their smartphones every month, and 46 percent of the population is sharing these photos on social platforms as original content — why not harness all this creative consumer energy to promote your brand? Meanwhile, diverse audiences are swarming every social platform. Empty nesters ages 55+ lead the pack of new Facebook users. And don’t discount Gen Z — most of this population has already earned their social wings. A group that has grown up surrounded by technology, Gen Z kids have the tools to adapt quickly to changes and trends, and the will to blast their thoughts out and change the world. Conditions are ideal for companies to implement fan submission campaigns. Here are a few ways brands are strategically using UGC to glean long-term benefits. Real Stories Drive Commerce Audiences want to buy into brands that champion real stories. UGC can help you push your brand out there, establish a presence, and immerse your audience in a storyline that is timely and relevant. After noticing an absence of pictures on Instagram and Twitter that included both mom and child, Soap.com took on the challenge with their #GetInThePic campaign. The campaign launched in time for Mother’s Day, increasing sales by 15%. The Takeaway: Fans support messages that resonate with them. Use UGC to get personal and down to the core of what truly matters to consumers. Sharing your Brand Essence UGC campaigns are the perfect opportunity to share the values and attitudes that make up the essence of your product. When marketers pull this off well, audiences get those warm, positive feelings from memories of interacting with the brand. Natural beauty products brand, YES TO, created a campaign with the spirit of paying it forward. For every photo submission with the tag #YESTOSNACKS, they donated a snack to Blessings in a Backpack, a nonprofit that supplies healthy food to schoolchildren. The Takeaway: Fans want to know there is substance behind an end product that makes it worth spending money on. There are so many companies out there peddling similar products. Break through the noise with a unique personality that can be replicated through thousands of user submissions. Promoting Lifestyle Brand Awareness through Community Social communities unite folks on a common platform and motivate them toward an end goal, even going so far as to motivate lifestyle change. By encouraging fans to share content, we’re able to strengthen our online presence and build a movement to push important issues. Take Advocate Health Care, the largest healthcare provider in Illinois. To spark conversations about living well between patients and doctors, they created a series of UGC campaigns. In combination with a series of traditional ad campaigns, they saw a 26 percent increase in physician appointments. The Takeaway: When you build a UGC community, you fuel a common mentality and people begin to feel more comfortable with buying into your product. Constance Aguilar is the Director of Digital Experience for The Abbi Agency, an integrated marketing communications firm with offices in Reno and Las Vegas. Learn more at theabbiagency.com. Related Posts: How to keep your user-generated content out of legal hot water Andy’s Answers: How REI created a sustainable, user-generated content resource 4 smart social investments for the holiday season 3 social marketing tools that come with super powers 5 surprising stats about user-generated content 3 UGC secrets that drive sales, build brands and create community originally published by SmartBlogs

SmartBlog on Education is shining a light on education technology innovations during May, exploring the latest products and tools and the hottest trends in ed-tech.  The benefits of game-based learning are becoming more widely appreciated and utilized by educators. Well-designed and skillfully implemented learning games provide students with fun, memorable and positive experiences in the classroom. Playful learning through digital games can increase student motivation to learn and engage with academic content and skills. High-quality games create opportunities for authentic strategic thinking, problem-solving and meaningful collaboration. They deliver pacing that is tailored to student needs with instantaneous feedback, create safe places to fail and allow rapid iterations for learning through simulations that might be too resource-consuming or dangerous if executed in the real world. As a science teacher, I team-teach a project-based science, technology, reading, engineering, art and math (STREAM) class to seventh-graders with art and technology teaching colleagues. To bring the benefits of educational games into our lessons, we recently developed and tested a game-based, interdisciplinary Siege! unit that teaches Next Generation Science Standards for engineering and physical science. To begin the unit, each student completed a Google Forms content pretest. We then set up accounts for all 63 of our students to play Filament Games’ new engineering game, Backyard Engineers. The game facilitates a digital water balloon fight that teaches students about engineering tradeoffs and constraints, optimizing solutions for varying criteria and important aspects of catapult design and performance. To track each student’s progress, we used the integrated teacher dashboard through seven sessions of in-class gameplay, integrated with reflective writing activities and interspersed with lab activity days. The lab days addressed topics such as criteria and constraints, structural design, forces, velocity and acceleration and work and energy. We also examined the accuracy, precision and statistics of central measure using hands-on games, data collection, data analysis and close readings. Many students extended their learning by playing the game outside of class during and after our in-class gameplay, which demonstrated an added benefit of using game-based learning in teaching. To apply the content learned while playing games and completing labs, we developed a culminating event where students design, build and test catapults, towers and heraldic banners. We designed a hands-on, turn-based game, similar to students’ Backyard Engineers experience, where student teams attempt to defend their territory and destroy opponents’ towers and banners. On their turn, a team may choose to make repairs, move a catapult or launch a chosen projectile from a catapult. While completing these activities, students learn valuable collaboration, problem-solving and authentic critical-thinking skills. We witness students designing some catapults for accuracy and others for distance, damage potential or mobility as they discuss the tradeoffs between design features such as base size, arm length, energy source and transfer or projectile capacity. Students design towers within the given material constraints to withstand enemy fire by constructing heavy bases and rounded exposed surfaces to deflect incoming projectiles. Students also develop social and collaborative skills as they elect leaders to fill positions such as Production Manager, Materials Manager, Siege Commander, Assistant Siege Commander, Repair Technicians and Battle Recorders. After the siege, students participate in reflective writings and a Kahoot review game before finally completing a Google Forms post-test to assess their learning. All of the Google Forms, handouts and rubrics we have developed can be accessed and copied from this shared folder. I encourage you to try out these games with your students, and see them problem solve, collaborate and develop a deeper understanding of concepts than they would with a traditional curriculum. Digital learning games are a powerful tool to incorporate into any classroom. While labs and hands-on activities help solidify learning concepts, game-based learning brings an element of engagement that allows students to truly understand and encode concepts. Michele L. Huppert is a National Board certified physics and earth science teacher at Spring Valley Middle-High School in Wisconsin and a National Geographic Society Grosvenor Teacher Fellow. She has participated in several NSF Research Experience for Teachers programs, most recently as a Teacher Fellow with Filament Games in Madison, WI. If you enjoyed this article, join SmartBrief’s email list for more stories about education. We offer newsletters covering EdTech, Higher Education and more. Related Posts: Replacing print where it matters most: Textbooks Using next generation assessments to personalize learning, drive instruction Is tech helping you work smarter? The world is my audience Integrating game-based learning into the school year Siege! A game-based learning unit for NGSS standards originally published by SmartBlogs

Welcome to SmartBrief Education’s original content series about the unique stories of teacherpreneurs. These are the innovative individuals confronting challenges, creating solutions and bringing them to market. A charming young man with a beard took my order at Starbucks the other day. Before I could offer my name, he wrote "Mrs. Hill" on my cup. Smiling, he reminded me that hadn’t done too well in my class. I conjured the memory of a scrawny kid who bounced instead of walked and liked to help me with technology, and I got a little teary. The kids are why we do this work. Over the years, I’ve taught over 3,000 young people, and they’ve grown up to be doctors, lawyers, soldiers and baristas. I’ve also received more than one collect call from jail and quite a few letters from rehab. Teachers take part in an intricate system we blithely call "community." Our experiences and sensibilities make us uniquely suited to fight for the health of that community, and we tell ourselves that we can conduct that fight one kid at a time. But what about our contributions to more systemic improvements? Or our own professional growth? This year, I’ve used what I’ve learned about improving teaching outside of my classroom to help other educators grow professionally and make their own communities stronger. As a teacherpreneur, I teach English classes in the morning and work in the afternoon with the Kentucky Network to Transform Teaching and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. It has been amazing. The opportunity to learn, create new programs and support exciting initiatives has enriched my career beyond measure. In fact, that afternoon at Starbucks, I was meeting with two former students, both elementary teachers, who I coached through the National Board certification process. I think I’ve made a difference for them and many other teachers who will work with thousands more of our kids. Yet working in a hybrid position is tough. I fight to balance one demand with another. Do I grade these tests or plan the next meeting of my teacher leadership cohort? There have been plenty of hybrid teachers who go back to teaching full time or leave the classroom entirely rather than fight to find this balance. Under current conditions, teaching is already impossible to do well. Since many teachers only have 50 minutes without the responsibility of directly supervising students, we scramble to plan, review assignments and meet myriad other professional obligations. Yet teaching fewer students does not mean less work for teachers in hybrid roles. Though I may only have 80 essays to read and analyze instead of 150, the time needed for planning lessons stays the same. Add to that the constant revision of my teaching strategies, integration of new technology and continued professional learning in my subject area, and the release time melts away. So let’s abolish a prevailing myth: Working in a hybrid position is not easier. It is by all accounts much, much harder. As with anything new and worthwhile, we have to keep building new models and experimenting with new organizational structures to find ways to make this role desirable and functional. We need teachers to expand their role without having to leave their students — keeping our best teachers with our kids and in leadership positions. We can start by crafting hybrid roles that meet a specific need in a fixed time frame with mutually agreed upon goals. For teachers in hybrid roles to thrive, we must make the work outside of the classroom realistic, focused and part of a larger system that will support them and serve as a bridge between the teacher, the classroom and the profession. If your school, district or organization is thinking about creating hybrid roles — or seeking ways to make the experience more productive and fulfilling for educators — here are a few suggestions to keep in mind: Create hybrid roles in collaboration with the teachers who will fill them: This year, I took advantage of my strength in professional collaboration and created CTEPS (Classroom Teachers Enacting Positive Solutions), a challenge-based cohort of 18 teachers across our state. This built on my experience in supporting virtual communities, my instructional expertise and my passion for the power of teacher leadership. Minimize new classes and the number of unique courses taught in a day: Because I teach one course three times a day, and it’s a course I’ve taught for many years, I’m not wrestling with the content. I can rely on proven techniques and lessons. This reduces planning time and helps me feel confident in the product I provide my students. But teachers in other hybrid roles do not have that luxury. In an elementary environment, consider job sharing and subject specialties. Make sure middle- and high-school teachers are not taking on courses or responsibilities that will make them feel overwhelmed. Work with teachers to ensure that the classroom-based part of their day is familiar to them and narrow in scope. This will help them maximize their teacherpreneur time, which often comes with challenges that demand enormous emotional capital. Collaboratively devise a plan for meeting school responsibilities: Though I attend every meeting of my PLC, I do not attend faculty meetings. My principal and I set this expectation at the start of the year. Homeroom meets sporadically in the afternoons, so we arranged for a colleague to meet with my students. Principals and hybrid teachers must know what to expect of one another when it comes to responsibilities like serving on the school’s council or on committees. Can one hybrid teacher’s numerous leadership responsibilities at school become new opportunities for other teachers? Clarify and celebrate how a teacherpreneur’s work outside of the classroom benefits students: Most of my colleagues at school have little idea what keeps me busy in the afternoon. If they knew the value of this work, it would likely quell any frustration they experience when they have duties I do not, or temper any jealousy they may feel about my class schedule and "free time." Teachers tend toward humility. We must support hybrid teachers by publicly celebrating their work. Offer hybrid teachers a chance to present their work to school and district leaders and include references in publications and regular communications, too. Find an advocate, mentor and network: Teachers often struggle to advocate for what they need, and expert classroom practitioners may be new to leadership. Designate someone to support teachers in hybrid roles — a person who can advocate for them, coordinate regularly with principals, provide coaching and even watch them teach. Encourage mentorship and participation in a network of other hybrid teachers who face similar challenges and can offer support and advice. In his book, The Great Influenza, John M. Barry reminds us that scientific discoveries happen on the frontier of our knowledge in a frightening yet necessary confluence of certainty and doubt. Just as scientists battled through urgency and uncertainty to invent the flu vaccine and halt a pandemic, we can only transform education to successfully meet the needs of our students by exhibiting this same kind of courage. Teacher leadership is our frontier, and teacherpreneurs are uniquely suited to discover its riches. Lauren Hill, a National Board certified teacher, teaches English at Western Hills High School in Frankfort, Ky., and serves as teacherpreneur for the Kentucky Network to Transform Teaching to help create teacher leadership opportunities for Kentucky teachers and support teachers as they pursue National Board certification. She also works as a virtual community organizer and blogger for the Center for Teaching Quality. Read more about teacherpreneurs. Related Posts: How to go from "teacher" to "teacherpreneur" From classroom to boardroom: How to combine your passion for education and innovation "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" Transforming the narrative about teaching Redefining smart Hybrid roles: Making a whole out of two halves originally published by SmartBlogs

(Photo: Flickr user Adrian Scottow) Memorial Day marked the unofficial start of summer, and warm, sunny days sent bars, restaurants and cocktail fans to Twitter and Instagram to share ideas for #summercocktails. Beer is by far the most popular alcoholic beverage for summer, followed by wine and then cocktails, according to NPD Group. Last summer, U.S. patrons downed 335 million beers, drank 179 million glasses of wine and sipped 158 million mixed drinks, according to NPD data. Those numbers cover May through July, and trends have held steady for the past several summers, said NPD Vice President Warren Solochek. Microbrews continue to grow in popularity, a trend likely to spike in the summer months as beer consumption increases, while those who prefer spirits will increasingly seek out fresh ingredients this summer, said Solochek, who presented at the Vibe Conference in March, an event that brings together beverage manufacturers with restaurant operators and others in the hospitality industry. "The perception of healthier sorts of spirits, fresh sorts of things, that’s what everyone was talking about. Fresh fruits, basil, cucumbers — a lot of interesting flavor stuff is done in spring and summer, because that’s when those become available," he said. Light, crisp and fresh are also key when wine fans switch from the reds of winter to the whites of summer, said Juan Muñoz-Oca, winemaker at Columbia Crest winery in Eastern Washington. "People are getting more and more educated and adventurous when it comes to wine, and that makes for a really exciting change of seasons," he said. Columbia Crest finds that its roses and sauvignon blancs do better and better each summer. "They’re more refreshing and they’re wines that go with the different diets we have in the summertime," he said. "We’re not having roast or ham anymore, and we want wines that pair nicely with salads and other refreshing foods. These whites have a lot of acidity, so they go will with diets that don’t have a lot of protein and carbs." Innovative bartenders in Kansas City are creating cocktails for sophisticated sippers, using tools like the porthole to infuse cocktails with cool summer herb and fruit flavors in real time, The Kansas City Star reported earlier this month. Bartenders in smaller markets are also seeing more sophisticated tastes and a willingness to try new cocktails, said Mike Nims, who has been mixing drinks for nearly a decade and managing Catch 22 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., for two years. Nims is in the process of finalizing the summer drink menu, and he’s going social with new concoctions like the gin, elderflower, St. Germain and grapefruit cocktail he posted on Twitter and Instagram this week. Summer means light, citrusy flavors and, this year, it also means gin. "Gin has been coming back, it’s really picking up," he said. "Everything I’ve read for several years has been calling for this resurgence of gin, and it hasn’t happened, but this time it seems like it is." The drinks menu will also likely include a new rum cocktail or two, as well as drinks made with cachaca, a Brazilian liquor that’s similar to rum. "I do a lot of reading on trends. I’m down here in Tuscaloosa, and we’re not on the cutting edge, so there has to be a balance of what is cutting edge versus what will actually work in our town," Nims said. That said, it’s getting easier for Nims to encourage his patrons to try new things, he said, a trend that’s likely driven at least in part by how easy social media makes it to discover the big-city trends. "A very real cocktail movement has finally started to take hold in even the smaller corners of the country. We’re in the deep south, and it’s starting to come here," he said. "I have a regular who was up in New York, and he was telling me about the drinks he had at Death & Co. He knew about it because we talked about it, and we’re able to follow bars on Twitter." What cool cocktails are on tap at your restaurant this summer? Tell us about it in the comments. __________________________________________________ If you enjoyed this article, join SmartBrief’s email list for more stories about the food and beverage industry. We offer 14 newsletters covering the industry from restaurants to food manufacturing. Related Posts: Beverage trends: Consumers gulp down coffee, natural, seasonal and premium Prepared foods report: New consumer behaviors hone in on fresh, healthy and sustainable Brewing up new food and beer pairings WSWA’s first-ever philanthropy report spotlights wholesalers’ community involvement How Newk’s Eatery sees fast-casual 2.0 Cool beer, wine and cocktail trends to quench summer thirsts originally published by SmartBlogs