Masterclasses / Workshops 2 & 3 March 2011

The fact that we live in an increasingly complex world is undeniable. What is shocking, according to a Global 2010 study conducted by IBM, is that most leaders are not confident that they have the skills to lead in times of such unprecedented change. The same 1500 plus executives were asked what skills would be most useful to them as leaders over the next five years, they spoke with a resounding voice ­– CREATIVITY. Numerous other reports, and our own work at the International Center for Studies in Creativity, have all come to the same conclusion. Creativity and creative thinking are now considered to be core leadership skills. What is a surprise to many is that creative-thinking skills can be enhanced through training. Indeed, recent research has concluded that one of the most effective programs for teaching creative thinking is Creative Problem Solving. In this workshop participants will learn and apply a variety of Creative Problem Solving principles and tools that have been shown to improve creative-thinking abilities.  Ultimately the goal is to challenge participants to internalize creativity principles and practices that promote creative-leadership behaviors.

Learning Objectives:
At the end of this program participants will be able to….

• Identify their strengths and needed areas for development as creative leaders;
• Practice leadership and problem-solving activities that reinforce the role Creative Problem Solving plays in leadership, with attention to the cognitive and affective skills outlined in the Thinking Skills Model; and
• Understand the profound impact leaders have in setting the climate and culture for innovation in organizations.

Duration  : one day (this workshop will be offered both on 2 and 3 March 2011)
Language: English

Scope

Innovation is today acknowledged by academics and practitioners as a significant source of value for organizations. Indeed the very survival of organizations that do not innovate and change is under question. It is also recognized by experts that the scope for innovation is broad - covering products and services, strategy and structure, business models, processes and culture.

Our workshop will help participants understand why developing innovation within a company is a multi-dimensional affair and how they can actively and successfully make innovation part of their organization’s DNA, and so to fully realize its creative potential.

Objectives

Participants will:

• Explore 12 key elements (see model below) required to make innovation an integral part of any organization
• Audit their own organization and identify what supports and what inhibits innovation
• Learn and practice fundamentals of creative method
• Learn and practice fundamentals of innovative teamwork
• Have a good time!

By the end of the workshop, participants will have a clear diagnosis of their own organization and in the follow-up consulting session they will be coached to think up and implement actions to achieve higher levels of innovation.

Approach

The workshop is based on the Art of Innovation model, designed by Dimis Michaelides and which is outlined as follows:

Innovative organizations mobilize the SOURCES of creativity in a well-designed STRUCTURE and with an appropriately-shaped CULTURE. It is the skilful synthesis of twelve innovation drivers - Talent, Energy, Method, Individual, Team, Target, System, Ideas, Freedom, Engagement, Humor and Risk - that makes an organization innovative

This workshop was presented as an open seminar of vital importance in Cyprus during the last twelve months. It has also been presented two times for The Creative Education Foundation’s Creative Problem Solving Institute in Atlanta and Boston in the USA and to a number of private organizations in Cyprus and overseas. University professors certified by Dimis Michaelides to lead this course, also present this workshop regularly to postgraduate business students at New York University.

Duration  : one day (this workshop will be offered on 2 March 2011)
Language: English

The last couple of years have seen a dramatic uptake in consumer adoption of mobile technologies such as media players, smartphones and now tablet computers within Europe and around the world.

Coupled with the popularity of Web 2.0 online applications, social media sites and digital content, there is now a revolution taking place in how people communicate, access media, play games and browse the Web.

This paradigm shift presents educators and trainers with exciting opportunities to embrace this technology within teaching and learning and also allows students to develop Apps, digital content and mobile websites which they can then access using their own mobile smart devices.

This talk will provide an overview of some of the most important current mobile technologies and how they have been embraced by one college in and out of the classroom.

Duration  : 75 minutes (this workshop will be offered on 2 March 2011)
Language: English

Managing technology in an educational environment involves unique challenges due to the unique organizational and cultural characteristics of academic institutions.  These challenges are even greater in a large, multi-campus institution. In this workshop, Valencia Community College will share information on how technology management, planning and governance have been setup and function.
Participants will:

• Learn how Valencia’s various governance structures are setup and work together to plan, prioritize, and advise the college’s central information technology office
• Learn how Valencia’s Office of Information Technology is organized and how the various office areas work together to provide support for the college and its mission/goals
• Develop an understanding of Valencia’s major technology initiatives and the communication, planning, and lessons learned from these projects

Duration  : 75 minutes (this workshop will be offered on 2 March 2011)
Language: English

Online Learning has become increasingly popular for offering courses to our students.  The challenge is to build high-quality courses that meet the same rigorous principles of instruction as their traditional on-site counterparts.  Another challenge is finding sustainable methods to train our faculty, communicate resources, and share best practices to ensure consistency in our online course offerings.

In this workshop, Valencia will showcase how they train and support faculty and students using traditional, online  and social media channels.  Participants will:

• Review an example from one of our online faculty development workshops
• Observe how social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and WordPress) are used as part of our communication strategy
• See how self-paced resources are implemented to sustain our online community of learners

Duration  : 75 minutes (this workshop will be offered on 2 March 2011)
Language: English

So, you have a website, now what?   If you have a website and/or a portal, are you sure you are getting the most benefit from it?   Technology on the Internet has changed dramatically over the past ten years.   Applications have taken over the Web and portals. Building a custom web application is not as necessary as it was in the late nineties.   These applications are now available in multiple sizes and flavors in today’s market.  

Web Development relies on both traditional programmers and the individuals who help keep the information up to date.  In both public websites and intranet portals, the sites are only valuable if they contain the information a user needs to help achieve their goals.  Today’s users expect their online college tools to be up to date and interactive by allowing them to interact with their personal data.   In this workshop we will discuss some ideas to achieve this type of interactivity on the web to get the most benefit for students, faculty and staff.  

At the end of this workshop participants will be able to:

• Identify how your website or portal can support key business processes
• Choose the best method for adding web applications to your website/portal
• Identify different types of web application integration methods
• Manage content on an enterprise website and portal

Duration  : 75 minutes (this workshop will be offered on 2 March 2011)
Language: English

.

.

.