Making the Most of LinkedIn

In This Issue Making the Most of LinkedIn Tech Tip: Export your LinkedIn Resume as a PDF Register Now to Reserve a Spot for 2016 Online Courses  New Math Specialist Certificate Featured Courses:      Integrating Social Media Instructional Strategies      Poverty in Schools Begin Your Masters Degree in January  Editor: Shannnon Mersand

Making the Most of LinkedIn Are you using LinkedIn to its fullest potential to connect professionally? Check out the tips on profile building, creating connections and optimizing your presence. Building your Profile 17 LinkedIn Profile Must- Haves (Infographic) Irfan Ahmad’s infographic shows 17 things to include on a LinkedIn Profile. This is a perfect for beginning Linkers. The Ultimate Guide to a Perfect LinkedIn Profile  Mike Allton gives us a very thorough guide with helpful screenshots and examples of what to include and what not to include to make a good impression on LinkedIn. Connecting with Others Don't Make This Mistake on LinkedIn Steven Petrow cautions users to be careful when connecting with others on LinkedIn. How to Protect Yourself From LinkedIn-Based Scams Joseph Steinberg provides advice on how to spot fake profiles and protect yourself from LinkedIn scams. The Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Mastering LinkedIn  Pamela Vaughan offers tips to optimize LinkedIn features for professional networking. How to Leverage LinkedIn in Every Phase of Your Career  Robin Reshwan discusses ways to use LinkedIn, whether you are a student, looking for a promotion or looking for a new job. Writing Posts How to Write an Awesome Post on LinkedIn Laura McMullen shares advice on how and why to write posts with LinkedIn Publisher.

What's New for Spring? Math Specialist Certificate Designed for elementary and middle school educators interested in developing focused competency as a math specialist, math interventionist, math coach, or math team leader.

Featured Courses EDUC 650 Integrating Social Media Instructional Strategies March 28 - April 22, 2016 Instructor: Dr. Kay Lehmann Effective ways to use social networks and cloud-based tools including Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and other personal learning networks for professional development and home/school communication.  Our Students Say... “In looking at my PLN, it is amazing where I was a month ago compared to today. While I am by no means even close to being proficient in using many of the social media tools we have learned about during the past four weeks, the exposure I have gained has proved valuable in so many ways already. " ~ Roger Foegen, District Administrator in the Bangor WI School District EDUC 640 Poverty in Schools: Working with At-Risk Students January 25 -March 4, 2016 Instructor: Dr. Kay Lehmann Strategies, critical steps, and how to measure results when transforming high-poverty rural and urban schools with parent involvement, mentoring, data-based intervention, community partnerships, and high expectations.  Our students say... "I wish that all individuals working in human service related fields were required to take this course. The knowledge I gained is invaluable for my profession as well as my personal growth. GREAT COURSE!"

E-Learning and Online Teaching Magazine: curated articles at the tap of a tag

This is an interactive graphic, hover and click to discover more about E-Learning and Online Teaching.

UW-Stout Students: 2000 self-paced online courses available now

Lynda.com is a constantly growing library of more than 2,000 self-paced online courses. This diverse catalog includes software training, programming lessons and even “concept” tutorials on topics such as design and photography.

Since Lynda.com is now integrated with your UW-Stout account, it can recognize you, maintain a learning transcript and make certificates available for your professional purposes.

Online students (and teachers) go to school 'in a computer'. Gaining technology skills is part of the double loop effect of online classes. You learn the curriculum and you begin to master the communications technology that allows you to be present with your students.

We don't expect the graduate students in the E-Learning and Online Teaching Graduate Certificate to be technical wizards. We do encourage independent learning and the confident attitude that "I can learn this."  

One service we provide to students is 24/7 access to the superb video based online self-paced courses provided by Lynda.com.  This is available to all UW-Stout students who are registered in an online class.

Our online classes begin mid September. Now is a good time to brush up on your software

Infographic: Finding E-Learning Jobs

Teachers Needed for One World School!

One World School has just recently signed new contracts with Canada, China, Nigeria and South America meaning that we will bringing on more than 800,000 new students this fall. This means we are woefully short of qualified teachers.

If you have a few hours each week when you would be available to teach online and assist students in developing nations develop their dreams, please consider teaching for the One World School. We need teachers in every discipline, including career/technical courses, and foreign languages. We also need qualified teachers to help translate content into Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic. Pay is comparable to other online schools and paid on a monthly basis.

Please check out our website at http://www.worldschool.mobi/ to browse the course catalogue and send a resume to admin@1worldschool.com to begin the process.

Plus, if you are a superintendent or principal, please pass this along to your teachers,. This is a great opportunity to develop relationships with other countries, schools, and networks.

Thanks!
Dr. Diana Muir
One World School
309-203-1600

E-Learning Jobs: Job Listings.

Here is a link to a curated list of jobs I maintain as a service for the graduate students in the UW-Stout E-Learning and Online Teaching Graduate Certificate Program.  I update this list (almost) daily. 

Click here for:

E-Learning Job Listings

UW-Stout Elearning and Online Teaching Career Center

I've also written a series of articles about how to find e-learning jobs.  These articles will give you a good start as you plan your online career!

E-Learning Job Articles

E-Learning Jobs Listings
Where and How to Find E-Learning Jobs
Finding E-Learning Jobs
Finding Online Teaching Jobs: Are you a Online Teaching, Adjunct Instructor, K-12 Virtual Teacher? 
E-Portfolios for Career Development: It's not just resumes anymore!
Make Money Teaching Online 
Successful Techniques and Proven Strategies for Finding Online Teaching Work

Online Adjuncts Needed: UW-Stout

Open Invitation to Apply: http://www.uwstout.edu/cec/adjpool.cfm 

University of Wisconsin-Stout maintains a pool of qualified individuals who would like to teach online courses. This is an open invitation to apply for the University’s Adjunct Instructor Pool. Individuals with online teaching experience and appropriate degrees in instructional areas offered at University of Wisconsin-Stout are encouraged to apply.

Candidates with e-learning and online teaching certificates and online e-portfolios should emphasize that experience when completing the the web-based application.

The university is building a pool of qualified subject experts with professional online teaching skills to teach general education courses at the undergraduate level. Additional opportunities are available at the graduate level for teaching instructional design, reading/literacy, using games to assess learning

Please do not send resumes or applications to this blog. Only applications submitted to the Adjunct Pool will be reviewed for spring 2012 openings. 

Adjunct Professor: Kay Lehmann's Dream Job:

Dr. Kay Lehman & Lisa Chamberlin co-teach UW-Stout's EDUC 761 Creating Collaborative Communities in E-Learning.  

Kay and I first met when we were going to school together (online) earning our masters degrees in online teaching and learning. She has been a vital part of my personal learning network ever since. In many ways an adjunct professor is like a rōnin samurai. We have to keep our skills sharp to survive in a challenging landscape.


Since so many readers of this blog are seeking to advance their online teaching careers I want to share a blog post Kay did recently on the realities and strategies of working online. Kay is wise and highly skilled.  

In all fairness... I do have a dream job!

"...It works because I've made it work. I've curated a full time job by piecing together courses from several institutions, freelance-style, within an educational industry that has yet to figure out what its going to be when it grows up and become technologically self-aware."

http://transparentignorance.blogspot.com/2010/12/in-all-fairness-i-do-have-dream-job.html

Kay gives you an unvarnished inside look at the world of an adjunct professor. Great advice and a realistic look at our profession. ~Dennis

Make Money Teaching Online! (Part 5)

The best time to look for work is when you already have a job. This is when you make your plans.  Planning to leave the face to face classroom for virtual work takes preparation as well.

Finding a job is so much more than shooting resumes out via email.  Certainly the a good resume is part of the picture, but it's just one tool of many you need to sharpen as you work toward a career change. 

Be prepared!

I went back to school and got a certificate in online teaching and learning as well as a Masters Degree in Education with an emphasis on distance learning. I could see the future coming and I loved the work. I taught part time for Connected University and held on to my classroom job.  I chased grants and learned to both design and teach online. I believed hard work, dedication, and setting goals would change my world.  Eventually I took the leap to full time online employment. Despite my preparations,  it took me several years to learn the ropes.

I wish I knew then, what I know now.

I recall attending a conference just after I left the 'security' of the classroom and a traditional job.  I was at the conference to learn and to network, but I really didn't know what I was doing.  An educational sales rep took pity on me and briefly schooled me. 

• Get a business card.
• Establish a web presence.
• Network with decision makers.
• Join and participate in professional groups.

I did all that and more. Over the first few years of my career, working with dial up modems from a small mountain town, I learned project my work and experience across the country using the Internet.

The first year as a consultant and online teacher involved a lot of trial and error.  I remember sending out hundreds of reasonably crafted and targeted emails with resume.  The silence was deafening.  The offers were few, far between, and underpaid.  It was very discouraging. But that's what it took for me to realize I needed to reach out to the people I knew and truly network. My Eureka Moment came when I reconnected with some great teachers I'd met via ISTE.  After that door open to more opportunities than I could have imagined.

To prepare for an academic online teaching career I recommend reading: Make Money Teaching Online: 2nd Edition: How to Land Your First Academic Job, Build Credibility, and Earn a Six-Figure Salary: Revised and Updated
The book helps you get organized and set goals. When I read this book I didn't learn anything new. I did see  much of what I'd learned by trial and error and hard knocks laid out chapter by chapter.  If you are just getting started, or if you are stalled and wondering how to grow your academic career, read the book.  It's filled with solid advice.  Follow the advice and you'll be better prepared when opportunity comes your way.

Read More about Finding E-Learning Jobs! 

Here are more articles about strategies for finding online work, and the kinds of preparation and paperwork you should be working on:

1. Where and How to Find E-Learning Jobs
2. Finding E-Learning Jobs* This will help you see the big picture! 
3. Finding Online Teaching Jobs: Are you a Online Teaching, Adjunct Instructor, K-12 Virtual Teacher? 
4. E-Portfolios for Career Development: It's not just resumes anymore!
5. Make Money Teaching Online 
6. Successful Techniques and Proven Strategies for Finding Online Teaching Work