James Jackson

Location: chicago, il

About me

James is the Senior Associate at JAJ & Associates, Adjunct Faculty and eLearning Consultant at MaxKnowledge and member of the Board of Advisors of Dream Catchers Global. James was the Associate Provost of Faculty Development, President of the Online Division at Harrison College and the Director for the Center of Technology Resources for Indiana Business College. Because of his extensive background in technology and his entrepreneurial spirit and passion for assisting aspiring business owners, James has provided his leadership/project management skills in many start-up operations mentoring dozens of young leaders over his career. All providing great growth opportunities for his stakeholders.

James has developed more than 50 courses and dozens of programs in the areas of technology, business, progress management and general education. James has been an instructor for more than 15 years during which time he provided training to over 500 trainers and more than 5000 students. His academic background includes a Masters of Education in Occupational Training and Development and is currently working on his doctoral dissertation in Higher Education Administration emphasis on Strategic Enrollment Management. James enjoys working with students and assisting them through complex concepts which he is able to turn into easy to understand and usable skills.

A full profile of my professional career is available on LinkedIn:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesajacksonjr

Connect with me on LinkedIn and here in the Lounge.

Interests

my family, golf, tennis, swimming, and participating in youth sports.

Skills

faculty development, elearning, program and curriculum development, project management, business analysis and technology integration

Activity

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Self-Doubt

Mark, math is a common subject that students just always seem to assume they will not do well. I think it has something to do with thinking that math is only for smart people and some students do not think of themselves in that light. Looks like you have developed a good methodology that allows students to see the joy and importance of math and that it can be for anyone willing to learn. No different than learning a language or a technology, just need to take one day at a time, ask questions, and apply what you learn as… >>>

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Self-Doubt

Lev, what an interesting topic. Does everyone have the ability to learn the tastes of different wines? I had always thought there were just those individuals that had such a good set of taste buds that they could develop the skill but for others they may not have sensitive enough taste buds. Just goes to show we all learn something new everyday. Thanks for sharing. James Jackson

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Self-Doubt

Steven, great post and includes a very common issue - how to build confidence in students. Looks like you have the hardest part figured out in that you need to formerly develop the small victories and build upon those success opportunities. This is part of scaffolding and is also a formal part of the curriculum development process. Keep up the great work. James Jackson

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Traits of Successful Instructors

Vennetta, I agree in principle but want to be sure we are on the same page. A teaching is not a friend in the conventional definition. However, a quality instructor will be friendly to students and be a person students feel comfortable to approach and trust. This is a different kind of friendship and is more along the lines of a mentor than someone to share your most intimate thoughts. It is important not to be confused here and being friendly is an important quality in a good instructor. James Jackson

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Traits of Successful Instructors

Lisa, I really like the concept of consumer of knowledge and they are also a distribute. Malcolm Gladwell uses terms like Maven, Connector and Salesperson to describe different people in his book The Tipping Point and as instructors we tend to participate in all of these categories. We are Mavens because we are experts at what we do, we are connectors as we connect students with their careers, and we are salespeople in that we constantly need to remind students what is in it for them and why the hard work is worth the end result. James Jackson

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

Mark, I totally can feel your passion in your words and love the enthusiasm. One thing to consider here is not all students are wired the same as we are or were when we went to school so be careful not to count against them just because they are not like us. Use your passion to remain focused on your subject matter and passion for teaching but remain open minded with respect to how there are many paths to success and continually get to know your students and assist them in finding the path that is best for them. Keep… >>>

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Fear Factor with Tests

Jamie, excellent post and 100% accurate. Not all failures on a written test indicate a lack of understanding of the materials and this is why it is critical that instructors take the time to fully understand their students. If you suspect some form of learning disorder or issue with communication we as instructors have a responsibility to discover such issues and do all we can to assist our students. Keep up the great work. James Jackson

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Fear Factor with Tests

Lacey, do you evaluate in any way for learning disorders or communication issues? If a student does well in a practical skills test but fails a written test it may not be their lack of knowledge of the subject matter but could be a form of learning disorder or some issue with communication. James Jackson

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Traits of Successful Instructors

Mark, well stated. When students feel they are in a safe learning environment and can ask questions freely and feel comfortable they can learn from their mistakes the more they will learn and the deeper the learning will encode within their long term memory. James Jackson

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Traits of Successful Instructors

Carol, well stated. The more you know your students and the more they feel you care the fewer issues you will encounter. You are not there to be their friend but you are there to earn their trust and to guide then along their academic journey. Model the behavior you expect and always inspect what you expect from your students. James Jackson

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