Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Becki, Please share the various technologies used at your institution and the training provided. Many have commented that their school unfortunately does not have the budget for such updates, I am happy to hear this is not the case where you teach. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Tina, Publishing companies are a fantastic resource for educators, I am glad to hear your institution is taking advantage of all they have to offer. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Leigh, Survey Monkey surveys are a great way to introduce students to market research in the hospitality arena- Thank you for sharing! I find many restaurants offer promotions on Facebook or directly through their website, some have interactive menus that help customers choose healthier options, some even develop games when they team-up with a production company to promote a movie. I found this post I thought you may find interesting: http://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/16-handles-gets-innovative-latest-store-promo Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Elizabeth, I also use a variety of YouTube videos in the classroom to reinforce concepts as well as introduce new ones. Do you have any tips you can share to help other weed through posted videos that may not be relevant or appropriate when searching for content on a specific topic? Theresa Schmitt

Jason, The online grade book and forum sounds like fantastic additions to the learning environment. You bring up a good point about outside influences and the ability to closely monitor usage. Do you require student participation on the forum in the form of graded participation points, or do you find students utilize this feature without prompting? Theresa Schmitt

Lisa, It sounds as if you teach a diverse group of learners. Please share what new technologies you incorporate into your lessons and how they are received by your students. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Leigh, PDF tutorials are very useful; a great tip for fellow educators. These are quick and easy to create as well. I simply take screen shots, paste them into Microsoft Word with a brief description of the step in the process, and save the document as a PDF. Of course you can get quite elaborate when creating these tutorials, but in a pinch, these can be created relatively quickly. Thank you for sharing this best practice with the group! Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Wendy, Your response brings a smile to my face- I also detest the remnants of ripped edges from a spiral bound notebook found in the bottom of my tote bag after collecting written assignments! Increased participation is a tremendous benefit of a blended learning course utilizing a discussion board. How do you use the learning portal at your institution when creating a blended learning environment for your students? Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Elizabeth, You bring up some very relevant issues that many of us in the career education sector face, thank you for sharing these concerns. May I ask what subject you teach and what your students are studying? this information would help me craft a more detailed response to your concerns. Theresa Schmitt

Holly, Thank you for sharing the ways in which you keep students engaged; you sound like a born educator! Poll Everwhere is a fantastic tool, thank you for mentioning it. For those students who just cannot seem to put their phones away, this is a great way to keep their interest and focused on the lecture. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt