Thursday, 8 December 2011

Furious Irish Angels

To celebrate reaching over 5000 views in less than 3 months I decided to make a new video  that I posted on Youtube for this blog. It is entitled "Furious Irish Angels" and draws on advice from Ireland's past to help Ireland's future. Please have a look, I hope you enjoy it. It sounds and looks best in full-screen so if you just click on the Youtube button after you click play and then the full-screen button on the bottom right hand side you can view it in full-screen.


Furious Irish Angels
Uploaded by on 8 Dec 2011

Monday, 28 November 2011

Work Experience

The importance of work experience can help you with your future career prospects. Your work experience can signal to a future employer that you have the ability to work as part of a team or be suitable for future job positions within a business. By being able to demonstrate what you have learned about the world of work as well as the skills you have developed as a result of your work experience can greatly increase your employment prospects.

When considering your place for work, you need to consider what type of experience will best suit your career goals. It is as important to know what you don't want as well as what you do want.
What type of experience do you need to gain to further your career?
What kind of skills are required and do you have the necessary skills for a particular type of employment?


College certificates and degrees are very important however relevant experience in the world of work which demonstrates some of your personal skills can be crucial in getting you to stand out. How you demonstrate your employ-ability through your work experience can make you stand out from the rest of the candidates. What was unique to you about your experience? Can you link anything that you have learned in theory into practice?

 
Here is a PDF document from gradireland entitled Work Experience & Time Out which provides helpful advice regarding skills, how to get a placement, getting the most from your placement, work experience after graduation, details about voluntary work and more.




Sunday, 27 November 2011

O'Fiaich College win 2011 North-east PLC debate championship

The 2011 PLC debate championship took place between O'Fiaich College and Monaghan VEC. The motion for the debate was "Is there a future for the young generation in Ireland today?". The O'Fiaich team consisted of Clive Friary, Emma Bell and Emma Carroll while the Monaghan team was composed of Natasha Armstrong, John O'Shea and Geraldine Duffy.

The debate was organised between the respective teachers of the schools to help students gain confidence for the workplace while also being a particuarly relevant current topic. Teachers involved from Monaghan included Sinead Corrigan and Olive Hanna while the O'Fiaich teachers who assisted were Marcus Howard, Colm Connolly and Monica Curtis.

Independent adjudicators consisted of Philip Keegan from Carrickmacross and Victoria O'Hagan from St. Vincents Secondary school, Dundalk.The debate achieved significant local coverage having been featured in The Argus, Dundalk Democrat and Dundalk Leader.

Back row: Colm Connolly, teacher, Monica Curtis, teacher, Emma Carroll, Emma Bell, Clive Friary, Marcus Howard, teacher from O'Fiaich College


Front row: Olive-Hanna Murtagh, teacher, Natasha Armstrong, Geraldine Duffy, John McShea, and Sinead Corrigan, teacher.

A link to an article by the Argus covering the debate can be viewed by clicking this link.

Friday, 14 October 2011

WorldIrish.com

Worldirish.com is a social media site set up by John McColgan of Riverdance which launched on October 7th 2011 and was promoted at the Global Irish Economic Forum. The social media start up will source together content from Facebook, Twitter and others to make a massive Irish online community. Cybercom figures have predicted that the site will make €20 million in 5 years. Worldirish.com is backed up by Denis O'Brien, Dermot Desmond.

If you want to be part of Ireland's global tribe the website is http://www.worldirish.com/
If you do tell them http://irish21stcenturystudents.blogspot.com/ sent you!


WorldIrish.com - Ireland's Hour
Uploaded by on Sep 28, 2011
The video was made by Jim Coffey of Spirit Enterprises


Here is an article by Nick Webb regarding information about their site
http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/riverdance-boss-eyes-euro20m-worldirishcom-profit-2900554.html

Wednesday, 5 October 2011

PLC Debate Practice: 2011 Irish Election Debates

Debates in the political landscape in Ireland in 2011 have certainly been eventful.On Oct 4th 2011, TV3's Vincent Brown chaired a debate for all the presidential nominees . Before the nation and you decide to cast your vote, it might be useful to have a look at this controversial debate at the link below

Here is the video link
http://tv3.ie/presidential-debate-2011/like-o-meter.php
And here is a rundown of what happened at that debate from RTE
http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/1004/president_tracker.html

Also here is the debate findings from the Late Late Show
http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0930/president_tracker.html



 

PLC Debate Why You Should Learn To Be A Good Debater

Why should you learn to be a good debater? As a student you can have on your CV that you took part in school debates. Why is this important to you or your employer? It shows you can communicate, that you can question, that you are not afraid to get up in front of a group of people in your workplace and show them why your opinion is important. In short, it gives you a voice and demonstrates managerial capability, confidence, critical thinking and an ability to present discussions convincingly while working as a team. It makes you more employable and gives you the power to make people listen. Debating is an essential sill regarding learning how to climb up the jobs ladder, to negotiate more hours or a promotion or even to get a job.

Many bosses, politicians and leaders need to have great debate skills to show their staff or those who follow them why their vision for the way ahead is so important. They also have to listen to and assess in their own businesses department managersor employees  debating for the best way ahead for their company (eg accounting department argues to cut costs while the marketing department may be arguing to spend money on marketing campaigns to make money). As a manager, you have to assess who’s argument sounds more important, make a decision on it and then communicate to all departments clearly why that decision was made. There are always two sides to a point.


 
Debates can get heated, they can be controversial yet also intelligently deal with the subject at hand. You may not agree with certain arguments, some will make you question pre-established beliefs, but one thing is clear. You are getting to hear both sides of the argument to enable a more informed decision.


The Concern debates are one of the longest running competitions in Irish secondary schools, dealing with  important world issues.The debates center around topics like child labour, debt, globalisation, HIV/AIDs and more. Although this videoclip below deals with debating within a secondary school, the clip is still useful for college students as the impact of being a good debater is shown as well as the opinions of debaters around the country.


Youtube Video
Concern Debates


Uploaded by on 16 Oct 2006


Here is a lego based video outlining 12 steps to create a debate setting:
Youtube Video

How to Debate: An Introduction

Uploaded by on 16 Jul 2008

Debates can change minds. Intelligently argued points backed up with reasoning, facts and statistics can deliver compelling viewpoints. Here is a clip from the movie The Great Debaters with Denzel Washington. The debate takes place in the 1930s where the Wiley debate  team takes on Harvard College to argue over whether the negro population should have state access to a university. The film is based on a true story

Youtube Video

Great Debaters - Justice Right Now 

Uploaded by on Sep 11, 2011

Great Debaters - Welfare State Debate

 Uploaded by on Sep 11, 2011

 




How to debate?
There are 2 types of people who debate,  those people who are very nervous at the idea of a debate and then there are great liars. Everyone is a little nervous debating a topic, we want to get our points across, we want to be heard, but how?
Debating isn’t about shouting at each other. Think about how your opponents arguments to suit your own argument. Does it make your debate more persuasive that you accept or concede some of your opponents points? Should you even think of them as an opponent
There are 3 main areas to look at regarding debate techniques
1 Clarity
2 Evidence
3 Emotionalism


1 Clarity
You are going to be talking with people who may have a very different opinion to yours on a topic so clarity is key. Ask yourself as you prepare, is there any way my opponent  can use my words against me? If so, can I pre-empt their attack with a counter attack? Eg “of course you are going to hear the opposing team propose that .........” Appear confident
2 Evidence
What evidence have you got to back up your argument. This is essential to an effective debate. How much waffle is there in your argument? Opinions are far stronger when backed up by evidence. Eg “According to CSO figures for 2011, there has been a downward trend in X, so it is essential that we move forward .....”. Remember that your research can contradict and perhaps evolve authoritative sources opinions by your use of facts and figures. Can you put those facts and figures into something that your audience can easily understand. Can you source the information if queried about it? Eg “Where did you get those figures from?”. How will you present those facts and figures?



3 Emotionalism
Emotionally charged words depending on how they are harnessed can make or break your argument. You need to inject  life into your statistics or you run the risk of your argument falling flat. If you use words that can inspire and hook your audience, it will make your facts and figures even stronger. You need to think about how you can appeal to your target audience and judges that are watching you. Think about how you would be affected if you were a member of the audience. Can you relate a short personal story to the topic that you think is relevant? You want to show how passionate you are, while also delivering a constructive, rational argument.


Losing your temper in a debate shows you are passionate, but you are also in danger of looking foolish so keeping calm and defeating your opponent through skill gives the impression of a more effective argument most of the time. Finish strong, your conclusion should be a reminder and summation of what your argument was about. Your audience needs reminding. Think of how you are in class with teachers, have you ever day-dreamed through any important points? The same thing is true with your audience.

How do I argue my point?
Look up information regarding the topic (from both sides, you want to have an idea what the opposition is going to say). Decide how you are going to organise the information. Can you twist the facts and figures to your advantage? You can acknowledge certain flaws of the side of the topic you are arguing for.
Your Introduction
How are you going to get your audiences attention right from the start? They are thinking “why should I listen to you?”. Perhaps not everyone at the debate is there through choice or even educated about the topic you are presenting. How are you going to address that?  A relevant general thought , joke or short story can be effective if intelligently applied.
Your Body
This is the meat of your argument. This is where facts, figures, statistics, trends and examples can be constructively applied. Are you going to interact with your audience to engage them? Will you use any physical props to help demonstrate your point?
Your Conclusion
This is your last chance to let your audience know why your side of the topic is so important. Effectively summarise your main points to remind your audience what you discussed. Can you disprove your opponents argument? Reaffirm why your point is so important.



Please contribute and tell us what is wrong with the following examples
Examples of bad debate
“Man United are the greatest football team ever”
“No they’re not”
“Yes they are you twit”

Examples of bad debate
“All those politicians are so stupid”

Examples of bad debate
“You’re stupid and everyone hates you”
Should Ireland Go Nuclear Debate Example

Here is a debate regarding if Ireland should go nuclear or not? The clip below shows
Denis Duff from Better Environment with Nuclear Energy argues for the use of Nuclear power in Ireland
Youtube Video 

Should Ireland Go Nuclear? FOR 

Uploaded by on 8 Jan 2009
Here is the motion against Ireland going nuclear by 
Gary Fitzgerald, Green Party candidate for local election, argues against the use of nuclear power in Ireland.

Uploaded by on 8 Jan 2009




How clear were they?
What evidence did they use?
Were they emotional or not?
How did they conclude?


PLC Debate How to write a speech

A debate is not simply a speech, it is a defense of an idea with your teammates. Writing a debate speech can seem a daunting proposal for many. Is my argument good enough? Are my facts and opinions based on those facts convincing enough? How are the opposition going to discredit me? Are you going to be positive or negative? Is it possible to preempt what could be said to discredit your argument?

Are you going to be dramatic? How are you going to do this? Will humour make your argument stronger? What are the guidelines and rules for the debate and how will you keep to this?

In a debate competition, the topic may be chosen for you and even the side of the argument. You may be arguing for or against something you do not personally believe. How are you going to overcome this?

Preparation In a debate knowing both sides of the argument is crucial in your preparation so you have a more informed analysis of the topic. You are going to debate controversial topics, how are you going to be able to live with who you are if you are debating an issue you strongly oppose? 

For example, if you were debating "the future role for Irish students in the 21st century", wouldn't it be important to look at both sides of the issue? To simply look at this positively would mean to view the world through rose-tinted glasses. On the other hand to only look at the issue negatively may see you as a bringer of doom and gloom and close off anything positive which could be achieved. Preparation for your debate is key to achieving success. Think about what is the issue and focus on that. How is the topic worded and can you use it to your advantage?

Summarise your main points and subpoints What are your main points that you want to get across to the opposition? Write down your main points and even subpoints within a point which you can use throughout the debate and during rebuttals. How can you mke your points clear to n udience who my not be as expert on a topic as you?
Listen to what your opponent has to say. How can you use what your opponent has said to make your argument stronger. Will you do this in a positive or negative manner?

Practice and rehearse the manner in which you will deliver your speech. This will make it sound better and also give you the peace of mind that you know what you are talking about. As a result, you may appear more confident to debate your topic. The words that are emphasised can motivate an audience's opinion of your argument or leave them lost and your argument sounding flat. Shouting your points all the time does not always get your point across.

Here is an example of how shouting throughout a speech can lose it's central message and importance.

Bill Clinton Falls Asleep During Martin Luther King Speech

Uploaded by on 21 Jan 2008

Here is a clip where a speech was given at the UN by a teenage girl,  Severn Suzuki, who was representing ECO, an environmental children's organisation.Note the words that are emphasised to get her point across.It has received well over 6 million views.

Youtube Video The girl who silenced the world for 5 minutes
 
Uploaded by on 18 Apr 2008

Prepare your questions and answers
What would you like to ask the opposing team? Are there any flaws in their argument? Do your facts contradict their facts? What kind of questions do you think you will be asked? Can you prepare an answer for questions you think you might be asked?

Here is a clip from Bill Clinton handling a heckler. Clinton's manner of speech is usually relaxed but it does occasionally flare up. To give this video some context, this is the run up to the 1992 election when Bill Clinton was up against George Herbert Walker Bush. Bill Clinton in this speech was speaking in favour of condoms in public schools when he got heckled by Bob Rafsky of an AIDS activist awareness group. How do you think he handled this situation?


Clinton's Angry Response to Heckler 

Uploaded by on 30 Mar 2006

Now lets look at how some famous political figures like Rudy Giuliani and Ron Paul dealt with the idea of US foreign policy. When analysing this, try to be more influenced on the mannerisms of each figure and how they dealt with the question posed rather than the content of what was said, especially if you wish to leave a comment on this blog. How do you think he answered this question?

Terrorism: Ron Paul vs. Giuliani @ SC Debate 

Uploaded by on 15 May 2007

 
Have Conviction You must believe your argument. How will you structure it accordingly? Should you acknowledge that there are holes in your argument even if you don't believe it? And just for a little bit of humour after all that, here is a clip which shows the power of speech and how anybody can influence people by not just what they say but how they say it. The kid in this clip has such conviction regarding what he is saying that he has become an internet phenomenon. You MUST look at both videos below


Thumbs Up for Rock and Roll! 

Uploaded by on 19 Apr 2011

The clip above received over 3 million views and then somebody made this clip below

Bike Kid Gives Speech to the Nation

 Uploaded by on 4 Jun 2011



PLC Debate Practice The Role of the Catholic Church

A relevant topic which has been making headlines of late has been the role of the Catholic Church. This is a very contentious issue and a hot topic, but if it wasn't then it wouldn't be an issue for debate! I am including all the video parts that I can find of each speaker to make the arguments as fair and balanced as I can.

This post is for educational means and not intended to shape anyones opinion or belief. It is good practice for debate students to see how the issues were dealt within a debate context.

The debate included below is from the Intelligence Squared debate on "Is the Catholic Church a force for good in the world?". There are 5 parts to this debate which was broadcast on Channel 4 and involves Ann Widdicombe and John Onaiyekanon the side of the church being a force for good while Stephen Fry and Christopher Hitchens oppose the motion.

Please also take into account that the audience wasn't evenly balanced in terms of their viewpoint although the reality is that it is rare to get an audience with a 50-50 opinion beforehand.

The Intelligence Squared Debate (1 of 5) Hitchens, Fry, Widdecombe, Onaiyekan on the Catholic Church 

Uploaded by on 18 Jul 2010

The Intelligence Squared Debate (2 of 5) Hitchens, Fry, Widdecombe, Onaiyekan on the Catholic Church

Uploaded by on 18 Jul 2010

The Intelligence Squared Debate (3 of 5) Hitchens, Fry, Widdecombe, Onaiyekan on the Catholic Church 

 Uploaded by on 18 Jul 2010

The Intelligence Squared Debate (4 of 5) Hitchens, Fry, Widdecombe, Onaiyekan on the Catholic Church 

The Intelligence Squared Debate (5 of 5) Hitchens, Fry, Widdecombe, Onaiyekan on the Catholic Church 

Uploaded by on 18 Jul 2010




PLC Debate Answering and Rebutting Questions


When answering and rebutting questions in a debate, it is important to be able to predict what might be asked of you. What do you think your opponent's most obvious arguments will be? Your rebuttal is your answer and response to your opponent and it is also your last chance to make a convincing argument. Make it count!

Statistics and facts are a great way of answering a rebuttal when you can. It is very hard to argue against facts unless those facts can be disputed.


Here is an example from a 1992 debate regarding how to answer questions between George H. Bush and Bill Clinton. Watch how each candidate addresses the person answering the question.

Clinton vs. Bush in 1992 Debate

Uploaded by on 19 Mar 2007

Here is a short clip on how to write a rebuttal speech

Speech Writing : How to Write a Rebuttal Speech 

Uploaded by on 27 Oct 2010

PLC Debate Practice: Ireland's Blasphemy Law

As you know you are going to be tackling some controversial topics as you prepare for the PLC debate.  As of 1 January 2010, it is a crime in Ireland to commit blasphemy. Some people say that this will help protect vunerable minorities while others have said that

Here are 3 views regarding the blasphemy law brought in by former Minister for justice Dermot Ahern. There are 2 parts to this video. The first part below is a report to give you some background information about the law. (by the way the link on the bottomright of the videoclip is from the poster, not from www.irish21stcenturystudents.blogspot.com).

Youtube Video

RTE Prime Time Report on Ireland's Blasphemy Law - Pt 1 

 Uploaded by on 13 Jan 2010

Here are 3 perspectives on the debate about Ireland's blasphemy laws in Part 2 of the Primetime report. Speakers include Thomas Byrne, a Fianna Fail TD, Dr Segal Parmar, a lawyer with a human rights group based in London and Ali Selim from The Islamic Cultural Centre.

Youtube Video

RTE Prime Time Report on Ireland's Blasphemy Law - Pt 2

 Uploaded by on 13 Jan 2010

 Here is a link to The Guardian newspaper with regards to thoughts regarding the law 

which was written by Padraig Reidy in 2009


Monday, 3 October 2011

How To Comment On This Blog

When students want to post a comment to the blog they go down to the comments section of each post and click the orange comment link at the bottom of relevant post



Enter your comment in the text field

Select 'google account' from the drop down menu before hitting the 'post comment' button.



When brought to the google sign in page they should enter their college assigned gmail and password and press the sign in button.












The first time a student makes a comment on the blog with their college google account a blogger sign up page will appear.  


In the 'display name' field they should enter their own name, select their gender and then click the orange continue arrow.



Students will then be presented with a preview of their comment,
which they should read over before clicking the post comment button. 

Their comment will then be displayed on the blog.




Tuesday, 27 September 2011

Sell Yourself Digital Presentation Course

Sell Yourself
Digital Presentations module 
Starting 27/09/2011
Tuesdays & Wednesdays 3:30 – 4:45
O'Fiaich College Dundalk
Room 49
limited numbers

If you have enrolled in the Digital Presentation course in O'Fiaich College, classes start today at 3.30 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Room 49.

Benefits to you attending this subject:

1)Learn to present with the newest presentation software
  • Powerpoint 2010 
  • Keynote
  • iPads
Presenting with the most relevant tools for today's workforce can help give you a
competitive edge in the workplace. Familiarising yourself with Microsoft and Apple
computers as well as iPads could help give you a competitive advantage in the
workplace while also making your position within the business you work for stronger.
Powerpoint 2010 will have many new tricks and features which have the capability
for you to deliver more exciting presentations

Keynote presentation software for Apple computers


iPads and other mobile tablets are revolutionising how we can give presentations, sales pitches and advertisements for our companies while not being tied to a computer or laptop 

2) Lose your fear of public speaking
Public speaking for many can be a daunting prospect, yet often it is what can set you apart from your employees. Many of us fear it, many of us avoid it, Throughout your college career you will be asked to give presentations at every level of education. No matter how much of an expert you are about whatever topic you are going to present, you will need to consider how can you make your presentation dynamic and effective enough to engage your audience?

Maybe you feel that you are not talented enough, you are on public display in front of everyone and you are wondering how can you perform well. Perhaps the prospect of presenting fills you with dread? Yet if you are a supervisor in a company you are going to have to make presentations to employees or management or to customers and suppliers. If you are a student working hard on a piece of work for college do you not want people to know why your work is so important or will you sell yourself short? Or worse, will you get someone else to present your ideas? How long are you going to put this off for? This subject will help give you the tools to overcome doubts and fears.
When presentations don't target their audience
3) Get a competitive edge over your classmates
By attending this class and passing this subject you will have an extra subject added to your course. Yes I know it may be annoying doing an extra class at 3:30 but at the end of the year you will have the documentation to say that not only did you do an extra class that your friends didn't do but also your end of year results show that you can present well. Remember you will be competing against the people on your courses for the same jobs so you have to think bout how you are going to stand out from the rest.
When all you are is  a CV in a bundle of CV applications for an employer or for a course in college, this subject can indicate to them that you won't have a problem getting up in front of an audience and presenting your work, which is an essential component for numerous college courses. Therefore, you are increasing your chances to be called for interview in the next step uf your career path. 
You will also be more confident in an interview as a result of doing this subject.
 
The jobs market is certainly more difficult than it was a few years ago. This video is taken
from Primetime in 2009 and gives a snapshot of Ireland's economic performance in
2008. I'm including it here for a number of reasons
1. This video shows the power of an effective digital presentation while making it relevant to you if you are an Irish 21st century student
2. It provides you with statistics about Ireland to make a more informed decision about your career path 
Ireland's Economic Meltdown 
Uploaded by on 14 Jan 2009 
4) Become more creative and fight to get your voice heard
Learn to develop more effective methods through digital presentations to get people to follow your idea or business or blog

Attendance Rules

Due to the high demand for the course you will be expected to attend throughout the year. There is a waiting list to attend this subject.Many of you who are on the waiting list may find a space or two available for you if there are any no shows.

As this subject is optional there will be a 3 strikes and you're out policy. In other words, failure to inform me that you won't be attending my class on a particular day will earn you a strike. 3 strikes and I will bring someone else on the waiting list in to take your place. You can always email me to inform me why you can't attend before class and you won't receive a strike. My email is marcus.howard@ofi.ie

If you feel you won't be able to commit to the subject, you MUST let me know as soon as possible as you are making it unfair to the person who will take your place. Hope you enjoy the subject and you find a way to use it to help you on your career path

Sunday, 11 September 2011

The Purpose of www.irish21stcenturystudents.blogspot.com

Source:


The need to communicate is hot-wired into every human being, but the skill to communicate and present effectively has to be developed and nurtured. With economic recessions, rising costs and high levels of unemployment, students will need better communication skills to combat for jobs while also keeping up with technological developments like social media, which is revolutionising how people are communicating with each other. Students will be educated with relevant posts delivering a flexible content of text, pictures and videos to deepen their knowledge in the classroom or at home. The videos are not there as a teaching substitute, but rather as a platform to engage class discussions to facilitate learning. This is the aim of www.irish21stcenturystudents.blogspot.com


I am a teacher in the County Louth area of communications, digital presentations and a variety of business subjects and have been involved in helping O'Fiaich College win the 2011 North East PLC debate. I have also helped local businesses through marketing consultancy in County Louth, and my previous marketing work has helped reach the final of the National Marketing Awards hosted by the Marketing Institute of Ireland and helping to win the Louth Business Awards in 2009.I am also the cartoonist for the Dundalk Leader newspaper and have a Masters in Marketing and Entrepreneurship.


Why use this blog?

Benefits for students:

 


                                                Source:
If you are a student and want to use this blog to assist your learning with Communications, Multimedia Communications, Digital Presentations or how to handle job interviews and the world around us.  If you want to have a voice and learn how to debate more effectively.If you want to be aware of issues regarding social media and how the world is communicating to you.This blog can give you a voice.


Benefits to you
a) You can access this information 24/7 365 days per year
b) You can go back over helpful instructional videos as often as you like
c) You can learn from other students posts to help further your understanding of particular topics
d) If a topic interests you, you can explore in more detail through the use of relevant links
e) Now you can pause and repeat videos and discuss topics with friends or family to help facilitate your learning
f) If you are off sick for a few days you won't be as lost when you return
g) If you are bored you can skip ahead to a topic that interests you
h) Learn from the intimacy of your own room or while travelling
i) Learn 21st century skills to make you more employable or entrepreneurial in your future career
j) Connect globally and be able to demonstrate your communication and presentation skills to future employers
k) Information on this blog can be reguarly updated so you are not reliant on out of date textbooks and can use videos to understand whats being discussed.


Furious Irish Angels

Uploaded by on Dec 8, 2011


Benefits for teachers:

                                                            Source:
You can use this blog to help assist your teaching of communications, Digital Presentations. If you would like your students to train for a debating team please visit the link Debate on the side. The blog will also be useful for Career Guidance as constructing CV's and cover letters, interview tips and facts about the current economic climate with relevance to students.Students can learn at their pace until they master the topic. This blog can help eliminate a 1 size fits all lecture on a topic as now the students can interact with and learn from each other.

Benefits to you
a) you can use this blog to help facilitate learning through videos and links to create discussion in your classrooms
b) you can help by contributing to the debate on reforming education to enable students with up to date skills for 21st century with current topics.
c) You are not constrained by a textbook which may be out of date
d) Students can recap certain topics as often as they like to develop a deeper understanding
e) Students can help teach other students on this blog and thus free up teacher time to assist with learning and therefore contribute more valuable time in the classroom by helping students, not simply lecturing to them.

A Vision of Students Today
Uploaded by on Oct 12, 2007

For those of you looking for employment


                                       Source:
Yes this is an educational blog but also it provides many exercises, tips and helpful instructional videos for applying for jobs and where opportunities can be created. It can help maximise your potential and help give you a voice.This blog can help give you ideas regarding communicating your message in the workplace or to the world (eg sales presentations, examples of real life communication methods etc.)

Benefits to you
-If you want to polish up on your interview, presentation or debate skills
-you can gain a better knowledge about good methods of communication with colleagues or customers
-Information is relevant with real world examples to deepen your learning
-Get your point across better as a worker or a supervisor
-Ability to use this blog to learn from others experience


For parents of students

                                                          Source:

You can use this blog if you are interested in your child/young adults education and future job possibilities in an increasingly competitive global world. You can access this website as often as you like to. You have the option to discuss topics with your child to help them deepen their learning. You can play a more active role in your child's education. You can help give your child your knowledge by discussing and practicing some of the content on this blog with them at home (eg you can look at some of the videos relating to job interviews and practice with them).

Benefits to you
a) You are now empowered to help further your child's employment prospects
b) You can be reassured that your child is being challenged with relevant up to date topics
c) Your child will learn more relevant 21st century skills
d) That your child can familiarise themselves with some of the course content whenever they have internet access (eg if they have been off sick for 2 or 3 days, they won't be as lost when they return).
e) That your child isn't constrained by only the school or college facilities in which they attend, but can communicate nationally or even internationally on here.
f) That this blog can give your child some confidence and a voice in a rapidly changing technology  driven world

school kills creativity - ken robinson
Uploaded by on Oct 24, 2010


                                                         Source:
For employers
You can use this blog to better assess future employees communication skills.You can also get ideas for how to make job interviews and assessing cv's as a more rewarding occasion for your company to get the type of employee you really want. Ideas such as questions to ask potential employees are included here along with relevant links to websites and Youtube videos regarding hiring staff.

Benefits to you
a) You can use some of the content to improve your own communication, presentation and debate skills in your workplace.
b) As an employer you are better armed to source the appropriate candidate for potential employment.
c) You can see how engaged future employees are with the material provided in this course

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For the Irish economy
Ireland's future generation will be better equipped with better communication skills to compete in a globalised rapidly evolving economy.
With educational cutbacks as a result of Ireland not being in the best economic shape, we have to find better ways of doing more with less.


Irelands current growth sector is in exports, this blog is concerned with exporting knowledge
That is what this blog is trying to achieve.

a) Ireland's next generation is better informed with more relevant up to date knowledge
b) Helps encourage the Irish generation to be more critical thinkers and to learn to question accepted standards, which encourages leadership, entrepreneurialism and innovation
c) A nation with great communication, debate and presentation skills can make itself more attractive to foreign investment, thus increasing employment prospects.
d) A nation with great communication, debate and presentation skills can help sell their idea to be an entrepreneur more effectively, thus increasing employment prospects.It's one thing to have a great idea, it's quite another knowing how to sell it to others.




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Why Communications Students need to start looking at social media for employment
Times are tough and it is getting harder to get your voice heard with all the competition there is for jobs. On the other hand it is getting easier to get your voice heard and perhaps to secure or create a job you always wanted through social media. There are disadvantages to social media in terms of rumour, gossip and potential online bullying. However, in particular over the past 3 years, social media is being used by numerous people to create contacts, followers and links.

Have a look at these two videos which relate to the growth of social media in Ireland in 2011. How do you think the growth of social media will impact communications in Ireland?

Youtube Video Social Media Stats Ireland - June 2011 
Uploaded by on 30 May 2011

Youtube Video Social Media in Ireland 

 Uploaded by on 16 Mar 2011