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In this course, participants learn core principles, concepts, and methods of continuous improvement and explore the history of continuous improvement efforts. In a series of lectures, Master Black Belt in Six Sigma Shane Wentz, Ph.D., enables learners to enhance, optimize, and stabilize business processes and to augment quality control through varied methodologies. Participants gain the skills and knowledge to reimagine internal processes, engage in advanced problem-solving, and empower employees.The course covers high-level foundational principles of Lean, Six Sigma, and DMAIC processes before diving deep into Lean Six Sigma methods. Learners will analyze the tools of process mapping, Kaizen (a continuous improvement method/tool deemed a prerequisite for Lean transformation success), Lean (a continuous improvement philosophy that emphasizes streamlined workflows and reducing waste), and the process improvement methodology driving DMAIC: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.
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Entrepreneurs fostering new ventures outside of well-developed entrepreneurial ecosystems like Silicon Valley face significant challenges. These markets are unlike Silicon Valley, and they will likely remain so. That doesn't mean they can't nurture and sustain new businesses. In transitioning markets that lack abundant private sector financing, creative approaches from government officials, donors, and business leaders can fill the void to support entrepreneurial activity. Northeast Ohio (where Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University are located) has become a laboratory for such innovative solutions. During our time together in this course, we will explore some of these creative approaches to promoting regional entrepreneurship.Northeast Ohio has seen a massive infusion of government and donor resources for over ten years. In that time, Northeast Ohio has promoted regional development (including job creation and follow-on funding) through alternative methods of financing startups. It has not been easy. The region has made progress, but it remains to be seen whether it has struck upon an enduring formula. A dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem takes many years, even decades, to develop. Government policymakers and donors typically seek quicker returns on their support programs, which makes long-term support for entrepreneurship challenging. This course includes case studies and first-person testimonials from entrepreneurs who have launched products and services ranging from medical devices to LED lights to whiskey. You will learn how these entrepreneurs discovered and procured resources from various programs and intermediary organizations. You will hear from business people still in the process of developing their companies as well as those whose ventures have flourished.Our focus will extend beyond Cleveland to selected markets around the world, including Greece, Vietnam, Tunisia, Argentina, Rwanda and China. You will learn about international incentives and other supports available to developing startups and small businesses across the globe.This course examines how different communities around the world approach implementing strategies and methods to support businesses. I will ask you to reflect on how to apply the principles we learn to growing entrepreneurship where you live. The social interactive features of the online platform will enable students from around the world to share ideas and learn from one another.Most MOOCs rebroadcast professors’ lectures; this course is different. Don’t expect to see me standing in front of the camera, talking and lecturing every module. Instead, the lectures will be relatively short in length. They have more of the feel of an engaging documentary than a static classroom setting.## __What type of person takes the *Beyond Silicon Valley* course?__- Active and aspiring businesspeople in communities looking to initiate new startup ecosystems or bolster existing ones- Current and prospective entrepreneurs who want to learn about funding sources, risk management, and the lifecycle of startups- Professionals who work in government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, philanthropic institutions, and various private funds that fund startups- Anyone curious about how to create and grow startup ecosystems outside the major tech hubs- The principles Beyond Silicon Valley teaches have been drawn from and applied to startups worldwide, from small villages to megalopolises. You'll study success stories spanning the globe from Vietnam to Kosovo to Botswana.## __What will you learn in *Beyond Silicon Valley*?__- How and where startups can find funding to get their businesses off the ground- What role government can play in encouraging startups and a healthy startup ecosystem- How anchor institutions such as universities and healthcare systems participate in startup ecosystems- How nongovernmental organizations support startups- How to raise funds from venture capitalists, angel investors, and accelerators- How to navigate challenging periods in the startup lifecycle- The importance of mentoring in successful startups
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In this course, participants learn core principles, concepts, and methods of continuous improvement and explore the history of continuous improvement efforts. In a series of lectures, Master Black Belt in Six Sigma Shane Wentz, Ph.D., enables learners to enhance, optimize, and stabilize business processes and to augment quality control through varied methodologies. Participants gain the skills and knowledge to reimagine internal processes, engage in advanced problem-solving, and empower employees.The course covers high-level foundational principles of Lean, Six Sigma, and DMAIC processes before diving deep into Lean Six Sigma methods. Learners will analyze the tools of process mapping, Kaizen (a continuous improvement method/tool deemed a prerequisite for Lean transformation success), Lean (a continuous improvement philosophy that emphasizes streamlined workflows and reducing waste), and the process improvement methodology driving DMAIC: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.
Offered By
Entrepreneurs fostering new ventures outside of well-developed entrepreneurial ecosystems like Silicon Valley face significant challenges. These markets are unlike Silicon Valley, and they will likely remain so. That doesn't mean they can't nurture and sustain new businesses. In transitioning markets that lack abundant private sector financing, creative approaches from government officials, donors, and business leaders can fill the void to support entrepreneurial activity. Northeast Ohio (where Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University are located) has become a laboratory for such innovative solutions. During our time together in this course, we will explore some of these creative approaches to promoting regional entrepreneurship.Northeast Ohio has seen a massive infusion of government and donor resources for over ten years. In that time, Northeast Ohio has promoted regional development (including job creation and follow-on funding) through alternative methods of financing startups. It has not been easy. The region has made progress, but it remains to be seen whether it has struck upon an enduring formula. A dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem takes many years, even decades, to develop. Government policymakers and donors typically seek quicker returns on their support programs, which makes long-term support for entrepreneurship challenging. This course includes case studies and first-person testimonials from entrepreneurs who have launched products and services ranging from medical devices to LED lights to whiskey. You will learn how these entrepreneurs discovered and procured resources from various programs and intermediary organizations. You will hear from business people still in the process of developing their companies as well as those whose ventures have flourished.Our focus will extend beyond Cleveland to selected markets around the world, including Greece, Vietnam, Tunisia, Argentina, Rwanda and China. You will learn about international incentives and other supports available to developing startups and small businesses across the globe.This course examines how different communities around the world approach implementing strategies and methods to support businesses. I will ask you to reflect on how to apply the principles we learn to growing entrepreneurship where you live. The social interactive features of the online platform will enable students from around the world to share ideas and learn from one another.Most MOOCs rebroadcast professors’ lectures; this course is different. Don’t expect to see me standing in front of the camera, talking and lecturing every module. Instead, the lectures will be relatively short in length. They have more of the feel of an engaging documentary than a static classroom setting.## __What type of person takes the *Beyond Silicon Valley* course?__- Active and aspiring businesspeople in communities looking to initiate new startup ecosystems or bolster existing ones- Current and prospective entrepreneurs who want to learn about funding sources, risk management, and the lifecycle of startups- Professionals who work in government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, philanthropic institutions, and various private funds that fund startups- Anyone curious about how to create and grow startup ecosystems outside the major tech hubs- The principles Beyond Silicon Valley teaches have been drawn from and applied to startups worldwide, from small villages to megalopolises. You'll study success stories spanning the globe from Vietnam to Kosovo to Botswana.## __What will you learn in *Beyond Silicon Valley*?__- How and where startups can find funding to get their businesses off the ground- What role government can play in encouraging startups and a healthy startup ecosystem- How anchor institutions such as universities and healthcare systems participate in startup ecosystems- How nongovernmental organizations support startups- How to raise funds from venture capitalists, angel investors, and accelerators- How to navigate challenging periods in the startup lifecycle- The importance of mentoring in successful startups
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While teachers are known for cultivating young minds and bestowing knowledge, their work isn't as easy as it sounds. Every day, teachers aim to gain a better understanding of their students and inspire their love of learning. While special education teachers have similar goals, we also have practices and perspectives that set us apart from typical educators.
Take a few moments to walk in our shoes, to see what we see.
5AM: Wake Up
We don't hit the snooze button if we can help it. We know that the earlier we get up, the more time we'll have to enjoy a cup of coffee, ponder something inspirational, or make ourselves look fabulous.
Even at this hour, it's not unusual for the concerns of the day to creep in and begin weighing on our mind. How will we help Kevin make progress on his reading comprehension goals? How can we provide support for Mia during transitions today?
Not so fast. There's more to accomplish this morning.
6AM: Take Care of Business
Time to wake up the kids and make the lunches. Sometimes we'll answer an email or two knowing that on most days, an inbox chock full of requests from administrators and parents are waiting for us.
After attending to backpacks, lunch boxes, and inboxes, it's time to head out the door. Can we get another coffee? Maybe three?
7AM: Pregame Warmup
By now we're headed to school by whatever means of transportation we choose. Travel time will vary, but for trips lasting longer than 20 minutes, we turn on a podcast or a Spotify playlist of "pump-up" songs. We're a sucker for "Brave" by Sara Bareilles because let's face it, it's who we are.
Time to get our head in the game. We head to the side door of the school, unlocking it with our badge. Feeling energized, we walk down the hall towards our desk to drop off our stuff. As a special education teacher, we typically don't have classrooms of our own. Our desk is in a small group classroom, but we're rarely ever there.
Over the loudspeaker, we hear "All staff, please report to the front office this afternoon for a short staff meeting." Susan, a teacher for over 30-years, just announced her retirement.
8AM: Game Time
Cue the children. We float around the classroom, a fourth-grade "homeroom."
We make an extra effort to say hello to kids who need some positive attention. Once instruction starts, we give additional support to students who are struggling with math. These students will stay with us through the next segment of the day.
9AM: Co-Teaching Math
"But this is too hard!" A fourth-grade student tears up their paper and throws their pencil on the ground. We remind them of their calming strategies, one of which is to breathe slowly while counting down from ten. While the student calms down, we move through the activity at hand, which involves 25 or so students—and fractions. We're really good at multitasking.
In class, we use the team-teaching approach, in which special education and general education teachers plan and prepare lessons together. Typically, special education teachers aren't given a planning period, so we'll spend time planning after school the school day ends.
10AM: Small Group Reading
We head to the group reading classroom to work with eight students who have a variety of needs, including learning disabilities, autism, and attention issues. Three grade levels—third, fourth, and fifth—are represented.
Two students require the support of a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). One has a token economy, where they earn tokens or "school dollars" for completing their work and behaving in desired ways. Today we're concerned with Kevin, a fifth-grader, and teach him a strategy to get the most out of his reading. He loves fast cars, so we use a graphic organizer shaped like an Aston Martin Vanquish to organize information and see the relationships between ideas.
11AM: Co-Teaching Writing
The class is discussing topics for writing an opinion essay. A third-grade student uses an Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) device to speak. We're still learning how to help support them, but we give it our best shot.
Since the student using AAC requires our help the most, we spend the entire segment working with them. We have eight other students on our caseload, and it's challenging to assist them all. It concerns us, and we wonder if the other students are getting the support they need.
12PM: Lunch
It's already that time? Running to the teacher's lounge to heat last night's leftovers, we wonder if Mia will be able to handle the transition to lunch today. Yesterday, she yelled and pushed the student in front of her because they weren't walking fast enough down the hall.
Afterward, we provided her with visuals to remind her of the expected behavior in the hallways. As we exit the teacher's lounge, Mia is sitting happily and eating with her class. We breathe a sigh of relief and make a note to use visuals with her more often.
1PM: Specials/Connections
If we were a general education teacher, we'd typically get a planning period around this time. Instead, we use this segment to provide support to students in gym class.
Today, we assist a student who uses a wheelchair to navigate an obstacle course that the physical ed teacher has set up for the class. Phew! It's a workout for both of us.
2PM: Dismissal
The dismissal bell won't ring for another 15 minutes, so we help with a fifth-grade social studies lesson, where Kevin needs some extra help organizing his backpack and writing down his homework.
Afternoon announcements play over the loudspeaker and remind students that tomorrow, they can dress up as a character from their favorite book—as long as their costume is school appropriate. Sorry, "Captain Underpants" fans, those are just the rules.
3PM: Afterschool Staff Meeting
The busses are gone, and teachers stream through the doors of the media center to take a seat for the staff meeting. Cake and coffee are passed, and Susan gets many hugs and high fives.
Someone from the district gives a presentation about school-wide test scores. We pretend to be listening while checking our personal email, and we know our coworkers won’t judge us for it.
4PM: Planning
We spend time going over lesson plans with our fourth-grade teaching counterpart. Coming up at the end of the first grading period, we're responsible for writing up progress reports on Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals and objectives.
We hope the intervention we used with Kevin today is going to make the difference with his reading comprehension goals. Our arms are sore from gym class. We earned that slice of cake.
5PM: Quitting Time
After our planning time, we grab our stuff, make any final preparations for tomorrow, and get to our mode of transportation.
We focus on the wins of the day instead of the mistakes, especially if they were out of our control. We turn to Spotify for a mellower playlist to help wind down from the stress and bustle of school.
6PM: Home
Family time consists of helping our kids with their homework, doing laundry, and prepping for dinner. An evening cup of coffee sounds nice. Maybe some tea instead.
7PM: Dinner
Dinner is easy tonight. Pasta and meatballs are just what the doctor ordered. We'll even add on a bit of salad. It cancels out the cake from today's staff meeting, right?
8PM: Check Email
We know that we're not supposed to take work home, but we barely had a chance to check our work email today. Our administrator needs us to come to see them first thing in the morning to discuss a discipline issue with Mia—and like that, we immediately wish we had followed our own rules.
9:00 PM: Personal Time
The kids are in bed, the dishes done, and the laundry folded. We sit on the couch to unwind. Ten minutes later, we're dozing off.
Time for bed, but not before thinking, "Back at it tomorrow. We have the best job in the world."
Questions or feedback? Email editor@noodle.com
About the Editor
Tom Meltzer spent over 20 years writing and teaching for The Princeton Review, where he was lead author of the company's popular guide to colleges, before joining Noodle. He has been managing editor of the Noodle.com website for over four years.
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