by Jacqueline Koch | Feb 14, 2017 |
By Janinne Brunyee
“Over the years, my hair has changed a lot. I’ve done wigs, weaves and pony tails. Because it changed every week, it got to the point where my coworkers didn’t know if my hair was real or fake.”
This is how Teresa Schribner, an award-winning media teacher at Cleveland High School in Seattle started her 5-minute, 20-slide talk at Ignite Education Lab last week. Schribner was one the eleven speakers who participated in “Unexpected adventures in learning,” a special edition of Seattle Town Hall’s Ignite series hosted by The Seattle Times Education Lab.
But what does Schribner’s hair have to do with inspiring ideas in education? It turns out it was a critical part of her personal journey from trying to build a reputation as a hard teacher to building real relationships with her students.
Schribner said that like many African American women, for years, she treated her hair with toxic chemicals to assimilate to the culture around her. It had become part of her professional outfit.
“When I became a teacher,” she said, “it became about respect and I decided to grow out my natural hair.” The result was not quite what she had expected. “Instead of a big beautiful head of hair, I discovered that I had incredibly thick, comb-breaking hair. The rain was not my friend.”
As the process of growing her hair out progressed, Schribner continued to wear wigs and weaves. Eventually, once she realized that her hair was wearing her out, she nervously decided to wear her hair in all its natural glory.
Black hair matters
On her way into school on that first day, Schribner ran into a student who saw her and exclaimed “Miss Schribner!” before running off. “I was preparing myself for the worst but then later that day, she came to my classroom to tell me that she loved my natural hair and asked if I would be wearing it natural for graduation – which was many months and many potential new hairstyles away.”
When Schribner asked the student why she was required to wearing her hair as an afro, the student replied, “Us black women need to stuck together.” That’s when Schribner realized that her black hair mattered to the student.
“That conversation changed my whole teaching practice because I realized that I was being admired for something that I felt vulnerable about,” she said. Schribner said she is much more relaxed in the classroom now.
“I don’t know what happened that day, but the moment I decided to let my hair down was the moment I decided to let students in,” she said. “I know the way I look matters to them and they matter to me.”
From bad student to badass teacher
The importance of relationships as a force for learning was a key theme for many of the speakers. Rachel Wiley, secondary English teacher in the Puyallup School District shared her story about how she transitioned from ”bad kid to badass teacher.”
“The irony of the fact that I am an English teacher who failed my 9th grade English glass is not lost on me,” said Wiley. Wiley’s life as a “bad” kid changed course when she switched to an alternative high school rather than dropping out of school all together. There she met Rachel Johnson. “Ms Johnson was the first adult who believed in me. She cared about me and supported me and is still doing it 12 years later,” she said.
At college, Wiley decided she wanted to be a teacher, just like Ms Johnson. “I knew I could be a badass teacher who breaks down walls for kids.”
Now Wiley gets to give and receive new life-giving messages and can tell students that they are enough exactly the way they are.
“Where we change lives for the better, we change the world for the better and that is pretty badass,” she concluded.
Boost! Collective is a story-driven marketing and communications firm. We discover, create and tell the powerful stories that drive deep engagement with your audiences.
by Jacqueline Koch | Jan 25, 2017 |
Putting a face on one of the region’s greatest challenges
By Jacqueline Koch
“Without question we are facing one of the greatest epidemics of modern time,” stated Robert M. Bowery, Director of Clinical Services of Seattle’s Compass Housing Alliance (CHA), a non-profit providing shelter, housing and support services to the homeless population in 23 locations in the Puget Sound region.
As our federal, state, county and city governments scramble to find solutions, we are surrounded by the stark realities of homelessness every day: walking through downtown, driving along highway underpasses, jogging through city parks. More than 10,000 people are living on the streets. For each of them, every day is a struggle to find a safe place to spend the night. While right in front of us, homelessness is so pervasive that we barely see it anymore. We are losing sight of the fact homelessness is about real people—men, women, children—and their struggle serves as a daily reminder that there is no easy solution.”
How do we shine a light on the complexities of an issue many choose to turn a blind eye to? How do we ignite the genuine goodwill in a community and mobilize them to identify with and help their new neighbors who are hoping to transition from homelessness to home?
These challenges became paramount when our team began working with CHA on their upcoming project, Compass Crossing. This is an innovative, steel-frame modular housing community that brings together dignified housing and people-centered services to add 13 new housing units in Columbia City in response to Seattle’s homeless crisis. It is an important stride forward to respond rapidly to an escalating need that shows no sign of easing.
Using storytelling to engage the community
For the Compass Crossing project to succeed, it required community support and buy in. The task for Boost! was to humanize a promising project based on an innovative approach and to shifting the spotlight onto the people who will soon call it home. Our task was to effectively bring a voice to the new residents and connect them with local community.
We know emotional, authentic and original stories are a powerful catalyst to building bridges. And we know that genuine, eye-opening perspective comes from unexpected storytellers. And we found one: Justin Phillippi, program manager at CHA’s Nyer Urness House. His hard-won insight from first-hard experience shaped the first of a series—Dispatch from the Frontlines. We are pleased to share this here.
Boost! Collective is a story-driven marketing and communications firm. We discover, create and tell the powerful stories that drive deep engagement with your audiences.
by Jacqueline Koch | Dec 21, 2016 |
Seizing all opportunities on the pathway to college
By Jacqueline Koch
Boost! Collective is proud to showcase one of our clients, Rainier Scholars, which has been making a meaningful difference in the lives of young students and in our community. Our team has joined their team to shine a brighter light on Rainier Scholars, its successes and to share them with a broader audience. For a new website design which is currently in progress, we are taking a story-driven approach—with a focus on “show, don’t tell”—speaking directly to the student and putting rich imagery to work to inspire and engage. As we take this project forward, we’ve had eye-opening experiences meeting a few of the scholars. We are excited to share a little of what we’ve witnessed.
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Hands held high, excitement brimming, the students announce their questions.
“What is the student-to-teacher ratio?”
“How does your school define diversity?”
“Do you have a challenging curriculum?”
Yes, these are considerations I might have entertained as a high school senior heading to college in the fall. But these animated students aren’t in high school. They’re 6th graders.
Wait a minute. These kids are not only young, they are astoundingly articulate and very well informed about the factors that will shape the quality of their education. How did they become subject matter experts on academia at such a young age?
The distinction they all share is that they are in the Rainier Scholars program. They are participating in a 12-year program that provides access to life-changing educational opportunities. Rainier Scholars prepares students to graduate from a four-year college or university and become career professionals and leaders in our community. The group of students I’m watching today is in the first phase of a rigorous 14-month-long academic program. It is a complement to their regular schooling, hosted at South Shore K-8 in Seattle’s Rainier Beach neighborhood.
Hovering above the group of 65 students and standing on a chair, Liz Sadler is packing a lot of energy. Interim Academic Director for Rainier Scholars, she leads this weekly assembly and today’s focus is an upcoming school fair. The kids are practicing the art of introducing themselves to and interviewing with private school admissions reps. She added a few key points she wants the students to remember.
Living up to higher standards
“You’re stepping up to higher standards, you’re stepping out of your comfort zone, be sure to let everyone you meet with know that.”
So what else do all these kids have in common? They are all from low-income families. And, more than likely, they will all be the first in their family to graduate from college. They are all students of color. And as Rainier Scholars, they have all embarked on their personal 12-year, life-changing journey to go to college.
Kids entering the Rainier Scholar program hail from 35-40 different schools across three school districts: Seattle, Highline and Renton. The program begins in the fifth grade and starts with six weeks in summer school. Scholars then go on to attend after-school and weekend programs for the entire academic year. All told, they participate in an additional 1000 school hours to step into advanced-level, college preparatory-focused public and private schools.
I met Brandon, a boy with bright eyes, full of anticipation and a professed love for sports. “I’m looking for teachers that want to be teachers,” he informs me about a key factor in his school choice for next year. This resonated with a few things Sarah Smith, executive director of Rainier Scholars, had explained earlier.
Learning to advocate for yourself
“We teach them to be self-advocates,” she said, “and to become consumers of education, so that they know what choices they have when it comes to educational opportunities.”
Rainier Scholars offers four pillars of support to students through this academic journey: Academic Enrichment, Academic Counseling and Support, Leadership Development, and College Support. Understanding that participating in a rigorous, long-term educational program can be extremely challenging for students and their families, the program connects students with a community that will provide encouragement, guidance, and direction as they make decisions about their futures.
It is a long journey and scholars face many critical transition moments along the pathway to college, Smith said, adding: “It can be hard to walk between multiple worlds and positive identity development is a critical piece of success in these environments which were not necessarily built for you.”
My attention returns to Brandon, who has moved on to practice introducing himself to another student and other interviewing skills. I watch him. He’s challenged by the task. He is clearly trying to push through the social awkwardness and expand his comfort zone. But the excitement in his face is also unmistakable, and he is poised and ready for his next big chapter on this journey.
This is where being a Rainier Scholar comes into play. Brandon’s not going to be watching from the sidelines. He’s going to be a part of the action, and able to access a full range of opportunities when determining his next academic opportunity and his future.
Boost! Collective is a story-driven marketing and communications firm. We discover, create and tell the powerful stories that drive deep engagement with your audiences.
by Jacqueline Koch | Nov 18, 2016 |
Merrell creates a hair-raising VR experience to promote its outdoor gear.
It’s a new world of marketing opportunity and Indigo Slate chairman Sandy Sharma provides a tour of new possibility
By Jacqueline Koch, Boost! Partner
When you think of virtual reality (VR), a video game such as Chronos likely comes to mind. Think augmented reality (AR), and Pokémon GO might pop into your head. Right? So where are these technologies going in terms of other applications?
Earlier this year, we explored how newsrooms are testing the waters of VR. An interesting genre to bubble up to the surface was “immersive journalism,” led by Nonny de la Peña. Lined up against the more traditional long-narrative documentary format, de la Peña’s perspective on VR has generated considerable discussion as to the direction VR could take on.
At the recent Seattle Interactive Conference 2016, and with the guidance of Indigo Slate executive chairman Sandy Sharma, we had the opportunity to revisit immersive digital experiences, examining VR and AR through the lens (no pun intended) of marketing.
Back to the box
Many of us have experienced VR at some point and, more likely than not, through a cardboard box like Google Cardboard. Compared to costly electronic headgear like Oculus Rift, it’s an easy gateway. One million free VR samples were delivered to The New York Times subscribers inviting recipients to jump into VR. Just fold along the lines, drop in your smart phone and press play. Voila! With a nod to technologies that have gone by the wayside, Sharma likened the experience to dropping a cassette tape into the player. Suddenly, VR isn’t about expensive high tech tools anymore. It is infinitely accessible. Given that there are over 4 billion smartphones all over the world, this is an area bound to gain traction.
So in turn, what can brands gain from immersive digital technologies?
“It’s about building experiences,” Sharma said, “and creating intimacy is the end goal.” Sharma identified a few examples of how this translates in the VR space: NYT VR, Discovery VR, and Google Street View, to name a few firms that are doing this well. In the realm of AR, Sharma pointed to brands that are creating apps to drive audience engagement. Best Western offers a selfie with Zendaya, star of Disney Channel’s “Zapped!” With Budweiser, users can “Lift The (Virtual) FA Cup” thanks to an AR platform powered by Aurasma.
Now think different and say hello to marketing
Increasingly, there are interesting and engaging avenues for brands to take if considering a move into the VR space. But it’s about thinking differently and giving customers a taste of the unexpected. This can be at a mall kiosk, a conference display or an in-store installation. Sharma offered a few examples to consider that represent a “rejuvenation of the physical world” and are bringing foot-traffic back into the brick and mortar spaces. Lowes has a VR station for remodeling your kitchen. Thrill-seekers can try Merrell’s TrailScape, which challenges shoppers to take a daredevil walk across a virtual rope bridge perched high above perilous cliffs.
“You need to create an experience that is memorable and differentiated,” said Sharma outlining other approaches that show promise. Patrón introduces viewers (who are of drinking age, remember) to the history and legacy of tequila production as seen by a drone. It’s where “tradition and technology” meet. A mixed reality experience of Machu Picchu shines a light on how the travel industry and cruise lines can better engage with their target audiences. Building on the travel theme: Imagine there was a Marriott anywhere you wanted to travel in the world? Get teleported and find out.
But change is hard
Indigo Slate, a digital marketing agency, cites a passion for technology and has ventured into both VR and AR to create the memorable customer experience. Sharma acknowledges there are barriers, despite growing efforts to lower them, that prevent these platforms from accelerating toward greater potential. He lists inadequate content offerings, the reluctance to embrace innovation, the awkwardness of the equipment and, finally, the price of admission. VR, in particular, is expensive in terms of production as well as the hardware. But the experience and the rewards can be amazing. Like any new technology and new frontier, it takes time to gain traction. The question is where are you in the adoption arch?
Sharma shared some final thoughts to offer a clear path forward. “Focus on the audiences that are ripe to embrace the technology” He stressed it is okay to take the crawl-walk-run approach. But truly moving forward and to make AR and VR stick, Sharma concludes, “brands must be at the intersection of viability, desirability and feasibility.”
Side bar:
What is Augmented Reality
Augmented reality is the blending of virtual reality and real life, as developers can create images within applications that blend in with contents in the real world. With AR, users are able to interact with virtual contents in the real world, and are able to distinguish between the two.
What is Virtual Reality
Virtual reality creates a virtual world that users can interact with. This virtual world should be designed in such a way that users would find it difficult to tell the difference from what is real and what is not. VR is usually achieved by the wearing of a VR helmet or goggles similar to the Oculus Rift.
6 April 2014, 10:25 pm EDT By Vamien McKalin Tech Times
by Jacqueline Koch | Sep 20, 2016 |
By Jacqueline Koch
There are hopeful signs that the web publishing industry is finally waking up to the perils of clickbait and bad online advertisements in general. A look at ad blocking figures alone reveals a sector that has been hitting the snooze alarm for too long.
A 2015 Adobe and PageFair report found 200 million monthly active users have adopted ad-blocking technology globally, costing publishers US$22bn in blocked advertising revenue in 2015. In 2016, the figure is estimated to nearly double to $41.4bn. Hello online content providers! It’s time to embrace the new day.
“Consumers’ tolerance for annoying, disruptive, irrelevant or offensive advertising is waning rapidly,” writes John Murphy, VP of Marketplace Quality at OpenX writes in the Huffington Post.
He urges publishers to take stock of the negative impacts of bad advertising and suggests a new tack: look at the next frontier of digital advertising by embracing ad quality. Digital advertising, he writes, “is at an inflection point where its future hinges on all players in the ecosystem implementing and upholding higher standards for ad quality.”
At this inflection point is a dizzying scramble to shore up revenue streams across global publishing and Murphy’s advice is all but impossible to ignore. Moreover, the shift from desktop to mobile continues its inexorable march forward, shrinking real estate and placing an added premium on space.
Is there a quick fix? No, but there is a common thread: relevance. And it is pushing publishers and ad tech companies alike to abandon the false promise of high click through rates and investigate meaningful forms of engagement, content monetisation strategies and improving ads.
Mea culpa and crawling toward relevance
For many, the mark of a new era was ushered in at the 2015 Guardian’s Changing Media Summit, when Upworthy’s cofounder Peter Koechley issued an apology for the media site’s sensationalised clickbait headlines.
“We sort of unleashed a monster,” Koechley said. “Sorry for that. Sorry we kind of broke the internet last year. I’m excited going forward to say goodbye to clickbait.”
Upworthy, known as an online media juggernaut, suffered a significant drop in traffic in the wake of Facebook’s clickbait crackdown. Moving to a native advertising model, frequently embraced as a friendlier form of advertising, and channeling more resources to video, Upworthy topped 200 million views on Facebook in January.
Koechley’s new tack appeared to have worked: “We will do it by sharing powerful stories that put you in someone else’s shoes to help you see the world in other people’s eyes.” In so many words: We stop tricking you with bombastic headlines.
Including ad tech in the ecosystem
Fast forward to 2016 and media and news organisations continue to discover new ways of monetising content while engaging their consumers. However, the next frontier of digital ads is a two-way street and moving forward cannot rest on online publishers alone. Ad tech companies also have to innovate.
“There’s a fair number of options to monetise content sites,” said Kerstin Gibson, VP and General Manager of Search for Infospace, pointing to Outbrain, Taboola and Google AdSense as examples. “We tested everything out there and there just wasn’t an option that brought together both monetisation and relevancy.”
Gibson pulled back the curtain on Infospace’s recent launch of LinkFuel, a contextual advertising platform that uses content from the entire page to display highly contextually relevant linked search ads from the Bing Network.
“We started out with a product that looked like Outbrain,” Gibson explained, “But our model morphed. We then coupled our search technology with the Bing Network to serve ads that are directly relevant to the content on the page, which ultimately delivers more revenue for publishers.” LinkFuel, Gibson added, is strengthened through intelligence gained from powering 2.2 billion Infospace searches every month to identify the best performing keywords.
According to Gibson, LinkFuel performs best for publishing sites that have deep verticals in health and money, as well as tech, home and auto. “We figured out what works. We see that the terms are more relevant and that is why we can deliver a better user experience.”
It may hurt, but it’s good for you
There will always be a challenge to managing the tension that exists between monetising a limited amount of space, while preserving the user experience. However, in a recent Forbes article, Eric Eichmann, CEO of ad tech firm Criteo, sees the rise of ad blocking as an unexpected win in the publishing industry, specifically for ad tech.
“While this may mean even more consolidation in the future, those companies that are willing to disrupt the status quo of digital advertising by delivering consumer-centric experiences will survive and thrive in a world where consumers hold all the power,” he writes. “And, as online advertising continues to improve and deliver value to consumers, there will no longer be a need to block them.”
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