The ABT program holds two trade show events every year, and they are always high-energy events. After six busy weeks of preparation and polish in their Web-based Business Communications course, students present their products and services to a select audience. Next week we are opening up our trade show to the public for the first time, so we hope to see you there for fun, innovation and door prizes!
Date: Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Time: 1 pm to 2:20 pm
Location: UFV Clearbrook Campus, 32355 Veterans Way, Abbotsford, BC V2T 0B3 (see map)
What to Expect?
You can expect the unexpected! Our students are full of ideas and you will see some inventive solutions to modern problems that stretch the bounds of possibility. To get a glimpse of what they have been up to, take a look at Twitter #ABTatUFV.
To whet your appetite, let’s take a look at our exciting February 2017 event; the students were full of pioneering ideas and creative solutions.
February 2017 Trade Show
In February 2017 (after being delayed twice due to bad weather!), our AB1 and AB2 students presented their work. The team photographs were taken during the event and then formed part of the awards ceremony we hold for our students at the end of the program
Infinite Possibilities and PASS
British Columbia Publishing and TIP
Six-To-Eight-Mug and SWEPT Scheduling App
B’Stylin’ Rewards Program and GAINS Activity Program
Fraser Valley Photobook and Healing Sense Jewelry
JavaGo and Deadline Blaster
The Pocket Office and SPOT: Deals Online
See you for the Feb 2018 trade show next Tuesday!
The ABT Trade Show is Tues, Feb 6, 1-2:20 pm at Clearbrook Centre. We’re opening it up to everyone, so friends of ABT and ABT grads, please consider attending! Our #ABTatUFV students are ready to show off their awesome products and services. @goUFVpic.twitter.com/AagR16ucaO
Abbotsford — Clearbrook Centre
(80228 BISC DMT01 A5A) 1 session, Sat, 9 am –noon, $150. Sep 24
(80229 BISC DMT01 A5B) 1 session, Fri, 9 am –noon, $150. Oct 28
Introduction to Blogging in WordPress
Abbotsford — Clearbrook Centre
(80230 BISC BIW01 A5A) 1 session, Sat, 9 am–noon, $150. Oct 1
(80231 BISC BIW01 A5B) 1 session, Fri, 9 am–noon, $150. Nov 4
Get Ready For Minutes!
Introduction to Digital Minute Taking
Common questions from minute-takers:
How to format the minutes?
What to record during a meeting?
How can technology can make life easier?
When should agendas and minutes be distributed?
How can meetings run more smoothly?
In this workshop you will find the answers to these and many more questions as we guide you through the process of preparing for a meeting, what to do during the meeting, and how to distribute minutes that people want to read and take action from!
WordPress swag (sadly not available at the workshop!)
Introduction to Blogging in WordPress
During this hands-on workshop you will create a new WordPress blog, learn the fundamentals of blogging in WordPress, and publish your first blog post. Learn why WordPress is currently the most popular website development platform in the world and how you can harness its flexibility to create memorable content.
Bring your ideas and enthusiasm, and you will soon be on your way to blogging like a pro!
How to Book a Place
It’s easy to reserve your place on either or both of these courses:
By Phone
Register with your Visa, MasterCard, or American Express by phoning the Office of the Registrar (OReg) on 604-854-4501 or 1-888-823-8734.
In Person
Register in person or have a friend register for you at any UFV campus (except Agassiz and Clearbrook Centre).
UFV’s Clearbrook Centre, taken from the Friendship Garden
Last week we were thrilled to welcome 50 new students into the Applied Business Technology program here at UFV’s Clearbrook Centre. Our two fall cohorts include students from Abbotsford, Mission, Chilliwack, Langley and beyond, and seven dual-credit students from the Abbotsford School District.
After orientation, classes started in earnest on Wednesday last week; one week later students are getting into the swing of their new routines and have already learned many new skills.
We wish all our new students every success in the program and look forward to sharing in their achievements in the coming months!
ABT instructors Mary Higgins and Christine Nehring recently presented back-to-back at both UFV’s annual PD Day and Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) Teaching and Learning Conference.
UFV FLO Workshop
In keeping with ABT’s focus on digital resilience and technology use, Mary and Christine participated in the first workshop through pre-recorded video built into a Blackboard shell. The workshop was organized by the participants of UFV’s inaugural Facilitating Learning Online (FLO) course as a way of sharing strategies, successes and challenges from that May 2015 experience.
UFV FLO Workshop Team
WordPressing the World one Workshop at a Time
Mary and Christine continued their goal of WordPress world domination by conducting a workshop titled “Blogging in WordPress: Strategies for Success” at VIU’s annual Teaching and Learning Conference. Participants were given a whirlwind tour of WordPress (e.g., the Dashboard, Media Library, Categories and Tags) and were introduced to blogging strategies such as using text and images appropriately, and ensuring accessibility. Participants then created, edited, and posted a blog post. (Here are some examples of their work.) Feedback from the session was excellent, with comments such as:
Resources and hands-on practice at creating a blog post. Thanks! I’m inspired.
I loved how much you got done – my most productive hour today!
Loved having the computer to use and do.
Covered lots; organized; got me off the computer 🙂 . Great session!
How to create a blog, post it, and edit it.
Focus on accessibility was great! #thanks
Much easier to post a blog than I thought; lots of fun; will have to think about doing this with students.
This fall, on top of their regular ABT teaching, Mary and Christine will be running a number of WordPress workshops through UFV’s Continuing Education department. Watch the CE website for the fall brochure.
Image Credit
Image 1: Taken by C. Nehring, used with permission.
Image 2: Screen capture from workshop BB Learn shell. Image created by G. Jang and M. Higgins.
Dr. Paul Tinari, billed as Dr. Future, visited UFV on March 17, 2016 as part of the greenSPEAK seminar series. In an invigorating seminar, Dr. Tinari challenged participants to envision the future that could be built using technology such as 3D printers.
Seismic Shift
Past technological breakthroughs such as the steam engine, the automobile, the industrial revolution and the transistor caused huge societal changes, and the sky is definitely not the limit for the next round of innovations.
Steam Engine, circa 1897
Dr. Tinari made a compelling case for the future democratization of design and technology where the facility to create, repair and enhance everything we need—food, shelter, technology, and power—lies with local communities rather than distant corporate or public bodies. This would significantly reduce the environmental cost of production by using Just-On-Order-Making protocols that reduce transportation, raw material and obsolescence costs.
One of the main drivers for this revolution will be 3D printing, and this technology is already creating the future for today and tomorrow:
Interlaced between visions of technology past, present and future, we were reminded of the future imaginings of Gene Roddenbury and Arthur C. Clarke. While some of their predictions have not come true yet (e.g. the matter transporter or the murderous artificial intelligence, HAL 9000), some of the more impossible-seeming technology, such as the replicator, are being tested already. And if Matt Damon had had a 3D printer on Mars, he might have been able to subsist on more than just poop potatoes.
Disruption
There is growing evidence that we are rapidly reaching a turning point, and while I was listening to Dr. Tinari, a post on Twitter caught the eye of my colleague, Christine Nehring:
@ABTInstructor, check out the Age of Disruption report that @AnthonyLepki just tweeted. Sure wish I’d been able to attend Dr Tinari’s talk!
This report from Deloitte outlines the challenges to Canadian businesses posed by changes in technology, and identifies many of the issues that Dr. Tinari has been raising for the last few years. While companies are struggling to adapt, new research shows the generation after the Millennials (Generation K), are primed to be innovators:
Members of Generation K increasingly value things they can actively co-create. It is a generation of makers, creators and inventors. From Sarah, who builds her own computers, to Jake, who loves making horror films with his pals on his iPhone, today’s teenagers don’t only want to buy stuff, they want to imprint their voice on products, services and media, and become part of the design and creation process. Producing something themselves has value for this generation. It resonates with their desire to be self-sufficient, and to have physical experiences in a digital world – as well as their desire to have agency and impact.
Back to the Future
There is no doubt that technological advances are already changing the way we live and work, and there are an increasing number of warnings about job security across the board. Some types of employment will be lost, and some sections of society will be impacted more than others. The recent reports from World Economic Forum and CitiGroup make it clear that we are already well down the road of disruption.
There are challenges ahead, for sure, but Dr. Tinari demonstrated that the future we make could be a great deal brighter and equitable: communities empowered to solve local issues, and a multitude of home-based makers unfettered by gatekeepers.
Two weeks after the seminar, I am still thinking about the possibilities and opportunities. Are you ready for the coming disruption?
We recently hosted the second ABT Expo for students who started the ABT program in September 2015. As part of the seven-week Web-based Business Communications course, they took a product from initial idea to product launch and created an online marketing campaign that included social media elements such as blogging on WordPress and Twitter. The culmination of all this work was a trade show held at the Clearbrook Centre where teams showcased their creations.
WonderEgg 360 and Visit the Fraser Valley
The February 2016 ABT Expo featured 10 teams from two cohorts, and ideas ranged from local tour and food guides, shopping apps, a student scheduling app and other student services, to an outdoor multi-tool. It was a high-energy event where teams enthusiastically showcased their creations.
The excitement in the room was infectious! It was fun to see how students envisioned their products, and the displays were fantastic. Great work, everyone!
Student SOS and Deal$ on U$
The Web-based Business Communications course was added to the ABT program last year to help prepare students for the demands of modern administrative careers.
I totally enjoyed doing a trade show in the ABT program; marketing is the key for success for any business and I found the trade show to be a very rewarding experience. I feel like I learned so much on advertising for a business during this part of the program, and how marketing for a business has changed through time. Having to learn about blog posting has already helped me in my practicum and I know I will be able to use this experience in my future career. We also learned how to advertise on Twitter, and making my own poster to display my product was a fun and rewarding experience.
The Kaffeine ShacK and Nature’s Delights of the Fraser Valley
The AB3 cohort (students who started the ABT program in January 2016) also visited the event, and were impressed with the quality of work on display. In a few weeks, it will be their turn to take up the challenge!
Kaffeine ShacK Student Cafe
Deals Ahoy Shopping App
RemindMe! Scheduling App
Deal$ on U$ Shopping App
Visit the Fraser Valley guide book
Student SOS Support Packages
Nature’s Delights of the Fraser Valley guidebook
WonderEgg 360 Outdoor Multi-tool
ABTool Multi-tool
Ruby’s Social House
Photo Credit: All images taken by Christine Nehring and used with permission.
Christine and Mary work on the orientation PowerPoint in the ABT lab
Eleven days until the new semester.
Fall semester starts on September 8, 2015, and preparations for the new Applied Business Technology (ABT) students are gathering momentum. On the first day we run an orientation event that gives new students the opportunity to meet instructors, receive timetables, tour the facilities, and ask questions. It is the start of a six-month journey, and helps make students feel at ease in their new environment.
New ABT Alumni Facebook Group.
After all the excitement of the end of term activities and convocation in June, we have been busy working with the UFV Alumni Association on setting up a Facebook group for UFV ABT Alumni. If you are one of our alumni, you can now sign up for news updates, job postings and networking opportunities here: www.facebook.com/groups/UFVABTAlumni
A few places left for September.
This is the AB3 winter 2015 cohort – do you want to be an ABT student?
There are still a few places available to start the program in September 2015, and you can find out more information about the program and funding opportunities on the ABT website: www.ufv.ca/abt/ You can start the application process online https://www.ufv.ca/abt/apply-now/ , and you can email the program head, Christine.Nehring@ufv.ca, if you have any questions. There is only a few days left, so contact us and get your application in quickly!
We also have another intake of students in January 2016, so if you are interested in the program you can come to one of our information and assessment sessions to find out more. The dates are on the ABT website https://www.ufv.ca/abt/assessment-dates/ and the next session is September 25, 2015. Please email Christine.Nehring@ufv.ca if you wish to attend.
We are using our first blog post on the new ABT blog to tell you about two recent events: the inaugural ABT Web Comms Expo and Convocation 2015.
Web Comms Expo
In January 2015, the ABT program added a new course to the already-comprehensive list. Web-based Business Communications has been developed to give students the skills and experience they need to successfully manage online communications in today’s online business world. During the seven-week course students work in teams to develop a marketing strategy for a product or service. As part of that work, they use project management tools such as timelines to keep their project on track, create blog posts and a product home page on the ABT WordPress website, and post Tweets on Twitter.
On June 3, 2015, the AB3 cohort was the first to have the opportunity to take part in a trade-show event called the Web Comms Expo. Each team created a booth and presented their product or service to judges. It was an exciting morning, and the judges were very impressed with the booths and the students. Here are the teams with their booths:
Team 1, ABT Web Comm Expo
Team 2, ABT Web Comm Expo
Team 3, ABT Web Comm Expo
Team 4, ABT Web Comm Expo
Team 5, ABT Web Comms Expo
There are more pictures from the Expo on the UFV Flickr site.
Convocation, 2015
On June 12, 2015, many of the 2014–2015 students who successfully completed the ABT Certificate Program crossed the stage at the Abbotsford Entertainment Centre to receive their certificates. It was a joyous occasion and a fitting way to cap all the hard work that they did!
The photos below were generously sent in by some graduates, and we would be happy to add more from ABT grads (just email them to Christine). There are also official pictures on the UFV Flickr site that feature some of our grads (you might need to scroll down the page).
