How'd We Get Here? – Details, episodes & analysis

• Semone shares her personal story.
• We discuss student challenges in an online environment versus being in a physical classroom.
• We discuss how personal setbacks Impact learning, success, and how we might use them to build resilience.
• We define mental wellness, health vs mental illness And the factors that contribute to both in a positive and negative manner.
• We discuss what might trigger various states of mental health in a learning environment and how we might reduce them.
• How we might overcome or manage stressors in our daily lives.
• Internal and external resources for students to cope with mental health or illness.
• Resources for student community support within Humber College.

/// Resources.

Humber College resources that focus on inclusion and student engagement & support can be found under the Humber Student Life website at: http://humber.ca/student-life/

The ‘Indigenous Education and Engagement’ at: https://humber.ca/indigenous/

The ‘Black Academic Success and Engagement’ at: https://humber.ca/thebase/

The ‘LGBTQ+’ Resource at: https://humber.ca/lgbtq/resource-centre

The ‘Student and Community Engagement’ department at: https://humber.ca/sce/

• Heather discusses how she got started in design and her beginnings as an educator.
• What are play days?
• The process of participating in play days.
• What influenced the initiative and concept.
• Having a support system that encourages 'Play' in higher education.
• The benefits of Play Days for students and teachers.
• Feedback and how prior Play Days have impacted learning.
• How other departments or schools can launch their own Play Day activities.
• The challenges and logistics involved.
• Future iterations of Play Days and how we might integrate activities of 'play' in our core curriculum.
• Heather shares her thoughts on the key outcomes of Play Days for students, teachers, staff, and industry involved.

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*Leave a review/rating on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy this podcast and find the information helpful.

*Recorded April, 1. 2020.

• Going back to school as a mature student.
• Transitioning from a career as an English Teacher to Graphic designer.
• Moving from Vancouver to Toronto and facing doubts of switching career paths.
• Overcoming the stresses of managing multiple projects, finding an internship, producing a portfolio show, balancing two jobs while studying, and dealing with personal health illnesses.
• The importance of mental health, sleep and its impact on managing stress.
• Facing fears and going beyond  your comfort zone.
• How to take advantage of developing your portfolio and finding an internship during COVID-19.
• How freelance helped Jacqueline develop a professional network and build confidence as a designer.
• Jacqueline shares her roles as a communications designer at Healthcare Human Factors.
• Blending her prior experiences in education to create a unique selling point for herself in the industry.
• Jacqueline’s top three skills that she’s learned in the Graphic Design program at Humber College and how they helped her secure a full time role as a communications designer.

"How'd we get here?" Jacqueline gives her advice to current and future graduates as they prepare to launch their careers as designers.

*Connect with Jacqueline on Instagram at @jacquelines.design
 

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter at @edtechXD

*Leave a review/rating on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy this podcast and find the information helpful.

• Ashley touches on the stress of academic burnout and how it lead to her sense of not belonging to a group.
• Taking time for things outside of school and design to focus on self and staying connected to others.
• The importance of networking with the industry and landing an internship.
• Reflecting on beliefs, strengths, and motivations to figure out the right cultural fit for your career.
• Ashley talks about the influences that women in leadership had on her career decisions as female designer coming up in the industry. 
• The impact of diversity in the design industry.
• Learning the ins and outs of the design industry through internships. 
• A day in the life of a jr designer during COVID-19. Working remotely vs in studio.

"How'd we get here?" Ashley leaves us with her advice to her former self and sends a message of encouragement to current and future students who might be living his experiences as soon-to-be design school graduates.

*Connect with Ashley on Instagram at @ashley.tomlinson

• We discuss the effects of our current coronavirus pandemic, changing  our work/life routines and the way we communicate.
• Oscar describes his educational path in becoming a designer and his journey moving from a small city in Venezuela to Toronto, Canada.
• Oscar gives his perspective on life as a Graphic Design student during his graduating year and discusses the various emotions and obstacles he faced while completing his study's, securing an internship, preparing for a portfolio showcase, and supporting his parents overseas.
• We hear Oscar's process in finding an internship and the importance of networking and taking risks.
• The importance of diversity in the design industry.
• Oscar Describes his daily routine as an Interactive Designer and how his design projects in school helped prepare him for his role at Hambly & Woolley.
• Oscar gives his 'Top 5' skills that design students should have as they head into the design industry.

"How'd we get here?" Oscar leaves us with his advice to his former self and sends a message of encouragement to current and future students who might be living his experiences as soon-to-be design school graduates.

*Connect with Oscar on Instagram at @oooohscar

Join me, Mark-Anthony Karam (@edtechxd) and my peers as we unpack the external factors that impact us as students, educators, and professionals in the field of design. My intention for this podcast is to understand what inspires and motivates my students and peers as designers and discuss how we might achieve our goals through prioritizing mental-health & wellness within our student/work-life and personal-lives. We'll explore topics such as the benefits of wellness for creativity, social-emotional learning, creating a culture of risk in design, education technology + more. 

In our first pilot season my guest host and I—Graphic Designer, Nicola Hamilton (@nickydearest)—had online conversations with our Graphic Design Alumni from Humber College to discuss life as a design student and their transition into the industry. We'll discover the external factors that contributed to their success as well as its impact on their learning and mindset during their final graduating year.

Subscribe to the podcast and join our conversations as we discuss all things education and design with wellness in mind. 

• Kevin discusses how he got started in graphic design.
• How we might prioritize tasks and manage our time between work and life.
• The impact external pressures have on procrastination and productivity.
• How we might be more efficient with the time we are given while dedicating time to ourselves and family.
• Maintaining positive habits and routines for better mental health.
• We have a conversation about being driven by mood and emotion for creativity versus being motivated by productivity and deadlines.
• Creating a to-do list by assessing your day and breaking down how much time you have for productivity.
• How we might create an online environment where students can have a balance between personal life, work and their education without creating academic burnout.
• Establishing a workflow for being productive and efficient with our time.
• Kevin gives his recommendations on how to prioritize yoru time and manage tasks while learning during the pandemic.

*Connect with Kevin on:

 Instagram at islandcontact

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Follow me on Instagram and Twitter at @edtechXD

*Leave a review/rating on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy this podcast and find the information helpful.

*Recorded July 9th, 2020.

• Rob discusses how he began his career in design and the steps he took to build upon his prior skills.
• Having the foresight to take on various opportunities and connect them in a way that made him unique and valuable in the industry.
• Being open to always learning more for personal growth.
• Setting milestones to attain your career goals.
• We share thoughts on what it felt like going back to school later in life compared to our earlier years.
• Pivoting from one career path to another and having a strong support system.
• Having a growth mindset and how we might promote lifelong learning in our learning environment and students.
• We discuss how students might interpret the concept of lifelong learning and how we might allow students to showcase all of their skills, knowledge and passions through their work/projects.
• Rewarding students for process and developing their ideas into executable products.
• Rob shares what he wants future students to know about being a lifelong learner.
• *At the time of this episode airing, I have ran 122 times in a row. :) (August 31, 2020)

*Connect with Rob on:

Website at robertblain.com

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Follow me on Instagram and Twitter at @edtechXD

*Leave a review/rating on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy this podcast and find the information helpful.

• Bianca discusses how she got started in graphic design and her educational background.
• How her educational experience impacted her confidence and design.
• We discuss where confidence ultimately comes from and how we build it.
• Bianca talks about people who influenced her confidence in positive and negative ways, in addition to how she manages those negative instances with building resilience and self-worth.
• We talk about the role we play as educators in fostering confidence in the classroom.
• Bianca reflects on coming up as a new designer and how focusing on having a growth mindset to improve your work as a way to build confidence.
• We talk about giving autonomy to students and valuing their prior learning and experiences as a way to build confidence.
• Bianca gives her past-self advice on how to build confidence in her work and what she would recommend young designers to practice as they go through their academic career.

*Connect with Bianca on:

 Instagram at @biancadipietro

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Follow me on Instagram and Twitter at @edtechXD

*Leave a review/rating on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy this podcast and find the information helpful.

• Asma discusses how she got started in people centered design.
• The connection between mindfulness and building empathy for others through internal reflection and internal environment.
• Designing while faced with internal struggle and nurturing your mental state.
• The process of being still, letting go, and being present.
• Being in a safe space and being open to collaboration rather than competition.
• Finding motivation through your life's purpose versus serving your ego.
• Designing for the love of your craft instead of the likes.
• Valuing learning over approval from others. Knowing your self-worth and value.
• Factors that affect our internal environment as designers and students.
• Mindfulness/Meditation practices we can use in our daily routines.
• The benefits of being still.
• Developing a gratitude mindset.
• I share my experience during my first 10 minute meditation.
• Asma shares her advice on how we might better our internal environments so that we can be better connected to our work and others.

*Connect with Asma on:

 Instagram at @designasma

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Follow me on Instagram and Twitter at @edtechXD

*Leave a review/rating on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy this podcast and find the information helpful.