Common Questions
What I hear most often; the responses below are to help save time before reaching out to let me know I am on the wrong planet or other useless input.

We already use teams in our curricula, so isn't TBL academic?
So this is the most frequent question I get lately and simply indicates no knowledge of the work of Michaelson and others that have invested in transforming the classroom. If you have already woven IRA, GRA, and Grand Challenge in teams based on, say, CATME profile systems, then, OK you are using TBL. This is NOT the same as Problem-Based Learning (PBL) as it does not use the same processes, critical-thinking skills or evaluation techniques. I am very interested in anyone who would like to build case studies in Entrepreneurship for TBL. Yes, TBL is for academic applications, but, NO, using teams in your class is not the same as TBL and the difference is academic (improvement).

What are Student Based Research Networks (SBRN), and are they really different then student teams?
The best re-interpretation of this is "...sounds like you are making a big deal out of nothing ..." and of course, this question is often associated with friendly "devil's advocate" probes. An SBRN is a student-driven faculty-guided research network that cuts across multiple institutions to promote curriculum development and new educational pathways. The process has surprising and delightful outcomes and our second SBRN is ready to come on-line by the end of 2010. Please contact me if you want to engage in constructive conversation about building bridges across the educational continuum. We're collecting data to demonstrate the value of this innovative group activity. I really don't have "all the answers" on SBRNs so am interested in hearing from other like-minded individuals. If I want criticism I already get enough though rejected funding proposals.

What do you charge for consulting?
Sure, I'd like to make money at this, and Avia Group is an LLC, but consulting is a crowded space and so I've chosen to be extraordinarily selective in what I do; quite frankly I do not want to waste my time. Rates are highly dependent on the topic and duration of activity: Rates as high as $140/hr have been associated with specific high-technology tasks (customized Python programming), but more recently pro-bono previal as I explore unique, leading-edge educational activities.

Why can't I reach you during the day?
Unsolicited calls and spam (for car warranties, debt reduction services, pharmaceutical offers, concerns that the website needs upgrading, etc.) choke the phone and email daily, so these are pretty useless as communication tools. You can call, but at this point the best way to get through is by email to my Euclid Avenue office. Conflict-of-interest is treated seriously, so if you need to reach me for Avia Group, use email to Avia Group -- I have activities outside of Avia Group, but these are treated through separate communication channels. Please respect this arrangement.

What is Python?
An extraordinarily powerful programming language. If you've ever had to integrate disparate platforms, then you'll be intrigued by what the software can do!