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  • COVID-19: Va Tech Students Use Rubin Emerge to Understand Corporate Communications

    COVID-19: Va Tech Students Use Rubin Emerge to Understand Corporate Communications

    In March 2020, the coronavirus pandemic sent college students home in waves to practice social distancing and avoid infection.

    At the same time, the crisis provided select students at Virginia Tech the chance to observe internal and external corporate messaging.

    To do so, students in Professional Communication (CMST 3214), a mix of juniors and seniors, rely on Emerge, our signature online platform.

    Emerge, which integrates into Canvas, Blackboard, D2L, Moodle and Sakai, gives students actionable templates and guidance for writing/speaking scenarios related to career development, entrepreneurship, leadership and management.

    Va Tech students use Emerge within their Canvas course, which means they do not need a separate username and password; the Emerge content lives inside the Canvas course.

    See all 200+ instructional items inside Emerge.

    By viewing templates in Emerge, students observed how the tone of an email changes when a company addresses employees versus customers. The ebook provides examples for both audiences in the wake of a fictitious company data breach.

    The course is led by instructor Brandi Quesenberry who is also the director of undergraduate programs for Virginia Tech’s Department of Communication. Quesenberry recognized how Emerge material aligns with the corporate challenges that stem from the coronavirus.

    “I want my students to understand that companies must tailor sensitive statements based on the audience, and the Emerge examples made the lesson clear,” said Quesenberry. “The Emerge material is straightforward and students engaged with it through distance learning.”

    Every semester, Emerge prepares students to write and speak in the business world.

    Once you learn the fundamentals, you can tackle any communication challenge — even one on a global scale — and perform at your best.

    Want to explore Emerge as a distance learning tool for your students in the coming semesters? Contact us!

    Expert training for real-world events.

  • Rubin Featured in ABC TV News Story About Coronavirus

    Rubin Featured in ABC TV News Story About Coronavirus

    Our thanks to WVEC 13 News (ABC affiliate for Norfolk/Virginia Beach) and reporter Philip Townsend for including Rubin in a story on March 19, 2020 on how teachers are coping with distance learning because or Coronavirus.

    Rubin founder Danny Rubin appears halfway through the story to discuss how we have provided free distance learning activities to nearly 250 teachers so far from across the country.

    Click below to watch the story:

    Lending a hand at a critical time.

  • Rubin Emerge Teaches NYU Engineering Students the Power of Inclusion in an Office

    Rubin Emerge Teaches NYU Engineering Students the Power of Inclusion in an Office

    In the 2019-2020 academic year, select students in the New York University (NYU) Tandon School of Engineering learned valuable communication (ex: email and phone etiquette) and interoffice skills through the Emerge online program.

    In CE-UY 1002 (Introduction to Civil Engineering), led by Professor Anne Ronan, students watched an Emerge video in which young adults demonstrate the importance of making sure all voices are heard in social and business settings.

    Professor Ronan then asked students to give their thoughts on the scene they observed.

    Here’s the video:

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    —

    One of Professor Ronan’s students remarked how the video will make him think differently the next time he sees someone standing alone.

    “Typically I would assume that it would be awkward if I went up to someone and introduced myself and bring them to my group of friends so they would not be alone because I would assume that they wanted to be alone. This video made the interaction between the man from the friend group with the man who was alone not awkward and made him look like a leader.

    This especially stood out to me even more, because the social gatherings happen pretty frequently,where there is usually someone who is left out. After watching the video, I will try to handle the situation similar to how Danny Rubin explained would be the best way.”

    Through hands-on writing exercises and impactful instructional videos, Emerge prepares engineering students to excel in the workplace.

    When students combine technical know-how with a strong command of soft skills, they will succeed in any engineering work environment.

    Want to explore the Emerge online program for your students? Request a 30-day free trial here!

    Soft skills for engineers.

  • Fairfax Co. Teacher Uses Rubin Emerge, Boosts Workplace Exam Pass Rate from 65% to 90%

    Fairfax Co. Teacher Uses Rubin Emerge, Boosts Workplace Exam Pass Rate from 65% to 90%

    In the photo, Fairfax County Public Schools teacher Michele Anwyll (top, left) presents March 6, 2020 about the Emerge online program at a gathering of career and technical education (CTE) department chairs from Fairfax County, the nation’s seventh-largest school system.

    Each year, Michele Anwyll’s students at Annandale High School in Fairfax, Virginia take the Workplace Readiness Skills Assessment (WRS Assessment).

    The 100-question, multiple-choice exam gauges a student’s understanding of resumes, cover letters, email writing, applying for jobs, life in an office setting and professional etiquette.

    Despite Anwyll’s best efforts and curriculum-driven instruction, her students have historically struggled on the exam with a pass rate around 65 percent. Students must score a 75/100 to complete the exam.

    In the 2019-2020 academic year, Anwyll, a family and consumer sciences (FACS) teacher, used Emerge, our comprehensive online program that guides students through a series of activities that cover email etiquette, resumes, cover letters, job interview prep and more.

    When the students sat for the WRS assessment, Anwyll saw a significant improvement.

    Out of 147 students who took the exam through Anwyll’s classes, 133 have passed (the remaining 14 are allowed to retake the exam).

    That’s a current pass rate of 90 percent.

    “Emerge is full of information that aligns with the needs of my own classes in gourmet cooking and the topics covered on the WRS Asssessment,” said Anwyll, who has taught for 11 years after she left the professional world to become a teacher. “The activities have built-in scaffolding, use simple, clear language and even feature a language tool that translates and reads the text in 18 languages, including Spanish and Mandarin.”

    To earn a standard high school diploma, it’s now mandatory for all students in Virginia to obtain a career and technical education (CTE) credential, which can be an industry certification, a state licensure examination, national occupational competency assessment or the Virginia WRS Assessment.

    Now Anwyll, who teaches a large percentage of international students who are English language learners (ELL), has the resource she needs to ensure students not only pass the WRS Assessment but do so at a high rate.

    As well, middle school teachers use Emerge curriculum to teach foundational skills in workplace readiness. Read about the inspiring work done by Mary Lynn Thurman and Trevon James at George M. Hampton Middle School in Prince William County, Virginia.

    “Emerge is a perfect fit in FACS courses and for CTE pathways, in general,” said Fairfax County FACS Program Lead Reggie Morrone. “The material provides students easy-to-follow exercises that support literacy and leadership skills. Students develop confidence in their ability to learn and communicate as they pursue college and career opportunities.”

    And for schools that use learning management systems (LMS), Emerge integrates with Canvas, Blackboard, Schoology and a host of other popular LMS programs.

    The integration means Emerge embeds into a school website, and students do not need a separate username and password to access and complete Emerge activities.

    “I finally have a workplace readiness curriculum I can trust in which my students can independently work on their own,” said Anwyll. “More than that, Emerge helps my students graduate on time and conduct themselves professionally in the business world and in settings that require professionalism.”

    Ready to explore Emerge for your own school or district? Request a 30-day free trial today!

    Helping more students graduate on time.

  • Danny Rubin Presents on Email Etiquette at Prominent CA Conference

    Danny Rubin Presents on Email Etiquette at Prominent CA Conference

    In the photo, Danny Rubin (founder of Rubin) stands with Blanca (left) and Elizabeth, two career and technical education (CTE) teachers who attended Danny’s workshop on February 29, 2020 at the Educating for Careers conference in Long Beach, California.

    Southern California sunshine and email etiquette.

    Those were the themes in late February as Danny Rubin, founder of Rubin, presented in Long Beach at the 2020 Educating for Careers (EFC) conference, the largest gathering of career and technical education (CTE) professionals in the Golden State.

    At EFC, Danny led a workshop called “Powerful Curriculum for Email Etiquette, Phone Etiquette and Networking Skills.” He showed the crowd – a mix of educators who serve CTE and special needs populations in school districts like Los Angeles Unified, Oakland Unified and Elk Grove Unified (Sacramento) – Rubin’s innovative online platform called Emerge and exercises within that help students write and speak with professionalism (ex: how to compose an email to seek an internship).

    One attendee, a CTE teacher in Oakland, spoke about constant frustration with his students’ email writing. In his classroom, the challenges range from sloppy email construction (correspondence that looks like a text message) to inappropriate behavior (a student sent a barrage of emails to the teacher in response to a poor grade).

    The flurry of upset emails even led to a meeting with the student and her parents.

    Danny then shared success stories from California classrooms that use Emerge right now, including email correspondence with NBA executives in San Francisco, networking with politicians at the state capitol in Sacramento and “Rubin Tuesdays” weekly activity sessions in Lodi.

    California is considered a leader in career and technical education and often the bellwether for instructional methods adopted nationwide. As a company, we continue to plant seeds, develop relationships and help students in the state to strengthen communication skills.

    More sunny days, we hope, lie ahead.

    Writing well has never meant more.

  • GA CTAE Students Use Rubin Emerge for Email Etiquette, Succeed in Jobs at Pre-K Center

    GA CTAE Students Use Rubin Emerge for Email Etiquette, Succeed in Jobs at Pre-K Center

    Request your free trial of the Emerge online program!

    Often times, teachers prepare students to succeed in careers one day.

    Other times, teachers guide students to excel in a job right now.

    That’s the case inside Liberty County High School in Hinesville, GA. Jonnie Larson, who teaches early childhood education (ECE) and advises the school’s FCCLA chapter, relies on the Emerge online program to teach in-demand skills like email etiquette.

    Four days a week from 830 am to 10 am, Larson’s 19 ESE students (ranging from sophomores to seniors) work at Liberty County Pre-K as part of their practicum. The students help the pre-k staff with four and five-year-old classrooms.

    Whenever students can’t be at the pre-k center, they need to email the on-site coordinator with the reason.

    Only a few weeks into the Emerge online program, Larson can already see a difference in the professionalism of her students’ emails.

    “The quality of the emails are better,” said Larson. “Students have learned to write subject lines and email messages that are focused and to the point.”

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    Liberty County High School CTE teacher and FCCLA adviser Jonnie Larson

    Emerge covers a wide array of professional skills through readings, instructional videos and short activities. The program integrates into a school’s LMS of choice (ex: Canvas, Blackboard) and spans topics like email writing, phone etiquette, in-person correspondence, resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn and even communication for entrepreneurship and leadership.

    Larson noted her students engaged in a recent discussion about professional email addresses. The conversation stemmed from a reading in the Emerge program about what constitutes an “appropriate” email address.

    “What I liked is that the students read the material on their own, and then one of my students advised another student on effective email addresses. It was a peer-to-peer moment about professionalism that the Rubin program made possible.”

    See a sample email below written by one of Larson’s student to the pre-k coordinator. Note: Prior to the Rubin program, the student did not use email subject lines.

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    Subject line: Attendance

    Good morning,

    Ms. Larson will be attending the annual winter conference for Family & Consumer Sciences teachers in Savannah today. While she is out we will not be coming to the Pre-K for lab hours. When she returns to work on Monday, February 3 we will resume the normal schedules of going to the Pre-K four days a week. Have a great weekend and see you on Monday!

    [Student’s first and last name]

    Request your free trial of the Emerge online program!

    Real-world training while in the classroom.

  • Adult Ed Student Uses Rubin Emerge to Improve English, Succeed at Work

    Adult Ed Student Uses Rubin Emerge to Improve English, Succeed at Work

    In the photo is Josefina Lopez, a native of Mexico and quality assurance employee at a clothing and accessories company in Los Angeles. Lopez used the Emerge online program to strengthen her email etiquette and English writing skills.

    Josefina Lopez knew she needed sharper English skills to excel at her job.

    When she enrolled in an English as a Second Language (ESL) course at Lynwood Community Adult School in Lynwood, CA, the native of Mexico learned something more: how to write professional emails in English.

    Lopez’s course, led by instructor Michele Lawrence, incorporates Emerge, a comprehensive online program that teaches a wide array of self-paced professional development exercises that focus on writing and speaking skills.

    Lopez works in quality assurance for Revolve, a clothing and accessories company based in Los Angeles. She needed a way to communicate better via email with co-workers and customers.

    To do so, Lopez focused on the Emerge module called Email Etiquette — Beginner and practiced email construction lessons, which includes how to make subject lines, address people in an appropriate way, write the email body and create an email signature.

    “What Emerge taught me the most is to think about my audience with every new message,” said Lopez. “I need to respect the reader’s time and write in a way that looks and feels professional.”

    Lopez recalls an on-the-job moment when her clear, concise email kept a big project moving along.

    Lopez: “I needed help to continue the amount of work we had. I sent an email to a team member letting him know I can stay through over time, but that we might lose sales and have more expenses if that’s what would happen. Thirty minutes later, my team sent over additional help.”

    From K-12 program through adult education, Rubin is there to turn any student into a mature, poised communicator.

    Are you an educator? Start your Emerge free trial today!

    Perfect solution for ESL classes.

  • Rubin Adds Integrations with Canvas, Blackboard, Schoology and More

    Rubin Adds Integrations with Canvas, Blackboard, Schoology and More

    Rubin, a leading provider of online curriculum for business communication skills, now integrates with popular learning management systems (LMS) used in K-12 school districts and college campuses nationwide.

    “The integration allows the Emerge with Rubin online program, a comprehensive set of resources that teach professional development, to embed into an LMS in a seamless way,” said Danny Rubin, founder of Rubin. “Every student need to learn important skills like email and phone etiquette and now, thanks to LMS integration, it’s easier than ever.”

    The LMS integration works with the following programs:

    • Canvas
    • Blackboard
    • Schoology
    • Moodle
    • Sakai
    • Desire2Learn (D2L)

    Instructors can add Rubin materials (ex: videos, readings, assignments and quizzes) with a few clicks. Students engage with Rubin materials but do so within their school-assigned LMS.

    In addition, when instructors use the Rubin-provided rubrics to grade Rubin assignments, the grade syncs and sends back to the instructor’s grade book within minutes.

    Watch a brief demonstration below of how to add Rubin materials into your LMS (example in the video is Canvas).

    And find integration guides for each LMS here.

    Professional development has never been easier.

  • For CA College Student, Rubin Emerge Opens “Brand-New World”

    For CA College Student, Rubin Emerge Opens “Brand-New World”

    Carlos Reese, a student at Westcliff University, sits next to the Emerge online program and Jennifer Hirashiki, M.A., the Director of Learning, Innovation, and Teaching Excellence at Westcliff. Reese relies on the Emerge program to help with his email etiquette and professional development.

    In winter 2020, Carlos Reese had a three-week break between college semesters.

    Rather than take it easy or binge the newest show on Netflix, the international student did the unexpected.

    He hit the books.

    More specifically, Reese dove into the Emerge online program and learned dozens of important professional development skills like email and phone etiquette.

    A soccer player at Westcliff University, a private school in Irvine, CA, Reese used Emerge to gain an edge in the job market. Reese hails from Hamburg, Germany and also valued the Rubin program because it helped to strengthen his English writing and speaking skills.

    “Emerge has no limits, and I can learn as much as I want,” Reese said. “Before the Rubin program, I would need to ask my parents to review emails I need to send to employers and others. Now I have the confidence to press ‘send’ myself.”

    Reese is among dozens of Westcliff students who have used Emerge in the 2019-2020 academic year to become stronger communicators as they pursue career opportunities.

    The Westcliff University Career Services Department has piloted Emerge since fall 2019 and made the resource available to students across campus through career services programming.

    Emerge contains 100+ short assignments that teach proper communication skills for employment scenarios (ex: emails to seek jobs, resumes, cover letters and thank-you notes) along with writing/speaking guides for entrepreneurship and leadership.

    “After Carlos went through the Emerge program, I could see a difference in his email correspondence,” said Jennifer Hirashiki, M.A., the Director of Learning, Innovation, and Teaching Excellence at Westcliff. “We have a professor in place to review the work students complete in the Rubin program, but the exercises are self-directed.”

    Reese also made special note of the Rubin activities that teach how to write an effective LinkedIn profile. Now he has a LinkedIn profile live on the web and uses it to develop important business connections.

    “Emerge opened a brand-new world to me,” said Reese.

    Incredible what a student can do with a three-week break.

    Self-paced instruction gives Carlos Reese an edge.

  • Rubin Emerge Teaches CA High Schoolers to Send Emails to NBA, MLB Execs

    Rubin Emerge Teaches CA High Schoolers to Send Emails to NBA, MLB Execs

    In the photo, student officers from the virtual company, Resha Hemp, pose with Rubin books of templates provided as ebooks inside the Emerge online program. Stockdale High School’s CTE classes rely on Emerge to help students communicate with business professionals.

    At Rubin Education, we teach students practical employability skills they can apply in the real world.

    That mission was never truer than inside a classroom in fall 2019 at Stockdale High School in Bakersfield, CA.

    Teacher Brian Devitt led his students through the first module in the Emerge online program called Email Etiquette — Beginner. Devitt is also an adviser for Virtual Enterprises International (VEI), an educational nonprofit that allows students to create and run mock businesses.

    In the Email Etiquette — Beginner unit, Stockdale students learned to create an appropriate email address, understand the difference between a text message and proper email and, finally, draft an entire email from the subject line down to the email signature.

    And once the students learned to write an email, they composed messages to one minor league sports executive and two major league executives in the hopes of “selling” (it’s all for practice) promotional items at upcoming games.

    The separate messages went to the vice president of operations for the Bakersfield Condors (AHL minor league hockey), assistant director of stadium operations for the Portland Trailblazers (NBA) and a ticketing official with the San Francisco Giants (MLB).

    The students also held a sales-pitch phone call with Richard Fedesco, the Trailblazers executive.

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    A Stockdale High School student uses the Emerge online program to practice email etiquette for the professional world. The book,Wait, How Do I Promote My Business?, is provided in the website as an ebook.

    “Rubin Education teaches my students the skills they need to professionally communicate with real-world business people,” said Devitt. “The employability skills my students learned from the program will stick with them for years to come.”

    The email was so compelling, it led to a “business contract” with the San Francisco Giants. In January 2020, the students entered the California VEI state competition and placed third statewide in the Business Plan category. The students will now compete at the VEI National Business Plan Competition in New York City in the spring.

    “The business contract with the San Francisco Giants has had an enormous impact on our success and provided judges with proof of the feasibility of our company’s idea to sell promotional items at an upcoming game,” said Lauren Hawkins, CEO of the student group.

    For reference, here’s a sample of the email students wrote to Justin Fahsbender with the Condors hockey team:

    Dear Mr. Fahsbender,

    We’d love to discuss creating a contract with the Condors to virtually sell Condors Fanny Packs, Drawstring Bags, and Tote Bags. The products we make are unique in that they’re made of industrial hemp, a material that often goes to waste in large scale manufacturing. From what we’ve researched, attendance for the Condors games is approximately 5,000 fans per game, so our package would be relative to those numbers (about 5,000 units).

    We’re excited to work with you! If you have any questions, feel free to email myself or our director, Brian Devitt. Thank you for your time!

    [Student’s first and last name]

    Chief Operating Officer – Resha Hemp

    —

    Does that email seem like it’s written by a sales professional and not a high school student?

    We think so too. At Rubin Education, we prepare students to communicate in the real world with poise and polish.

    If you want to teach your students employability skills via email (as well as over the phone and in person), Rubin Education is ready to help.

    Writing at a big-league level.