While attending a recent conference (Penn State University's WebConference, to be exact), a table of my colleagues were discussing the very conference we were attending, and the fact that one individual was a chair of one of the tracks. He was sociable enough and incredibly pleasant...and a couple of drinks in, he admitted something along the lines of "I have NO idea why they picked me...I always worry about that." I asked what it was he was worried about, and he replied, "You know...being 'found out'."
I knew all too well what he was referring to, but I pried a bit more and asked what he'd be found out ask. "A fake...an impostor...I don't even know what I'm doing in this room with these people sometimes!". I assured him he was not alone, and knew all too well what he was feeling: In a field populated with GENIUSES (not an overstatement by any means), when I go to conferences and sit at the tables I do these days, I'm waiting...just WAITING for someone to go, "Okay...you...yeah, Rosler...enough of your bullshit. Out of the pool, you phony...do you even eLearning?!?!" (Or something like that...)
But I knew the feeling all too well...WAY too well. And I swore I was going to write one of my conference posts talking about just that: Impostor Syndrome, and how I feel it, how it's damaging, and so on, and so on, and so on...But...no go, to date.
Admittedly, I had thought about this blog post and let it go, as I had really only been at the conference for a day and a couple sessions. I didn't feel the usual "Conference Wrap Up" spark I get when I'm embroiled in with my peers for three days. It was amazing, don't get me wrong, but the mood passed, and I filed it under a "Would have been nice" category.
Little did I know that my wife, @gretarosler, was going to put that notion on its ear and give me the impetus I needed to pen these words. See, my wife, when I suggested she should live blog her Nursing Leadership conference she was going to, said, basically, "Why? No one would want to read that...What do I have to say?" And it was at that point, that the ghost of conferences (very recently) passed reared its head and compelled me to say something. I asked her to do it (again)...to blog/Twitter/etc., gave her a couple guidelines, and that was that. If anything, I had given it as solid a try as any of us in eLearning do: We try to get the non-eLearning folks to see the magic in what we do, and (really) hope for the best.
I heard nothing from her for the next couple of hours. I honestly though the travel + dirty martini had gotten the best of her, as the clock struck 1000p. Little did I know, she was about to change the way Nursing Leadership conferences communicate (albeit individually) and give me the greatest pat on the back an eLearning professional can receive: She realized the importance of social media. My Twitter pings, and I see it's from her handle...with an address. What followed was nothing short of amazing, insightful, and (unnecessarily) complimentary to me. Check it out here:
Shuttle Driver Likelihoods
If a fire had ever been lit under my ass hotter and brighter than her post did, I couldn't recall it. It made me realize that just what said gentleman at the conference had suggested...what I have felt repeatedly...what we all know at some point in our life...that nasty "Impostor Syndrome" had been squelched by my wife, if but for a moment/blog post. To say it made me proud is understatement of the millennia - That she realized she had something to say, and SAID IT. I promoted it to all of my colleagues (likely, a good amount of you reading this), and they instantly got it.
With ALL that said, it's time all of you (who haven't already done so) realize a thing (or five) about Impostor Syndrome, courtesy of yours truly:
1.) Everyone has something important AND unique to say. If you've never believed this before, believe it now. If you're at a conference, you're the only you looking out of your eyes and thinking the thoughts your brain is thinking. You're the only one who's lived the life you've lived and done the specific work you've done. So, when you want to wring your hands and ask, "Why me?", it's because you're not ME. You are you, and as the fabulous Tim Gunn said, "It doesn't matter what you wear, so long as you own it." I'll do that a step forward...It doesn't matter WHO YOU ARE, so long as you own it. You and your knowledge matter. Own that fact.
2.) If you're there, BELIEVE you're there for a reason...because you are. Your company sent you, or you've actually been selected to speak...or more...whatever. That's AWESOME. When you go, though, as soon as you hear a conversation elevating, do you retreat into your shell rather than suggesting something? Why? Because you think "Wow...these people are freaking BRILLIANT! What am I even doing here?" You're there for a similar reason! Your knowledge and skillsets in your company made you an ideal candidate to attend, or your presentation was a cool representation of something that folks thought would be interesting to others. Speak up! Be heard. Again, you and your knowledge matter.
3.) Remeber Number 1? Shut up and listen to others, as well as saying your unique/important thing. This is the one I struggled with most...I tried to talk so much sometimes just to drown out the silence. But in that silence, someone else can speak...and you can listen...and hear something you've never heard before. Let it happen.
4.) Help people feel comfortable enough to say/talk about their thing. Empathy was the "E" in the TEACH acronym that I'm learning about in Tim Gunn's book, and it's important as ever when someone's trying to tell you about their struggle/situation 'back in the office', but they're a first time attendee and you're a speaker, host, docent...whatever. Not only #3 (the shut up/listen to learn thing), but help others bring their knowledge out. Remember all that stuff we want a learner to do? We want them to be exploratory, we want them to pull (instead of us having to push), and so on? Well, helping people find their way to that by asking guided questions, or just questions in general is one of the best ways you can give people that little tug they need to feel comfortable sharing.
5.) You'll never stop feeling it completely. With one through four being said, they don't completely eliminate the feeling...and that's not a bad thing at all. I had a voice coach in High School (Joyce Schwinn, to be precise) and she said "The moment you stop being nervous is the moment you've stopped caring about singing." That applies here - I think the moment you drop this feeling completely...the moment you just assume you matter...that's the moment you've become the Impostor. A healthy amount of self-doubt keeps you from appearing as an egomaniac, pretentious, and/or any of a number of other nasty terms. For as egotistical as I can be (ask my wife, please), when I get around the folks I respect/revere, I'm a totally different animal. And I think that's why they respect me back...
So, that's that...my wife inspired me to write, as I did she...and isn't that what this social media thing is all about? Believe in yourself. You matter. You have a story. Let it be told.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Monday, June 22, 2015
Visual Explanations: The Future is in Visual Communication (Malamed)
Professional Explainer
When you can sum yourself up in two words, I think you've concentrated your very essence...and Connie kicked off with just that. "Really, we get so concerned as to whether the content meets technical (etc.) requirements, that we ignore the cognitive requirements". Truer words, and words that hurt...we're so worried so often with if the content "works" for the task that we forget to consider if it "works" for the learner.
What do we know about our cognitive architecture?
1.) Selective attention filters out what is unimportant
2.) Process 3-4 bits of info at once
3.) Limited duration of working memory (we can feel better about ourselves now)...but
4.) Infinite long term memory...no one has ever discovered the end of memory. If you can't recall something, it's due to an ineffective cue...not your memory itself.
From Words to Images
Pictures increase recall. We process them in parallel with others (as opposed to text (paragraph 1, paragraph 2, etc.). When you think of the popularity of Pinterest, Instagram, etc...you realize how directly pictures speak to your emotions. One of the best ways to see the gradual change to pictures is the US Department of Agriculture. Early on, there was a rough attempt at using black and white pics....then in 1946, they used a infographic illustrating 7 food groups. It changed to 4, and the infographs continued to evolve...visual info, visual format.
Fast forward to today, we have the food pyramid: The original version showed donuts, candy, and cake AT THE TOP. They WANTED it to mean that was the least amount consumed, but WE look at it and assume that "What's at the top is the best". And, so, it was redesigned with little dollops of fat at the top (although, Steve Howard just found the original image with the donuts. Now I'm hungry. Thanks, Steve.). Long story short, infographs are evolving day to day, and are constant works in progress, and food education is a perfect example of this.
Explaining With Stories
Using words in conjunction with pictures is key. There are benefits to stories: They arouse and satisfy curiosity, provide a common understanding, and enhance your message overall. This concept lends itself to the need to combine audio, visual, and bk in learning. You can use a comic book format, but it's got to be story-ish. Three steps to do so:
1.) Set up a problem
2.) Elaborate on the problem
3.) Resolve the problem
"What happens in the story is the Plot. The main person is the Protagonist. The story's question is the Goal. How the person changes is the Story." You'll become involved in a tale, story, or movie, if there's change in a person. Even if it's a terrible movie, you'll keep watching to "see what happens to X". Let learners become invested in a story, in an evolution, in a change, and interest will follow.
Visual Language of Comics
The visual language of comics is already set up in chunks, which is good news for those of us who love comics and do training. Think about it: The blocks, the narration "header" (typically in yellow), the gutter (space between blocks used for transitions, and when sizes are offset it leads readers to go left to right versus up to down), the balloons (which allow you to convey subtleties that text alone can't), the motion lines (context is key here...if the background is cold, you know they're shivering, but if it's a truck, you know they're on a bumpy road). So much good stuff to work with here...HUGE possibilities with a variety of information.
Explaining with Graphs/Conclusion
Graphs allow you to show the "shape" of data, they make the abstract concrete, they serve as a cognitive aid, and they help you to structure information.
I completely got sucked into the section on graphs (what to use, what not to, how to use them, etc.), so the last but of her presentation is in my mind...where it should be, I suppose. Great presentation with incredibly useful content...will definitely be looking to implement a more visual, story-based approach to our content.
When you can sum yourself up in two words, I think you've concentrated your very essence...and Connie kicked off with just that. "Really, we get so concerned as to whether the content meets technical (etc.) requirements, that we ignore the cognitive requirements". Truer words, and words that hurt...we're so worried so often with if the content "works" for the task that we forget to consider if it "works" for the learner.
What do we know about our cognitive architecture?
1.) Selective attention filters out what is unimportant
2.) Process 3-4 bits of info at once
3.) Limited duration of working memory (we can feel better about ourselves now)...but
4.) Infinite long term memory...no one has ever discovered the end of memory. If you can't recall something, it's due to an ineffective cue...not your memory itself.
From Words to Images
Pictures increase recall. We process them in parallel with others (as opposed to text (paragraph 1, paragraph 2, etc.). When you think of the popularity of Pinterest, Instagram, etc...you realize how directly pictures speak to your emotions. One of the best ways to see the gradual change to pictures is the US Department of Agriculture. Early on, there was a rough attempt at using black and white pics....then in 1946, they used a infographic illustrating 7 food groups. It changed to 4, and the infographs continued to evolve...visual info, visual format.
Fast forward to today, we have the food pyramid: The original version showed donuts, candy, and cake AT THE TOP. They WANTED it to mean that was the least amount consumed, but WE look at it and assume that "What's at the top is the best". And, so, it was redesigned with little dollops of fat at the top (although, Steve Howard just found the original image with the donuts. Now I'm hungry. Thanks, Steve.). Long story short, infographs are evolving day to day, and are constant works in progress, and food education is a perfect example of this.
Explaining With Stories
Using words in conjunction with pictures is key. There are benefits to stories: They arouse and satisfy curiosity, provide a common understanding, and enhance your message overall. This concept lends itself to the need to combine audio, visual, and bk in learning. You can use a comic book format, but it's got to be story-ish. Three steps to do so:
1.) Set up a problem
2.) Elaborate on the problem
3.) Resolve the problem
"What happens in the story is the Plot. The main person is the Protagonist. The story's question is the Goal. How the person changes is the Story." You'll become involved in a tale, story, or movie, if there's change in a person. Even if it's a terrible movie, you'll keep watching to "see what happens to X". Let learners become invested in a story, in an evolution, in a change, and interest will follow.
Visual Language of Comics
The visual language of comics is already set up in chunks, which is good news for those of us who love comics and do training. Think about it: The blocks, the narration "header" (typically in yellow), the gutter (space between blocks used for transitions, and when sizes are offset it leads readers to go left to right versus up to down), the balloons (which allow you to convey subtleties that text alone can't), the motion lines (context is key here...if the background is cold, you know they're shivering, but if it's a truck, you know they're on a bumpy road). So much good stuff to work with here...HUGE possibilities with a variety of information.
Explaining with Graphs/Conclusion
Graphs allow you to show the "shape" of data, they make the abstract concrete, they serve as a cognitive aid, and they help you to structure information.
I completely got sucked into the section on graphs (what to use, what not to, how to use them, etc.), so the last but of her presentation is in my mind...where it should be, I suppose. Great presentation with incredibly useful content...will definitely be looking to implement a more visual, story-based approach to our content.
PSU Web Conference #PSUWeb
Hey all...going to live blog a session or two from Penn State's Web Conference 2015...stay tuned!
Thursday, October 30, 2014
DevLearn 2014 - The Recap and Lessons From an Amazing Experience
Another Year, Another Step Up
Once again, it's come and once again, it's gone. Every year it feels like DevLearn goes that much more quickly...or is it that I'm having a better time? Either way, this year was, as it so often is, nothing short of exceptional...near perfect, really. The hard working folks at eLearning Guild put forth another event that leaves little (if anything) to want for, and their efforts, year after year, are amazing - HUGE thanks are in order.
Then there was the crowd...again, maybe it's because the event went off without a hitch and was chock more full than years past. But, then again, I think there's more to it - The crowd was constantly on...I felt like there were more questions, more interaction, and just more overall "Us" vibe to it all. I'd venture to say that going into its 10th year, people aren't just going to DevLearn to learn about elearning this or that...they're going for the experience. All of it.
I really can't say enough good about the event...or about those who attended the event. It was awesome and, if you're reading this and you were there, YOU were awesome. YOU helped make it awesome. And while the event taught me plenty from a subject/content perspective, the community of minds, hearts, and souls in attendance taught me just as much...if not more. Sitting in the DemoFest hall after it had cleared up...as folks were packing up the very tables I was sitting at, I sat and thought about what I had gained. Enjoying but being slightly unsettled by the sudden silence that so often comes when it's "time to go", I came up with five lessons I've taken away from this amazing event. Here they are:
1.) I was busier than ever before...more involved with the conference. And I can't wait to be even busier...
Given that my session I presented was on membership in professional organizations having far more benefits than what it appears to up front, this should really come as no surprise. I started as an attendee, what seems like a long time ago, and now I'm presenting and hosting a stage all at the same conference. And I was busy...make NO mistake...I was BUSY. But it was a good busy. It was a GREAT busy, really. As Sean Putman and I were discussing, there's just something to being "on"...to being in front of people, active, and engaged. And between presenting and hosting, being "on" like that made what could have been a long day seem like it flew by.
To make matters more...interesting, let's say...I realized that it made me feel professionally "good" to be this busy...so much more, that I want to do more. Whether it's the Docent Program, Breakfast Bytes, Panels...whatever. I'm in. I'm in for it all. 10 years into my 'career', I'm realizing that while I'm good at PMing CBT, I don't love it like I love presenting...teaching...guiding. I'm in. All of it.
2.) I asked more people questions about what they do/how they do it, as opposed to telling them what I do.
Maybe it's that I'm a full year more seasoned as a conference goer, maybe it's because I was hosting a stage and was about the audience...I can't say for sure. But this year, I found myself talking far less about myself and my body of work and far more asking others about what it is they do, how they do it, and in some cases what their 5 year plans were. I don't want people to think that I'm some selfish maniac or anything like that...most of the time, not true at all. But, in the past, I know I've gotten carried away talking about my gig, what I do, and so on. That just really, REALLY didn't happen this year.
I listened to myself asking people things about their gigs, not just out of interest, but out of a want to learn what these other people do and, in some cases, see if they had questions. Were they travelling down a road I'd been down before? Tackling some issues I'd dealt with? It was THEN, after learning about what they do, that I'd offer up the "been there/done that" advisement. But even that wasn't about what I could necessarily do for an ego stroke or something like that...it was to help someone with a problem based on something I'd done, to talk about the issue and learn things about their gig I didn't know previously, and, really, through conversation to (a) let them know it'd all be fine, (b) let them know they're not alone, and (c) ask them questions about details of their situations I didn't understand...and I asked a lot of questions...which made them feel like they were helping me, too.
And through all of this, the experience outlined above taught me something even further about what being at DevLearn helped me to do.
3.) I became more comfortable with being insecure in my knowledge, and was reassured that even legends (in my eyes) still feel this way.
One of the central tenets in my presentation I had was about being okay with not knowing something and needing to reach out to others for help. This is something I've struggled with all my career...even longer. The whole needing to know everything to feel good...pretty sad, really. But, as people do, they grow, they evolve, and they improve...and once again, it was DevLearn that gave this a huge push forward.
So, sure - I can reach out and ask now when I don't know something or need help with something, but there are still times that I feel like someone's going to call me out for not being everything (at least in eLearning) that some people take me for...all for not knowing something I should, or needing a hand. That they'll peg me as a fraud. IMAGINE MY RELIEF when, as I was hosting the Emerging Tech stage, I overhear Cammy Bean quip, on the panel next to us, "Even though I just wrote a book, I'm still waiting for someone to call me out for being a fraud". Cammy Bean knows her stuff, inside and out...and SHE feels this way? Honestly, I had to collect myself for a moment it was that powerful to hear. And, at DemoFest, I was catching up with Clark Quinn and told him about the quote. He laughed, shook his head, and said "Yeah, me too...I think we all feel that way." To say hearing that was therapeutic is a gross understatement...it was life changing.
(...and did I mention Dr Neil deGrasse Tyson threatened to slap me for feeling that way, too? It happened.)
4.) I realized that being uncomfortable is one of the best ways to start learning about something or change your perspective on something you already know.
Hosting a stage called Emerging Tech probably sounds like a dream come true if you like new technology...and I do. The problem was that when I started reviewing the sessions, I quickly realized that, for a lot of the items, I wasn't really familiar with them (and in some cases, not at all). But sometimes, being put in that situation is like learning a foreign language by immersion. The more sessions I saw, the more I liked this feeling of not knowing...but being in the right place to at least start down the path of knowing.
The same held true with discussions over drinks. Take Tuesday, for example - I finally get in, get settled, and find out where a crew of my colleagues/friends is at. So I go, and I'm quickly seated between two ends of a spirited chat (between Sean Putman and Neil Lasher) on API. Let me be clear: I have NO clue what API is. But learning about it? Soaking in this high end discussion? Exhilarating...almost exciting...I don't know that I know a lot more than I did, but I know some. And that's more than I had before.
In the middle of this conversation, Neil turns to me (the way that only he can, I quickly learned) and asked, "So, just what is it you do?" when the topic shifted to rapid development. I rattled off what it is we do and how we do it (rapid Captivate based development). And he asked me "Why?"...feeling like he was peering into my soul, I rambled off something about needing to.
"Bullshit. Tell them (management) no. Make it better."
I had nothing. And if you know me, you know that's rare. But silence was all I could offer besides a nod. He quickly transitioned back to API, and I sat there reeling. I had received critique on my work before, and I always quickly deflected it. Why? Because I thought I knew it all. But when Neil Lasher tells you something, you listen. And I did...and it stuck. Maybe not this week, this month or even this year...but I'll be taking that input back to the drawing board, ego aside and improvement in my sights.
5.) I felt sadder than ever before when I realized that our time together was over...that DevLearn and the people in it continue to mean more and more to me with each passing year.
I'm not sure, really, how much further I even need to expound upon this one, so I'll keep it brief. As I sat in the silence of the DemoFest hall with no one there but staffers packing up the tables and chairs, I definitely felt a sense of loss. That it was over, it was time to go back...it was time to leave these people who I have so much in common with and can learn so much from...and it hurt a little. And that little pang...if ever a testament there was to the connections you have the opportunity to make at conferences like DevLearn, that was it. As bittersweet a realization as they come...
Until Next Year...But Not Really
All the lessons, all the goodness, all the connections...next year, I'll be there and it will all happen again. I hope to see you all there and, as honestly and sincerely as I can express it: Thank you all so much for making this conference so meaningful to me. We'll catch each other on Facebook...on Twitter (#LrnChat)...via text in some cases, so it's not really 'until next year'. But, despite these connections, I'll miss you all and will look forward to seeing you all again next year.
SR
Once again, it's come and once again, it's gone. Every year it feels like DevLearn goes that much more quickly...or is it that I'm having a better time? Either way, this year was, as it so often is, nothing short of exceptional...near perfect, really. The hard working folks at eLearning Guild put forth another event that leaves little (if anything) to want for, and their efforts, year after year, are amazing - HUGE thanks are in order.
Then there was the crowd...again, maybe it's because the event went off without a hitch and was chock more full than years past. But, then again, I think there's more to it - The crowd was constantly on...I felt like there were more questions, more interaction, and just more overall "Us" vibe to it all. I'd venture to say that going into its 10th year, people aren't just going to DevLearn to learn about elearning this or that...they're going for the experience. All of it.
I really can't say enough good about the event...or about those who attended the event. It was awesome and, if you're reading this and you were there, YOU were awesome. YOU helped make it awesome. And while the event taught me plenty from a subject/content perspective, the community of minds, hearts, and souls in attendance taught me just as much...if not more. Sitting in the DemoFest hall after it had cleared up...as folks were packing up the very tables I was sitting at, I sat and thought about what I had gained. Enjoying but being slightly unsettled by the sudden silence that so often comes when it's "time to go", I came up with five lessons I've taken away from this amazing event. Here they are:
1.) I was busier than ever before...more involved with the conference. And I can't wait to be even busier...
Given that my session I presented was on membership in professional organizations having far more benefits than what it appears to up front, this should really come as no surprise. I started as an attendee, what seems like a long time ago, and now I'm presenting and hosting a stage all at the same conference. And I was busy...make NO mistake...I was BUSY. But it was a good busy. It was a GREAT busy, really. As Sean Putman and I were discussing, there's just something to being "on"...to being in front of people, active, and engaged. And between presenting and hosting, being "on" like that made what could have been a long day seem like it flew by.
To make matters more...interesting, let's say...I realized that it made me feel professionally "good" to be this busy...so much more, that I want to do more. Whether it's the Docent Program, Breakfast Bytes, Panels...whatever. I'm in. I'm in for it all. 10 years into my 'career', I'm realizing that while I'm good at PMing CBT, I don't love it like I love presenting...teaching...guiding. I'm in. All of it.
2.) I asked more people questions about what they do/how they do it, as opposed to telling them what I do.
Maybe it's that I'm a full year more seasoned as a conference goer, maybe it's because I was hosting a stage and was about the audience...I can't say for sure. But this year, I found myself talking far less about myself and my body of work and far more asking others about what it is they do, how they do it, and in some cases what their 5 year plans were. I don't want people to think that I'm some selfish maniac or anything like that...most of the time, not true at all. But, in the past, I know I've gotten carried away talking about my gig, what I do, and so on. That just really, REALLY didn't happen this year.
I listened to myself asking people things about their gigs, not just out of interest, but out of a want to learn what these other people do and, in some cases, see if they had questions. Were they travelling down a road I'd been down before? Tackling some issues I'd dealt with? It was THEN, after learning about what they do, that I'd offer up the "been there/done that" advisement. But even that wasn't about what I could necessarily do for an ego stroke or something like that...it was to help someone with a problem based on something I'd done, to talk about the issue and learn things about their gig I didn't know previously, and, really, through conversation to (a) let them know it'd all be fine, (b) let them know they're not alone, and (c) ask them questions about details of their situations I didn't understand...and I asked a lot of questions...which made them feel like they were helping me, too.
And through all of this, the experience outlined above taught me something even further about what being at DevLearn helped me to do.
3.) I became more comfortable with being insecure in my knowledge, and was reassured that even legends (in my eyes) still feel this way.
One of the central tenets in my presentation I had was about being okay with not knowing something and needing to reach out to others for help. This is something I've struggled with all my career...even longer. The whole needing to know everything to feel good...pretty sad, really. But, as people do, they grow, they evolve, and they improve...and once again, it was DevLearn that gave this a huge push forward.
So, sure - I can reach out and ask now when I don't know something or need help with something, but there are still times that I feel like someone's going to call me out for not being everything (at least in eLearning) that some people take me for...all for not knowing something I should, or needing a hand. That they'll peg me as a fraud. IMAGINE MY RELIEF when, as I was hosting the Emerging Tech stage, I overhear Cammy Bean quip, on the panel next to us, "Even though I just wrote a book, I'm still waiting for someone to call me out for being a fraud". Cammy Bean knows her stuff, inside and out...and SHE feels this way? Honestly, I had to collect myself for a moment it was that powerful to hear. And, at DemoFest, I was catching up with Clark Quinn and told him about the quote. He laughed, shook his head, and said "Yeah, me too...I think we all feel that way." To say hearing that was therapeutic is a gross understatement...it was life changing.
(...and did I mention Dr Neil deGrasse Tyson threatened to slap me for feeling that way, too? It happened.)
4.) I realized that being uncomfortable is one of the best ways to start learning about something or change your perspective on something you already know.
Hosting a stage called Emerging Tech probably sounds like a dream come true if you like new technology...and I do. The problem was that when I started reviewing the sessions, I quickly realized that, for a lot of the items, I wasn't really familiar with them (and in some cases, not at all). But sometimes, being put in that situation is like learning a foreign language by immersion. The more sessions I saw, the more I liked this feeling of not knowing...but being in the right place to at least start down the path of knowing.
The same held true with discussions over drinks. Take Tuesday, for example - I finally get in, get settled, and find out where a crew of my colleagues/friends is at. So I go, and I'm quickly seated between two ends of a spirited chat (between Sean Putman and Neil Lasher) on API. Let me be clear: I have NO clue what API is. But learning about it? Soaking in this high end discussion? Exhilarating...almost exciting...I don't know that I know a lot more than I did, but I know some. And that's more than I had before.
In the middle of this conversation, Neil turns to me (the way that only he can, I quickly learned) and asked, "So, just what is it you do?" when the topic shifted to rapid development. I rattled off what it is we do and how we do it (rapid Captivate based development). And he asked me "Why?"...feeling like he was peering into my soul, I rambled off something about needing to.
"Bullshit. Tell them (management) no. Make it better."
I had nothing. And if you know me, you know that's rare. But silence was all I could offer besides a nod. He quickly transitioned back to API, and I sat there reeling. I had received critique on my work before, and I always quickly deflected it. Why? Because I thought I knew it all. But when Neil Lasher tells you something, you listen. And I did...and it stuck. Maybe not this week, this month or even this year...but I'll be taking that input back to the drawing board, ego aside and improvement in my sights.
5.) I felt sadder than ever before when I realized that our time together was over...that DevLearn and the people in it continue to mean more and more to me with each passing year.
I'm not sure, really, how much further I even need to expound upon this one, so I'll keep it brief. As I sat in the silence of the DemoFest hall with no one there but staffers packing up the tables and chairs, I definitely felt a sense of loss. That it was over, it was time to go back...it was time to leave these people who I have so much in common with and can learn so much from...and it hurt a little. And that little pang...if ever a testament there was to the connections you have the opportunity to make at conferences like DevLearn, that was it. As bittersweet a realization as they come...
Until Next Year...But Not Really
All the lessons, all the goodness, all the connections...next year, I'll be there and it will all happen again. I hope to see you all there and, as honestly and sincerely as I can express it: Thank you all so much for making this conference so meaningful to me. We'll catch each other on Facebook...on Twitter (#LrnChat)...via text in some cases, so it's not really 'until next year'. But, despite these connections, I'll miss you all and will look forward to seeing you all again next year.
SR
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Keynote Day One - Dr Neil DeGrasse Tyson
Intro
"How do you get kids interested in science? Kids are already interested in science...they're already probing the very world around them. These activities could lead to their death...and we want to prevent that...but there's a whole suite of things that they could do that are the very expression of scientific inquiry. Children are born scientists, and then we beat it out of them. We teach them to walk and talk, then we teach them to sit down and shut up."
This is a guy that gets it. I know that's understatement of the century, but to hear such an elevated mind break it down to such beautiful simplicity is nothing short of amazing.
Kids and Casual Science
Dr Tyson relates a story of his toddler daughter spilling her milk sippy cup...and how she spilled it on accident. She watched it drip, and Neil picked it up. She spilled it again...possibly on accident. Same pick up. But THEN, she picked up the cup and spilled it on purpose...not for any negativity, but to watch fluid dynamics at work...before they realize that that even is.
Same thing with jumping in puddles...we, as parents, stop them from doing what they're compelled to do - Jumping in it. Fluid dynamics and crater physics. An egg on the counter and they reach for it? Let it happen...they grab the egg, it breaks? They learn what brittle is. And brittle is scientifically complex - Egg shells are both hard and fragile...very rare. Then, the yolk? It's yellow, gooey, transparent...and you tell the kid it becomes a chicken one day? Total freak out!!!
What'd the egg cost you? 25 cents? A lesson in embryonic science and physics is worth far more...
Cherish that science. What an adult scientist is is a kid scientist who never grew up. And that's awesome.
The System
Dr Tyson shares one of his progress reports from school that cites that he should "cultivate a more serious attitude toward his school work". Success was supposedly based on the grades you made, doing well on tests...but not on the love of the subject itself. The System that we bring our children up on is very (negatively) formulaic. He shows a career selection sheet from his school days that goes so far as to segregate career options by gender. Dr Tyson cites that he's over 40, and that his generation is running "things" in this country now...which is why it's so messed up!
Suppose you were a brilliant woman in the 1950s...top of your class...expert in some subject that you majored in, you would have been a school teacher. And if you ask people where schools started losing their touch, they would cite the 70's...no coincidence, that's when the Women's Lib movement happened. Surprise - That's when women had so many other career options in front of them...and the school system's talent pools became vacuous.
Today's Job Market
When we don't see a gender or type of person from the millions around us, that's when we need to start asking questions as to "why". Generally, we think of people who are smart as people who "know stuff". But ask - what's more valuable in the workplace? knowing stuff or knowing how to think about stuff? At the end of the day, you want to know "Who are the problem solvers?". One teaches you what to know, one teaches you how to think.
"What is the value of someone who knows how to think?"
Dr Tyson uses the example of math knowledge...trig identities. Out of the entire audience, 6 still use them (volunteer from the audience being a car racing instructor). But when we say "well, I'll never use this again", that's the wrong way to think about it. When you learned that, your brain was rewired to think a different way...that's the important thing.
Job Description Workers vs Problem Solving Workers
How do you react to a task never before handed to you? The Problem Solvers embrace it...it's exciting. They don't view any knowledge as useless...they use everything at their disposal to come up with solutions...running head first into problems. Job Description workers will identify difficulty as something to avoid...as something that's "not their job". How do you promote a job Description worker other than by seniority/chronology? You don't. The Problem Solver has endless reasons...
Another classification, the Multiple Choice Worker, will ask what their choices are. For example, you tell someone you want to take them to lunch, and their answer is "What are my choices?". This is a product of school systems that pre-formulate answers...that don't allow answers to come out of the blue. Maybe a student's answer is BETTER than one that was simply listed. Your brain is being wired to pick from choices, rather than allowing students to come up with their own.
You want someone who can figure out HOW to figure out the answer...not just memorize it or pick from a list. Brain Wiring leads to Problem Solving...Problem Solving leads to success.
(Neil DeGrasse Tyson just told me he was going to slap me for saying "I should know this" about a topic that I did well at in school. This makes me INSANELY proud.)
The Relativity of Wrong
Kids are spelling "cat". First one spells it "C-A-T"...well done! Second spells "K-A-T"...no...wrong! Third spells it "X-Q-W"...wrong, as well. But ask yourself, is K-A-T as bad as X-Q-W? You could argue that phonetically, K-A-T is the way it's presented in the very body of truth we reference all the time...the DICTIONARY. The point - Identify the varying levels of wrong and the varying levels of potential rightness.
Conclusion
I have to run and host the Emerging Tech stage, so I have to cut this short. But, I'm sure, as you can see this was nothing short of brilliant. BRILLIANT. I could listen to the good Dr for hours on end, but will reflect on this keynote for a very long time as the best I've ever heard.
DevLearn 2014 Opening - Dave Kelly
Dev Learn is 10 years old...and that's HUGE.
Dave kicks things off with an incredible intro to Dr Neil DeGrasse Tyson, complete with incredible stories on how his son was out of his mind that his daddy was going to meet one of the greatest science minds of our time. From working from home, to interviewing the good doctor, Dave's introduction was nothing short of entertaining and heartwarming. His greatest advice: Don't get in an argument with a 5 year old.
More to come...stay tuned!
Dave kicks things off with an incredible intro to Dr Neil DeGrasse Tyson, complete with incredible stories on how his son was out of his mind that his daddy was going to meet one of the greatest science minds of our time. From working from home, to interviewing the good doctor, Dave's introduction was nothing short of entertaining and heartwarming. His greatest advice: Don't get in an argument with a 5 year old.
More to come...stay tuned!
Thursday, September 25, 2014
My Interview with eLearning Guild's David Kelly: The Importance of Professional Development
A little "pre-conference" goodness here, folks...here's my recent interview with Dave Kelly on my session at DevLearn and the importance of Professional Development. Enjoy!!
Click HERE to check it out!
Click HERE to check it out!
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