Well, I've gone and done it again...another interview, and another incredibly interesting and unique perspective on food as life and art. It's so good, in fact, that my mother listened...and heard my commentary on her brussel sprouts. (The truth hurts, Mama...the truth hurts...but I still love you.)
CHECK IT OUT!
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Monday, March 10, 2014
Coarse Grind Podcast #2 and #3 (because doubling down isn't just for Vegas)
Here it is, kids...a double dose of foodie love. First up, with Episode #2, I have an old carousing comerade in Kristoffer Gandenberger:
https://archive.org/download/coarse_grind_1-coarse_grind/Coarse_Grind_1.mp3
Next, Episode #3 with Natalie Slater of BakeAndDestroy.net , proving that plants can pretty much do anything, along with moms:
https://archive.org/download/coarse_grind_1-coarse_grind-3/Coarse_Grind_1.mp3
More episodes to come...stay tuned!!
https://archive.org/download/coarse_grind_1-coarse_grind/Coarse_Grind_1.mp3
Next, Episode #3 with Natalie Slater of BakeAndDestroy.net , proving that plants can pretty much do anything, along with moms:
https://archive.org/download/coarse_grind_1-coarse_grind-3/Coarse_Grind_1.mp3
More episodes to come...stay tuned!!
Monday, February 17, 2014
New Year/New Podcast - Episode 1 of The Coarse Grind Podcast, featuring the amazing Chef Dakota Weiss
Whereas I typically use this little corner of the Internet for my eLearning scrawlings, today was awesome. I finally started an epicurean podcast - something I've always wanted to do - with the first episode being recorded/published today! My first guest was a cheftestant on Top Chef (Texas), is the current Executive Chef at the W in Los Angeles, rocks some Gourmet Popcorn , and just couldn't have been more awesome to interview - Chef Dakota Weiss. Check it out and comment at will!
Check it out HERE!
Check it out HERE!
Thursday, November 14, 2013
You CAN Go Home Again - Bloomsburg University Fall 2013 CAC
On the heels of my last blog post, I was asked by my former professor turned colleague, Dr Karl Kapp, to expedite the request of Dave Kelly and the eLearning Guild to convert said post into a presentation. Did you get all that?
Anyway, it was a great experience, and for as nervous as I was about the material, it really seemed to flow and hit people the way I wanted it to. Here's a recap from Karl:
http://karlkapp.com/bucac13-presentations-and-insights-from-our-corporate-advisory-council/
Anyway, it was a great experience, and for as nervous as I was about the material, it really seemed to flow and hit people the way I wanted it to. Here's a recap from Karl:
http://karlkapp.com/bucac13-presentations-and-insights-from-our-corporate-advisory-council/
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
DevLearn 2013 - The Wrap Up (or Waking Up In Vegas)
(Instead of boring topic headers, I'm going with quotes this go-around...)
“You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” (AA Milne)
DevLearn...Vegas or wherever it ends up...DevLearn...
Is it an eLearning conference? Is it group therapy? Could it possibly be both? I'd like to think so.
I will apologize straight away if, under the guise of a wrap up, you came here expecting what my top 3 or 5 takeaways were. Or, maybe, what the 'next big thing' is going to be coming out of the Guild...maybe that's what you came here for. God forbid you came here for an answer of any sort...if you find one, let me know. I tend to have more Qs than As. No, I write this wrap up as a realization of one thing: DevLearn, itself.
Having now been a repeat visitor to DevLearn four times over now, something's becoming more and more clear to me. This conference is, by far and away, THE annual meeting of the eLearning minds you should attend if you care about the industry. And when I say care about the industry, I don't mean the newest buzzword, concept, theory, or trick. I mean what people are doing every day, in every job, no matter how remote, small, or seemingly inconsequential.
DevLearn is about the people. And I've learned something about these people, at least a select lot of them, that I didn't realize in conferences past. Whether I was too young, too insecure, too new, or whatever the fault was, I thought it couldn't possibly be so...but it is:
These people are my friends.
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . .” (CS Lewis)
I looked to a significant segment of the folks that attended this conference and, egotist that I can be on my home turf, would step back slowly into the shadows when it came to these people I respect...even revere in some instances. But I realized...I woke up this time around and saw that they were just as happy to see me...that they were just as happy to listen to an idea I had about something, or a question I needed to raise. What started with a casual piece of feedback here and there developed into late night conversations about the industry...about our jobs...or not.
In speaking with one of these friends (Tracy Parish), we discussed for a moment, over lunch, what we'd be attending. And what we realized was that we weren't necessarily attending sessions based on the subject matter, but, rather, the presenter themselves. Now, don't get me wrong - I saw a couple sessions from people I hadn't met before, but I saw what she was saying and pretty much followed suit. I knew these people, I liked these people, and wanted to hang on their words because of the respect I have for them. And it held true for her session, as well.
Some of the sessions I attended, all of which relevant, I knew the presenter well before the session (Jane, Tracy, etc.). Others, I had interacted with the presenters before, but they were unaware of the respect I had for them and their craft (Kevin, Clark, Sarah, etc.). Others still...well, they ran the show this year (Hi, Dave). Did I stick with comfortable faces? Maybe. But these, to me, are the faces of the Guild...and I was the most opposite thing to disappointed I could have ever been. And these folks, as Kevin commented, have slowly become good friends.
“Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit.” (Aristotle)
Again, should I maybe have stuck to takeaways as part of this wrap-up? Maybe. Who knows, maybe I'll write another one doing just that. But not now. Right now, I want to be thankful for involvement with the eLearning Guild, the DevLearn conference (and all their opportunities), the knowledge I've gained, and will continue to gain. I'm thankful, indeed, for that.
But down deep, and now on the surface, I know I am most grateful for my colleagues. My friends. Thanks for making it the best year ever. I'll see you next year.
SR
“You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” (AA Milne)
DevLearn...Vegas or wherever it ends up...DevLearn...
Is it an eLearning conference? Is it group therapy? Could it possibly be both? I'd like to think so.
I will apologize straight away if, under the guise of a wrap up, you came here expecting what my top 3 or 5 takeaways were. Or, maybe, what the 'next big thing' is going to be coming out of the Guild...maybe that's what you came here for. God forbid you came here for an answer of any sort...if you find one, let me know. I tend to have more Qs than As. No, I write this wrap up as a realization of one thing: DevLearn, itself.
Having now been a repeat visitor to DevLearn four times over now, something's becoming more and more clear to me. This conference is, by far and away, THE annual meeting of the eLearning minds you should attend if you care about the industry. And when I say care about the industry, I don't mean the newest buzzword, concept, theory, or trick. I mean what people are doing every day, in every job, no matter how remote, small, or seemingly inconsequential.
DevLearn is about the people. And I've learned something about these people, at least a select lot of them, that I didn't realize in conferences past. Whether I was too young, too insecure, too new, or whatever the fault was, I thought it couldn't possibly be so...but it is:
These people are my friends.
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . .” (CS Lewis)
I looked to a significant segment of the folks that attended this conference and, egotist that I can be on my home turf, would step back slowly into the shadows when it came to these people I respect...even revere in some instances. But I realized...I woke up this time around and saw that they were just as happy to see me...that they were just as happy to listen to an idea I had about something, or a question I needed to raise. What started with a casual piece of feedback here and there developed into late night conversations about the industry...about our jobs...or not.
In speaking with one of these friends (Tracy Parish), we discussed for a moment, over lunch, what we'd be attending. And what we realized was that we weren't necessarily attending sessions based on the subject matter, but, rather, the presenter themselves. Now, don't get me wrong - I saw a couple sessions from people I hadn't met before, but I saw what she was saying and pretty much followed suit. I knew these people, I liked these people, and wanted to hang on their words because of the respect I have for them. And it held true for her session, as well.
Some of the sessions I attended, all of which relevant, I knew the presenter well before the session (Jane, Tracy, etc.). Others, I had interacted with the presenters before, but they were unaware of the respect I had for them and their craft (Kevin, Clark, Sarah, etc.). Others still...well, they ran the show this year (Hi, Dave). Did I stick with comfortable faces? Maybe. But these, to me, are the faces of the Guild...and I was the most opposite thing to disappointed I could have ever been. And these folks, as Kevin commented, have slowly become good friends.
“Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit.” (Aristotle)
Again, should I maybe have stuck to takeaways as part of this wrap-up? Maybe. Who knows, maybe I'll write another one doing just that. But not now. Right now, I want to be thankful for involvement with the eLearning Guild, the DevLearn conference (and all their opportunities), the knowledge I've gained, and will continue to gain. I'm thankful, indeed, for that.
But down deep, and now on the surface, I know I am most grateful for my colleagues. My friends. Thanks for making it the best year ever. I'll see you next year.
SR
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Session 502 - Unlocking The Knowledge Potential Of Your Organization (Clarke)
"We all suffer from FOMO...Fear Of Missing Out. We're not suffering from Information Overload, we're suffering from Information Obsession...even Information Subscription."
HARNESSING KNOWLEDGE
Sarah is a user-experienced designer by trade, originally from Dublin (hence, the accent). She opens with a question...quite a pointed one: Why is so much valuable information locked away in people's minds, mails and memos when we're more social then every before? We're more in contact than ever before...constantly. And, yet, when someone leaves the organization...knowledge goes. Someone changes roles, knowledge drains out...a little to a lot. There are three facets to this problem that need
to be addressed, reviewed, analyzed, and, ultimately, planned for:
SOME FACTS AND NUMBERS...
Where does information come from in organizations?
- 10% comes from Formal Learning
- 20% comes from Mentoring, and Feedback
- 70% comes from On-The-Job
(In other words, 90% comes from interactions among people.)
- 67% of organizations employing social software noted increases in the level of employee autonomy
- 18% experienced an increase in employee engagement.
- 20-25% increase in productivity in organizations that have implemented a Knowledge Management Platform
Oh...and email is where knowledge goes to die. Just sayin...
WHO, WHAT, AND HOW IN THE SOLUTION
Who?These are the broadcasters, the experts, the advocates, and the champions.
What?
The platform...not necessarily Enterprise (that would be insanity), but the knowledge platform itself.
How?
It's not enough to have a platform in place, it's about getting your users engaged. It's changed from being on e directional to being constant and non-linear. Sometimes, you need to be able, though, to influence the conversation (otherwise, why have the platform and audience available to you?). It's difficult because these are adults and they already have social media personally in play outside of work, and now you're going to enforce rules?
You can make it more appealing by making it Repetitive and Addictive. "Borrow Brilliance" - Roll with what you already know (either from yourself or others), and repackage for your folks (and hide your source when you can). This video clip nails it perfectly:
"A Branding Lesson" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy-xh9OT5hI
FURTHER ON THE HOW
Find ways to help them collaborate...get them together. Coffee. It's seemingly universal, but not just coffee...more a Starbucks culture. Yes, we're having coffee, but let's do something, too. Make your platform "Starbucks-ish". To bring attention to your brand, be Miley Cyrus...with intelligence and higher levels of acceptability. But, by all means, be a rock star. Use the look/feel of a known brand...like Apple. The way apps look? The way it vibes? Make it look similar...make it feel similar. Not necessarily identical, but similar. Don't be afraid, through training and educational content, to get people's attention. Like LG:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4uPN_W2htU
(Who's NOT buying that TV?)
WHAT'S OUT THERE?
Jive, Tibbr, Yammer, Saba, IBM Connections - They're all out there, they all have similar features with benefits to each. Jive is fastest growing and largest. Yammer is most like Facebook. Tibbr is the perfect fit for SharePoint integration. Saba is cloud-based. IBM Connections is award winning, constantly updated.
Find the best and most intuitive system that works in your organization, base on your audience, broadcasters, champions, etc. Find what allows self-promotion. Be able to spread the word and encourage adoption, and, conversely, receive your feedback and evaluate/re-evaluate. Even if you have a good piece of technology in place, be looking for a great piece of technology.
CONCLUSION
It's common sense in nature, absolutely. And, yet, to hear it spoken and laid out in an organized fashion, rather than contemplating in a half-panic, it makes that much more sense. Lay all this in place, you will unleash potential. You will unlock your organization's intelligence.
HARNESSING KNOWLEDGE
Sarah is a user-experienced designer by trade, originally from Dublin (hence, the accent). She opens with a question...quite a pointed one: Why is so much valuable information locked away in people's minds, mails and memos when we're more social then every before? We're more in contact than ever before...constantly. And, yet, when someone leaves the organization...knowledge goes. Someone changes roles, knowledge drains out...a little to a lot. There are three facets to this problem that need
to be addressed, reviewed, analyzed, and, ultimately, planned for:
SOME FACTS AND NUMBERS...
Where does information come from in organizations?
- 10% comes from Formal Learning
- 20% comes from Mentoring, and Feedback
- 70% comes from On-The-Job
(In other words, 90% comes from interactions among people.)
- 67% of organizations employing social software noted increases in the level of employee autonomy
- 18% experienced an increase in employee engagement.
- 20-25% increase in productivity in organizations that have implemented a Knowledge Management Platform
Oh...and email is where knowledge goes to die. Just sayin...
WHO, WHAT, AND HOW IN THE SOLUTION
Who?These are the broadcasters, the experts, the advocates, and the champions.
What?
The platform...not necessarily Enterprise (that would be insanity), but the knowledge platform itself.
How?
It's not enough to have a platform in place, it's about getting your users engaged. It's changed from being on e directional to being constant and non-linear. Sometimes, you need to be able, though, to influence the conversation (otherwise, why have the platform and audience available to you?). It's difficult because these are adults and they already have social media personally in play outside of work, and now you're going to enforce rules?
You can make it more appealing by making it Repetitive and Addictive. "Borrow Brilliance" - Roll with what you already know (either from yourself or others), and repackage for your folks (and hide your source when you can). This video clip nails it perfectly:
"A Branding Lesson" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy-xh9OT5hI
FURTHER ON THE HOW
Find ways to help them collaborate...get them together. Coffee. It's seemingly universal, but not just coffee...more a Starbucks culture. Yes, we're having coffee, but let's do something, too. Make your platform "Starbucks-ish". To bring attention to your brand, be Miley Cyrus...with intelligence and higher levels of acceptability. But, by all means, be a rock star. Use the look/feel of a known brand...like Apple. The way apps look? The way it vibes? Make it look similar...make it feel similar. Not necessarily identical, but similar. Don't be afraid, through training and educational content, to get people's attention. Like LG:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4uPN_W2htU
(Who's NOT buying that TV?)
WHAT'S OUT THERE?
Jive, Tibbr, Yammer, Saba, IBM Connections - They're all out there, they all have similar features with benefits to each. Jive is fastest growing and largest. Yammer is most like Facebook. Tibbr is the perfect fit for SharePoint integration. Saba is cloud-based. IBM Connections is award winning, constantly updated.
Find the best and most intuitive system that works in your organization, base on your audience, broadcasters, champions, etc. Find what allows self-promotion. Be able to spread the word and encourage adoption, and, conversely, receive your feedback and evaluate/re-evaluate. Even if you have a good piece of technology in place, be looking for a great piece of technology.
CONCLUSION
It's common sense in nature, absolutely. And, yet, to hear it spoken and laid out in an organized fashion, rather than contemplating in a half-panic, it makes that much more sense. Lay all this in place, you will unleash potential. You will unlock your organization's intelligence.
Session 413 - Collaborative Learning: Defining Use Cases and Success (Wong)
INTRO - POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
Collaborative Learning - A positive concept, but according to Connie, it immediately evokes some negative terms. "No return", "Gen Y", "Hype", and so on...certainly holds truth, and certainly is one of the reasons we are perpetually held in a state of approval seeking.
NEW VERSUS OLD LEARNING CULTURE
Traditional
- Control
- Protected Communication
- Tethered
- Borders
- The "Place" for Learning (LMS)
- Programs, Delivery, and Measurement
- Learning Events
- Driven by Learning Dept
Modern
- Reliniquish
- Transparent Communication
- Mobile
- Borderless
- Facilitator/Enabler
- Anywhere/Everywhere
- Undefined by Events
- Driven by the Learner
HOW DID MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS LAUNCH THEIR COLLABORATIVE PLATFORM
Identify Use Cases
The core development team looked at the cases...ultimately, if people collaborate more, it will increase productivity. I think that goes without saying. When you collaborate, you get better. Smart Business Sense, Streamlines and Increases Communication Effectiveness, Compounds the Power of Knowledge, and Causes Connect & Flow of knowledge. Alignment of Business and Performance Objectives aids, as well.
The process of identifying these use cases is simple: SME Identification --> Managed Business Area --> Work Team Enablement --> Dynamic Information Sharing --> Personalized Information Flow.
It's not about how to use your collaborative platform, either...it's about how to use it to impact your team's performance. Also, with regards to the collaborative platform, there are specific roles required for that platform: Executive Leaders, Functional Strategy Lead, Community Manager (censor, filter, monitor, stimulate), Advocates (cheerleaders), Users, and Support Team.
"Every user is a teacher...can help you teach users through use themselves."
Learning Solutions That Support Use Cases
5 TACTICS TO ENGAGE THE LEARNER
1.) Power to the People - Users/employees post a question, as an organization post once...let "them" get in there and get dirty. This tactic touches on Relinquishing Control, Transparent Communications, and being Driven By The Learner.
2.) Curator vs Creator - In some of the cases in Connie's situation, it's not about the training solution specifically, it's about being able to find what they need (and allowing the employee to play a part in redirecting 'lost souls'. This tactic touches on Facilitator & Enabler of Learning and Continuous Learning.
3.) Just-In-Time - If people don't see answers, they're not going to come back. (Awesome point). Having a collaborative platform that is up 24/7 allows for that sense of immediacy for the learners. This tactic touches on Mobile, Borderless, Continuous Learning, and Driven By The Learner.
4.) Adapt & Practice - You have to 'try'. You have to be willing to not get it perfect, and you have to be willing to try new things. This tactic touches on Transparent Communication, Facilitator/Enabler of Learning, Rich Environments, Continuous Learning, and Driven by the Learner.
5.) Motions vs Motives - Pay attention not just to what people need to know, but why they want to have that knowledge gap filled in. When in need, they will listen/tune in. And don't just focus on occupational needs...if you can tie in to out of work, it's even more effective.
5 WAYS TO MEASURE THE IMPACT OF COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
Nice to hear about all of this, but is it 'moving the needle'. That's the million dollar question.
1.) Traditional Methods Still Apply - Use paper surveys, use focus groups, break out the email form...they all will still be data.
2.) Vitality Reports - Behavior statistics are important, and those stats should drive actions in your organization.
3.) Have You Asked? - Face to face, totally random...just ask. You'll be surprised at how much people will like to share.
4.) It's Happening - Sometimes, unorganizedly, you just have to grab the data and give it a look. When the users are answering other people's questions and taking part, that's proof of effective learning. Also, let them know that the business is benefitting, as well. Invite community managers (social media refs) to share success stories.
5.) Know What To Look For - Learning Measurement (which should be identified early on in the process) starts at the planning stage.
CONCLUSION
You just have to jump in...it won't be perfect. But, at the same time: Don't jump in. Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean it's right for your gig. How are you training and how will this work with it? Experiment with it, play with it, run with it and see what happens.
Collaborative Learning - A positive concept, but according to Connie, it immediately evokes some negative terms. "No return", "Gen Y", "Hype", and so on...certainly holds truth, and certainly is one of the reasons we are perpetually held in a state of approval seeking.
NEW VERSUS OLD LEARNING CULTURE
Traditional
- Control
- Protected Communication
- Tethered
- Borders
- The "Place" for Learning (LMS)
- Programs, Delivery, and Measurement
- Learning Events
- Driven by Learning Dept
Modern
- Reliniquish
- Transparent Communication
- Mobile
- Borderless
- Facilitator/Enabler
- Anywhere/Everywhere
- Undefined by Events
- Driven by the Learner
HOW DID MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS LAUNCH THEIR COLLABORATIVE PLATFORM
Identify Use Cases
The core development team looked at the cases...ultimately, if people collaborate more, it will increase productivity. I think that goes without saying. When you collaborate, you get better. Smart Business Sense, Streamlines and Increases Communication Effectiveness, Compounds the Power of Knowledge, and Causes Connect & Flow of knowledge. Alignment of Business and Performance Objectives aids, as well.
The process of identifying these use cases is simple: SME Identification --> Managed Business Area --> Work Team Enablement --> Dynamic Information Sharing --> Personalized Information Flow.
It's not about how to use your collaborative platform, either...it's about how to use it to impact your team's performance. Also, with regards to the collaborative platform, there are specific roles required for that platform: Executive Leaders, Functional Strategy Lead, Community Manager (censor, filter, monitor, stimulate), Advocates (cheerleaders), Users, and Support Team.
"Every user is a teacher...can help you teach users through use themselves."
Learning Solutions That Support Use Cases
5 TACTICS TO ENGAGE THE LEARNER
1.) Power to the People - Users/employees post a question, as an organization post once...let "them" get in there and get dirty. This tactic touches on Relinquishing Control, Transparent Communications, and being Driven By The Learner.
2.) Curator vs Creator - In some of the cases in Connie's situation, it's not about the training solution specifically, it's about being able to find what they need (and allowing the employee to play a part in redirecting 'lost souls'. This tactic touches on Facilitator & Enabler of Learning and Continuous Learning.
3.) Just-In-Time - If people don't see answers, they're not going to come back. (Awesome point). Having a collaborative platform that is up 24/7 allows for that sense of immediacy for the learners. This tactic touches on Mobile, Borderless, Continuous Learning, and Driven By The Learner.
4.) Adapt & Practice - You have to 'try'. You have to be willing to not get it perfect, and you have to be willing to try new things. This tactic touches on Transparent Communication, Facilitator/Enabler of Learning, Rich Environments, Continuous Learning, and Driven by the Learner.
5.) Motions vs Motives - Pay attention not just to what people need to know, but why they want to have that knowledge gap filled in. When in need, they will listen/tune in. And don't just focus on occupational needs...if you can tie in to out of work, it's even more effective.
5 WAYS TO MEASURE THE IMPACT OF COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
Nice to hear about all of this, but is it 'moving the needle'. That's the million dollar question.
1.) Traditional Methods Still Apply - Use paper surveys, use focus groups, break out the email form...they all will still be data.
2.) Vitality Reports - Behavior statistics are important, and those stats should drive actions in your organization.
3.) Have You Asked? - Face to face, totally random...just ask. You'll be surprised at how much people will like to share.
4.) It's Happening - Sometimes, unorganizedly, you just have to grab the data and give it a look. When the users are answering other people's questions and taking part, that's proof of effective learning. Also, let them know that the business is benefitting, as well. Invite community managers (social media refs) to share success stories.
5.) Know What To Look For - Learning Measurement (which should be identified early on in the process) starts at the planning stage.
CONCLUSION
You just have to jump in...it won't be perfect. But, at the same time: Don't jump in. Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean it's right for your gig. How are you training and how will this work with it? Experiment with it, play with it, run with it and see what happens.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
