Reflecting On The Journey

One last reflection.  I'll spare you the litany of working through a project as I'm quite certain you are tired of hearing about that!  But, I do find myself thinking back to where we all were in August and how far we've all come.

The most significant piece that I am taking with me is the "wisdom of the crowd" and what a beautiful thing that is.  I've always been a proponent of the two heads are better than one thing, but social media takes this to a whole new level.  I'm thinking specifically about what we've all learned from each other and just how willing we were to engage in that sharing.  It's really a beautiful thing to observe and participate in.  I'm left wondering how many challenges we could overcome as a people if we were able to do that more consistently.

I will continue to use many of the programs we've learned about, especially reader as it feeds my somewhat weird interest in information.  I'm also toying with continuing this blog, although I may rename it.  I'm currently considering "How to Raise Your 12 Year Old Without Killing Him".  Really, I think there would be a huge audience, we'll have to see.  Seriously, though, I found blogging to be very cathartic and it renewed an interest in writing that had been dormant for some time.   For that I will forever be thankful.

I am currently trying to figure out my mobile strategy.  I do not have the correct devices, so I need to do some research and purchasing.  The fact that I'm even interested still amazes me!  But, with Research next semester, I find myself thinking it would be much more convenient to be able to access information more frequently, when and where I want.  I feel the need to be able to take advantage of any down time I have.  However, that could just be me justifying the purchase of an iPad.  I think I'm starting to buy my own argument!  The mobile strategy is important to figure out Twitter as well, which I failed miserably at this semester.

For now though, I wanted to thank you all for the journey.  It has been very enjoyable and a richer one because of our commitment to each other as a learning community. 

Mountains and Valleys - Preserverance Pays Off

As I put the final touches on my project, I find myself in a rather reflective mood.  Maybe it's the Holiday as well, who knows.

This project has had mountains and valleys for me, not hills, mountains!  It seems like every time I figured something out (a valley) a big, old, ugly mountain loomed in the distance.  For example, once I figured out how to publish my projects (valley), they were too large to fit on a reasonable number of discs (mountain).  Found a disc that would work (valley) then the darn things wouldn't work on the proprietary system in our office (mountain).  Burn discs as DVDs (valley), didn't work (mountain), burn again and it magically works (valley).  It's been this way through the entire project, step by step.

So, I'm trying to figure out what that all means.  Did I have a significant learning curve when I started this venture.  Sure did.  Sort of like those crazy folks who run a hundred miles up and down a mountain.  We all have our own sort of marathons, don't we?  Did I have to select such a large project?  Not really, but I have this over active achievement motive that I failed to manage.  I can justify it with statements like, "The design warranted blending both audio and video to enhance the learners ability to comprehend and, thus apply, the subject matter".  But, in all honesty, I really did not have to bite off a project with multiple segments (I think I remember mentioning ego in an earlier post . . .).  Hindsight is twenty/twenty.

All that being said, I'm very happy with the final product.  And, I'm very happy that the product is "final"!

It's Great When A Plan Comes Together

I found myself amazed this week, I mean utterly amazed at how things are starting to come together on the tech front.  I'm sure, Robin in her infinite design brilliance, knew exactly how this would play out, but I could not have predicted the change. Nor was I all that sure about going through it when I started this whole process.

No, I did not figure out how to insert music at the beginning of my training video. But, I have let it go realizing that we are better off with the content than the bells and whistles.  Thanks for all of your support!  What I did realize yesterday as I was finishing a paper for another class was that I was not experiencing the usual headaches that accompany the final formatting, etc.  To use Jeewan's words - Eureka!  Could it be that by playing around with different technologies and programs it actually enhanced my ability to work more confidently within the old standbys like Word? 

I do believe that is exactly what has happened.  Seriously, no challenges with the table of contents, my appendices are not messed up, I don't have any mysteriously blank pages at the end of my papers that I can not delete.  What a blessing!  Plus, you should have seen me whipping out some pretty cool graphics. 

Honestly, I could not be more pleased.  Most of you are probably getting a little bit of a chuckle (or a big one), which is great!  But, I'd not realized how much  impact this could make.  In addition, I was watching the Office the other day and Jim was using Audacity to edit the audio of a book.  The fact that I know that is incredible!  Thanks for coming along on the journey. 

Technology Takes This Round

I thought I was done blogging about my project, then I hit a snag.  I knew it was too good to be true.

I am stuck.  Is it too much to ask to add a little bit of music to the beginning of my Camtasia project?  Now, admitably, I should have thought about this in the original design, right?  But, I thought this was all about being able to easily edit and add great things.  Alas, in my infinite technological wisdom, I may be mistaken.  Or, just unable to complete a realtively simple task. 

I've tried to import a music clip, I've tried to import an audacity file (which I really like as I got it to fade out), I've tried to import both the audacity file and the project as new media.  I've unlinked the audio from the video.  I've searched online for help.  What I found did not work, or I did not do it correctly, which is a distinct possibility.  I even tried the old walk away for a while, had a brilliant idea, which did not work. 

I'm at the point where I am evaluating the need for music in my project.  While it is not necessary for the content, it sure sounds nice as it cuts off eight seconds of the other audio, or moves the audio so it does not sync up with the video.  And, selfishly, I want it to be as cool as possible as I want to use this as a potential prototype for other projects we could do at work.  So, at the heart of it, it might be an ego issue and I have to let it go.  I think I might try a life line, then make my final decision.  Frustrating.

First Draft Delivered - And Accepted

I just presented the rough draft of my project to my client.  Now, don't get too excited, I'm married to him, so he pretty much has to like what I do.  But, he really liked what I did!  Yea!  Better yet, he thinks it will make a real difference in our business!

I've created a new employee training tutorial for one of the most fundamental systems in our business.  Just in time, too, as we're experiencing major turnover and this is needed badly. Why, you may ask?  Because we don't have a solid piece of training that is not word of mouth or passed down from employee to employee.  So, guess what happens.  It does not take long for fundamental systems to get watered down when the starting point you have is the last person who did it.  Who knows if they did "it" the way "it" was intended to do. 

So, this is the first attempt to have something solid, written down and even jazzed up a bit for not only new employees, but all employees to review.  I'm really excited for Todd and for our business.  I think it is a great step in the right direction.  We were able to blend audio and video to create a multi-faceted experience for the learner. 

I have a few bugs to work out, like why in the world won't my transitions work?  But I am happy with the progress so far!  I'll try to share one of the segments once I have the guts to publish it and then figure out how to upload it to my blog . . .  I'm sure I have those directions somewhere!

Tech Challenged Rears It's Ugly Head - Part III (and final)

It is done, well, not really, but I have fifteen little Camtasia projects that just have to be published.  They all include a bit of audio and video  It is far from perfect, but I learned A LOT this weekend!  I'll summarize for you here:

1.  It is possible for someone who really had no idea any of this existed to do it.

2.  Pay attention when you are recording your audio. If you mess up or stumble, don't worry about it. Just stop, take a breath and start over.  But, leave enough room so that it is easy to edit.  Editing out little fumbles is very time consuming, challenging and extremely frustrating.  This dawned on me at about project ten.  I am not a rocket scientist . . .

3.  When you video, give yourself some time on the video before you start.  Again, it gives some room for editing.  Another lesson I learned after the video was done.  Somethings I'll just have to live with!  For some reason, if I tried to delete the first few seconds of a video I lost the picture.  Needless to say, a black screen with audio was not the look I was going for.

4.  After all my soapboxing about PowerPoint, I didn't follow my own advice in a couple of the projects.  Upon review, there is one that could really benefit from some more work . . .

5.  That being said, you may have to take it easy on yourself and remember that the learning is in the journey, not necessarily the final project.  Here's what I mean.  I've got a couple of places in my project that I wish I could make better.  But, no matter how hard I try, I just can't quite get it.  So, I thought about my audience (the folks that will actually use the program, not the grade for this class) and wondered how much they will focus on the couple of baubles in my recording.  Fact is, they won't so I'm going to leave them.

I'm pretty sure some of this would have been easier with fancier tools, but I accomplished this all with free programs and an old computer with Vista as the operating system, which sometimes makes things funky.  (Somebody told me that, so I'm using it as an excuse!)  Seriously, I think my system was smoking by the time I got everything completed. 

I feel pretty good about the progress I've made.  Barring some minor technical difficulties, I plan to have my SME review the projects, then should be able to publish them.  Which, I'm quite sure will have it's own list of snafus . . .  More to come!

Tech Challenged Rears It's Ugly Head - Part II

I do not mean to blog about this all weekend, but I feel that it might just make me move forward.  So, here's where I'm at.  I've downloaded the trial of Camtasia.  Then quickly proceeded to do pretty much everything else I can think of but get busy.  So, everyone who wrote in their blogs recently has comments, email is up to date (all addresses), I straightened up the house, put a load of laundry in and, oh yeah, had a snack.  I'm not sure there is anything else I can do. I suppose I could post to the wiki or Twitter, but let's be serious, I don't want to go overboard.  So, time to buck up and get busy. 

Wish me luck. 

Tech Challenged Rears It's Ugly Head

Okay, it’s time to come clean.  I’m confessing here in hopes that it will cause me to move forward.  I’ve been having a discussion with myself for the past couple of weeks.  You know, the type of discussion you have sometimes with the good, white angel on one shoulder, the bad, red guy on the other.  Well, the discussion has culminated in a significant amount of procrastination and I now find myself at a crossroads in which I will have to act if I have any hope of submitting my project in time (or early so I can do other things on Thanksgiving weekend, like eat pie).

So, here’s my dilemma.  I know what I’m going to do for my project, even have the pieces all done; the last thing is to pull it all together.  I could stick with what I know, the good old recorded PowerPoint show.  I speak as if I really know about it, right?  Truth is I’ve done a couple because of our class and now I think I’m an expert.  Not so much.  Or, here it is, I could download a trial of Camtasia and go all out, by this I mean try something new. 

I know for most people it’s no big deal.  I even know, from my experience over the past ten weeks, that it really isn’t all that big of a deal.  Why am I now feeling this hesitation?  Is it because I’m doing something “for real”, something that we are going to use in our business?  Maybe.  There is certainly a level of fear I have about it not working.  Here it is, we proudly present the training disc to a new team member, they put the CD in and nothing goes.  Yes, that thought has crossed my mind.  But really, is that possible.  Based on prior experience, yes. 

Or is it a little bit of resistance to the supposed frustration I’ll probably feel as I work with a new program outside the relative safety of our underground bunker of a computer lab with all of my new techy friend’s right next to me?  Probably.  I’ve got it; I’ll turn the furnace on high in my house, go down in the basement storage room and get busy.  You all need to be aware that I’ve loaded you into my speed dial. 

So, what’s the hang-up?  Now I’ve got myself all worked into a frenzy which is causing the procrastination to procrastinate.  I’ve made my decision.  To heck with the tried and true way.  I’m downloading Camtasia tonight and tomorrow will begin to put thing together.  Hopefully I don’t look like this when I send you a note about it this weekend. 

I know you are all turning your phones off . . .

PowerPoint - Back On the Soapbox

It's planning season at my workplace, the time of year where we focus not on finishing up the year we are in, but in laying the groundwork for the year that is to come.  And, it's the time of year we brush off that good old PowerPoint software and get down to business.  The business of putting all information we have to share onto a screen or a hundred and let the learning commence.  Or is that let the information dump commence, I get a bit lost in all the bullet points and different fonts.

So, I'm back on my soapbox of using PowerPoint effectively, or at least giving it a shot.  But, this time I'm armed with some sage advice and examples of what might be.  Maybe it really is time to get back to basics and remember what we learned long ago (well, long ago for me, for others, not so long ago).  Just because we can jazz our content up a bit, does not give us license to forget the basic rules of creating a good presentation.  Alexandru Comin reminds us of these in his recent blog, Simplicity in Presentations and Why It Matters.  Here are a few of his points that I will be sharing with the leadership I work with on Friday in hopes to spare some of their audience from what I fear is an over utilization of a very effective tool.

1.  Design is everything, not design in the color scheme you want to use, but design of your presentation which should be completed before you sit down at the computer.  Then add in the bells and whistles.
2.  Take the complex and make it simple.  Don't dumb it down for your audience, use your creativity to make your topic simple to understand.
3.  Remember the rule of three - focus on three main topics or pieces of the puzzle.
4.  Remember the visual sense.  It is the most powerful.  Be creative with pictures, font and color!  But, remember, this is the polish of your presentation, not the meat of it.
5.  De-clutter your presentation and each slide.  Only incorporate what really supports the message, if it doesn't, get rid of it.
6.  Remember your audience.  Truth is, we are not hard wired to learn a lot in a short period of time.  So, the reality is, no matter how good your PowerPoint is, the chances of them actually learning something are pretty low.  Now, the chances of you exciting them to spend more time and learn something are pretty good.  Focus on that, get them excited to pick up your topic after the meeting and dive in!

It's that time of year again, I'm hopeful that we can implement some of these suggestions into our planning meetings.  They really do help to develop a great backdrop for the presentation and support both the presenter and audience in creating a road map to effectively communicating and understanding a point and maybe even enjoying themselves a bit. 

Technology in Learning - Right Before Your Very Eyes

This week I spent some time in our nation's capital.  While in awe of all there is to see there and the significance of it all, I witnessed the utilization of technology to enhance learning in several different places!  I have to preface this by admitting my amateur mistake.  I left home without my cell phone.  While I had intended to "unplug", I had not really intended to unplug that much!  I was amazed at how lost I felt at first, but, then slowly got used to the disconnected feeling.  I guess I have not officially lost my tech challenged status.

Back to my experience.  The first stop on our itinerary was the American History Museum.  Guess what one of the first things we saw was, well, after I noticed the mouse that we used in 1986, which looked like a box with a little clicker on it.  Very funny!  Oh and C3PO, could not miss him!  We ran into a group of kids all armed with digital cameras snapping photos while on a scavenger hunt in the Smithsonian.  How cool is that? 

So, it's cool on a number of different levels, right?  Let's admit it, living close enough to take a field trip to the Smithsonian is a top level experience.  Just seeing the exhibits is enough to take your breath away.  But, being able to utilize technology to enhance the learning experience is way up there.  I was reminded of my museum experience in 6th grade.  We went, we looked, we came home, we wrote a report about it.  Yawn.  These kids went, recorded what was important to them, in the way that was important to them, probably went back to class and used Animoto to create a video about what they say and what it meant  to them. I bet they even set it to music and maybe added some audio. 

I saw this over and over again throughout our visit.  Weeks ago I viewed a youtube video in which teachers were commenting on utilizing technology in the classroom.  One teacher mentioned that the students of today and tomorrow are so adept at finding content within their own world that there is little need for textbooks or formal education and curriculum.  Her point was that the outside world in which we live our daily lives is chock full of exactly what we need to learn.  Why put it all in a textbook, why not go out there and grab it!  It's certainly there for the taking.  And, maybe we don't have to have physical access to the Smithsonian to do it.  We just need to think creatively about our surroundings and think of different ways to incorporate it into the design of our learning experience.

Tips For The Overwhelmed Techy Want-To-Be

Feeling overwhelmed?  Wasn’t all this technology supposed to make life easier and less hectic?  Has it really done that for you, or do you find yourself trying to manage all the new goodies and gadgets?  I had to laugh this morning as I was reading a post from a friend of mine frantically looking for advice on how to dry out her 9 year olds iTouch after it presumably “fell” into the toilet.  And, wouldn’t you know, there were several comments about just how to do it!  Now that's collaboration!  No doubt there were some of us that may have been tempted to flush it and be done with for good!

But, that’s not really an option is it?  Technological advancement is here to stay.  But, we certainly struggle finding a balance with the cool factor and implementation into the normal rhythm of life.  Steven Anderson provides some sage advice that, although targeted at first year teachers, can help us to think this technology thing through and begin to develop our own strategies to deal with it. 

1.    Don’t try to do everything at once.  Pick one or two things and do them well so they become ingrained into your routine.  Then add something else.  Thinking we can do 5-6 things at the same time is not realistic.  Something will eventually have to give.

2.   If you are a techy and use these tools in a learning environment (or just at home), remember your audience.  Sometimes, less is more.  Just because you think it’s cool and very helpful, not everyone will.  Also, just because you can handle ten new ideas at one time, does not mean everyone can.  Look up, check out the faces of the people around you, are their eyes rolling into the back of their heads?  Time to stop and see how they are doing.  That means they are on overload.

3.   Everyone is overwhelmed.  You are not alone.  But, when you do, it’s your responsibility to step back and re-evaluate.  What is important to you, what are your priorities and how does technology fit into them.  Not how do I fit my priorities around technology.  It’s supposed to support us, not take us away from that which we deem to be important.

So, let’s all take number three to heart.  A break is good, focusing on what’s right for us is good.  Figuring out how to use technology to support that is good.  To get the most out of it, we have to figure out what we’re going to put into it and let it unfold from there.

Reflections of Reformed Late Adaptor (aka Tech Challenged Colleague)

I took yesterday off, well, not really, as I found myself reflecting on many of the topics we covered in class.  I loved video editing and am quite surprised with myself that I can do it, but more importantly that I am understanding how the concept works.  Which, for me, is much more critical than what button to push.  If I understand the concept, I can figure out the right buttons. 

So, that was cool.  But what really stuck in my mind was the discussion, or question we had about why we seem to be so willing to collaborate socially, but see very little of this carried over into the work world.  I've got a couple of things noodling around in my head.  I'll try not to get too deep, but I think some of this just might be.

Photo courtesy of momentscaptured 1.

I'm wondering if social media allows us to do things that we would never give ourselves the leeway to do face to face or with those that ultimately judge us in terms of performance reviews.  Sort of the 'dance when no one is watching, sing when no one is listening' approach to life.  As I write that, it makes me feel rather sad.  But, I think that it is exactly how many of us feel in our work lives.  And, honestly, it is something I subscribe to and I think many of us have as we've chatted about the challenges of blogging.  How many of us have thought, "I don't have anything to write about that anyone else would find interesting."  How many of us have found ourselves nervous before hitting that darn publish post button.  So, maybe it's a natural human phenomenon. 

Then we find someone like Ze Frank who is asking us to be a part of something new and different, something that is, on the surface, carefree and whimsical.  We are interested and get involved.  But, it's involvement without any strings attached, isn't it?  No one will be copying it down and using it in our performance review.  No one will be tucking it away and making a perception that might be pulled out in a job interview down the line.  No one even knows it's you.  It's safe, it's fun and it's free.  How many of us work in a climate we could describe as that?  Even the most positive organizational climates probably don't have those words attached.  Although it would be cool, wouldn't it?

So, I'm wondering if we are wiling to let ourselves go behind the curtain of our screen name in the pursuit of individual fulfillment.  But, when we walk through the doors of work, we assume a different armour, one which fits nicely into the corporate structure, but might not fit the real us very well.  But we make due until we can go home and fill our bucket again. 

The trick from a personal perspective is to marry the two, right?  The trick, from an organizational perspective, is to figure out how to find that passion that we are beginning to realize is sitting right in front of us and direct it towards solving some of the rather challenging issues that face us in the work world.  The problem is, none of them are really as exciting as taking a walk down an old path on Google Earth or writing a Haiku about a dog that was recently neutered. 

What Was Life Like Before Reader?

Photo courtesy of Michael Cornelius

How in the world was anyone able to manage reading blogs before Google Reader?  I’ve been reflecting over the past week about how much more information I know thanks to this program.  Would I have found interesting blogs to read before, yes.  Would I have found as many, absolutely not.   Would I have checked my favorite blogs every once in awhile for new posts, yes.  Would I have done it as frequently as Reader allows me to, no way!

So, I thought, what is it really that I’ve learned or been exposed to because of my new found relationship with Reader.  I thought I’d make a short little list.  This is in addition to all the cool sites we’ve found as a group.

Helpful information:

•  Google 411 is going away.  Very sad for me as I used this frequently.  But, seems Google has what they want from it and they are done offering the free service.  Get over it, it was free, nothing lasts forever.
• Wii streaming to Netflix no longer needs the disc.  How cool is that?  I must mention that I learned that I could stream through the Wii in class, so that really doesn’t count.
•  PowerPoint is really, really bad, unless you use it really, really well.
• There are thousands of Twitter tips that, in my elementary usage of Twitter, I have not employed.

The list could go on and on and on!

Nice to know:

• Google has a TV, what is next?  Oh, yeah, self driving cars.  I can't wait for the hover craft!
• iPads are now sold at Target!
• Face book is creating a phone, no they’re not, yes they are, no they’re not.
• How to make my own Storm Trooper helmet.
• Oh, yeah, Verizon might get the iPhone – again.

Bottom line, what a fabulous resource to manage the amount of great and not so great information that is available to us.  You never know what you don't know, do you.

**On another note, my recorded PowerPoint expedition went over very well.  There is definite interest in doing it again and sharing it with other leaders. Woo Hoo!

Forced Learning - Can You Really?

Photo courtesy of markhillary

How many times have you found yourself in front of a room full of hostages, forced to be in your training session or on your conference call because of a mandatory requirement disguised as a training event?  Is it possible for learning to occur in this environment?  Is the participant even ready or willing to receive new information or have they come in with a road block the size of Mount Everest? 

If this is the case, why do organizations continue to force learning?  Study after study has shown that it does not work, but we continue to try to prove the research wrong.  I find myself embroiled in this exact situation.  We have created an "experience" to help our leaders focus on the improvement of technical skills via a mandatory live meeting every Friday morning.  While the intent is well founded, the participants, as you can imagine, are less than thrilled.  I suppose they might just think there are other things they'd love to be doing on Friday morning. 

In her blog, If You Force Them, They Won't Learn, Jane Bozarth explains that this effort to require training does not serve the intended purpose of making the training event important, but in fact has the opposite effect of making the event a chore.  Something we must complete, thus stifling any sort of collaborative, peer to peer learning.   Which is probably what we would all love to see happen.

Here's the deal, I am not so sure that collaboration and learning can be engineered.  It seems to be something that comes about naturally.  However, in an environment in which one wants to control that collaboration occurring so you can see it and measure it, we tend to try to create ways to engineer it.  So many times this backfires damaging your organizational climate. 

So, when we do get folks together, it's important to follow some basic rules that apply across many lines.  Let's remember to be clear about our purpose, be efficient, let the learner take ownership, do things the learners are competent at and make it look appealing.  Because, at the end of the day, it's about creating an experience for the learner, not the organization, leader or facilitator.  Learning or collaboration is not something that can be checked off, it's just not something that can be forced.

Podcasts - What Role Do They Play In The Learning Plan?

I branched out this weekend and enjoyed a new podcast (while doing  a bit of landscaping).  I spent some time listening to Leo Laporte, The Tech Guy.  This podcast is really a broadcast of his weekly radio/video show so it was a little bit different experience.   His focus is anything techy, bringing his audience up to speed on hew software and hardware, trends within the industry and answering caller questions.

First of all, it was much more commercial which was a reminder of how “free” is actually marketable and can generate revenue.  He talked a lot about the wisdom of the crowd.  In fact, he uses a wiki for his show notes and encourages his listeners to create them.  I found this to be interesting and a great time saver for him.  He did admit that they are certainly not comprehensive!

Secondly, I found the format to be enjoyable.  I liked the fact that he took listener questions as it made me feel very comfortable, some folks have some of the same questions I have.  What I found myself enjoying the most was that I could consume this information on my time table when it was important to me.  I’ve always listened to talk radio, but now I have the opportunity to catch the program when I have the time or the patience to really listen to it (albeit when I’m planning numerous, I say again, numerous shrubs).  So it’s my learning, my way, when I demand it or maybe better said, when I may be in the right state to learn.

In terms of learning and technology, that seems to be the piece that is resonating with me the most as of late.   The advances in technology have increased opportunities for us to utilize it within the design of the intervention.  This makes our content more interesting and user friendly, which is great. It has also increased the opportunity to build a better developed learning plan rather than an event based plan, regardless of what your event is.  We also have the opportunity to incorporate other schools of thought, or not just our own voices, but applications from the real world or examples of others working with the same content.  Podcasts allow just that, what are other people saying about some of the ideas we are discussing?  Learners and designers can now search for it, find it, listen to it on their terms and apply as necessary to their own situation. 

Yes, Virgina, There is a Santa Clause or Another Real World Application

I'm reflecting over my day and just had to share what happened (as I sit on the deck enjoying the lovely evening.  I know, a pattern, and again, if I start to wander I just want you all to realize it is happy hour).  Where was I, oh yes, sharing what happened today.

We are in the midst of making a rather bold strategic move in one of our states we do business in.  Yesterday, my leader asked my colleague and I to draft a business case to our executive office outlining why we want to move forward with this strategy.  We needed to be in a position to send it in today, that's just how we roll.  As we proceeded to put the written case together, I just couldn't help but think that there must be some way to enhance this.  Again, it is a rather bold move.  I found myself wondering if there was any way that a written, one page document could ever communicate the passion we feel behind the direction we feel we need to go. 

This morning I tested the waters.  "Would anyone be interested in doing a recorded PowerPoint to accompany the written document?  It would really help us to support the message we are trying to convey and let our leaders process the information through different mediums."  My leader was all in, the rest of my team was a bit apprehensive.  You know how you just don't really understand how something could work until you see it - that's how they felt.  So, I "whipped up" a ppt based on the exhibits we had in the written doc, wrote a script (that was not followed) and my leader had it recorded by early afternoon.  I have to say, he was amazing.  He jumped right in and really enjoyed being able to add his voice in more ways than one.  And, once my peers saw the level of quality we could generate pretty quickly, they were on board as well.



Photo courtesy of xtheowl

 I was on cloud nine.  We had a little issue figuring out how to share the larger file within company guidelines, but we got it out at 3.  A sure win in our eyes!  I sure wish we could use some of the programs we've discussed like Audacity and Jing, but we have what we have.  Maybe if more of us start to use this type of technology, it will encourage more programs to be available.

All in all, a win for us in utilizing the concepts!  I'm so proud of my team in their willingness to take a chance and try something new in a communication that is so critical to our business.  Jeez, I hope it opens up when they try to access it . . .

More Free Tools (and one not so free, but really cool)!

I just got home from class  and am relaxing on the deck (enough said, but if this blog starts to wander, you may know why).  Anyway, I wanted to share a couple of tools I learned about this weekend. 

We are working with Weebly to create our own website in which we are working through a case study applying several models we are working with.  I've been brutally honest about my tech abilities from the beginning, never in my life did I think I would be creating a web site.  Honestly, this program is SLICK and FREE!  Two of our requirements, right?  From a learning perspective, it's a really interesting way to process and play around with the content we are learning.  From a tech perspective, it's a really nice, easy to use program.  It would be fine to use with all levels of technological ability.  Just remember to advise folks to do their content work in Word, save it and copy over.  Enough said.

Here's a site for free PowerPoint games.  We used a few of them and they really are quite good.
Easy to use and engaging.  Give it a look and think about how it might enhance your next presentation.  I'm going to share it with our leaders as they are currently in the process of designing their fall planning meetings.  Maybe a little bit of fun in this challenging economic environment might just free up some creative thinking.

Oh and by the way, we got to play around with the iPad to conduct some research on a few exercises we were doing.  First of all, what a cool tool.  Secondly, what a great way to bring technology into the classroom, just bring the whole darn mobile device in and let people play around with it.  It was interesting to watch it unfold from the perspective of our emerging technologies class.  We had the entire spectrum of expereince levels represented in the class.  It was amazing to watch those more expereinced help those less experienced.  At the end, everyone loved them!  Note to self, hands on learning is not over rated.

Just a couple of ways that we might be able to enhance the learner's experience!

Ahhh, PowerPoint - Do I Have To?

Death by PowerPoint.  PowerPoint stinks.  )(@*#%)($& PowerPoint.  PowerPoint is not effective.  PowerPoint has been overused!  Do not use PowerPoint. 

The saga seems to go on and on.  In fact, we have heard so much about it that most of us are saying enough with the dissing of PowerPoint.  What if it really is what you have to work with?  I mean, really, what if it is the program that your corporation has and it is all you've got.  Well, that is the situation that I am in and so, I am faced with the decision to put up or shut up, aren't I?  I've done a little bit of research and it seems it's not entirely PowerPoint's fault, although it is so nice to blame the technology, isn't it?  It could just be operator error, whether it's not learning all there is to learn, not being creative or just not having any idea of what could be done to make a presentation more meaningful for the audience.  That was not a typo, I really did say the audience. 

This video takes us back to the basics of developing a presentation.  It's so important that we remember the presentation is not for the presenter, but it is a tool to help deliver the meaning of our presentation.  Five Rules for Creating Great Presentations utilizes PowerPoint to create a very engaging reminder of five guidelines we should all keep in mind the next time we rev up PowerPoint for a new presentation:

1.  Treat your audience as king.
2. Spared ideas and move people.
3.  Help them see what you are saying.
4.  Practice design, not decoration.
5.  Cultivate healthy relationships. 

These guidelines can help us to move the PowerPoint portion of our presentation (because that's what it is, a part of the entire package) to the background so it is supporting the message, not the vehicle delivering the message.  You see, the person presenting the message is still the most important part of delivering the true meaning of the message.  So, maybe it is time to get back on the horse and learn something new about an old mainstay.  Give it a chance, with the right operator, PowerPoint can be an effective tool in your tool belt!

Finally - Real World Application

I've not really been at a loss for ideas about how I might be able to apply some of the technologies we are learning about at work, but today I actually got the opportunity!  I was talking with one of our leaders about podcasts (I know you are surprised about that) and how they might be a great way to do some quick messages out to his team.  Also a great way to invoke the auditory sense and enhance communication, right?  "Well how would I do that?" he said.  Secretly, I thought, jeez, I don't know, I just like talking about this stuff.  Because I really don't know how to pull it off within the walls of the organization as there are uber strict rules about outside programs, etc., etc.

So, I thought the easiest way to give it a shot was a recorded PowerPoint.  We have that technology and know it works, so let's try it and we'll cross other bridges when we come to them.  "Well", he said, "I'd like to get together with you and maybe you can show me how to do that."  So, I came home and thought, really?  We need to talk about how to do that?  He's perfectly capable of pulling this off himself.  So, I sat right down and created a little Jing video for him.  Take a look:

Narrated PowerPoint Tutorial

Just to provide the appropriate update for you so you don't think this is all working for me, I did upload this to box.net and tried to add it here, but that did not work.  Not quite sure what I'm doing wrong as I'm sure I followed the directions.  I'll keep trying. But, on a nother note, I did get my netflix streaming issue resolved.  I"ll not be sharing the details of that, just that it is done.  There may have been a significant amount of operator error.

The Power of Repetition

A recent conversation I was involved in went something like this:

"How many times to I really have to tell them why?" said the leader.  "They are highly paid business people, shouldn't I just be able to tell them once and be done with it?  Seriously, do I really have to tell them again?" 

"Yes."

"But, for how long?"

"As long as it takes."

"Really?"

"Yes.  No joking."

"Are you sure."

"Pretty much."

Why is it that 2+2 does not always equal 4?  How much does the fact that humans are involved factor into the equation?  Significantly, in fact, especially when we find ourselves in uncertain times, times of change and evolution and times of great opportunity.  Many of us miss the true essence of leadership, the responsibility to be the "sensemaker" for those whom we lead.   (Anderson, 1971)  It is providing the why behind the why behind the why, then providing the why again.  It requires creating meaning from data and establishing a clear direction, oh yeah, then telling them why again. 

Intellectually, most leaders know this, but actually carrying out the communication strategy is extremely challenging.  Hence the frustration laced throughout the conversation above.  It is the old knowing/doing gap, isn't it.  I know what I should do, but darn it, doing it is really hard.  Or, in my core, I do not really want to do it to the level that I need to, it doesn't really jazz me. 

How can embracing technological advancements assist in "doing" it?  If we, as leaders, resist the temptation to lead via email and really create a communication strategy, the impact can be great.  We have to realize that communication does not always have to be one on one or via email.  Also, just because we wrote it, does not mean they understand it.  When left to our own interpretation, it is human nature to interpret what is written or said to my advantage.  So repetition and clarity are key.  It is time to put some thought into different ways to augment email communication.  Try to engage as many senses as we can through different mediums of communication.  Think about the frequency of the message and the fact that we have to hear something 7-14 times before we learn it.  The fact is podcasts, flip video, texting, social media, phone calls (not a type) and conversations offer great opportunities for leaders to engage with their teams and continue to build common understanding.

It's time to begin to use what is available to us!    What if you came in tomorrow and had a recorded message in your inbox from your boss, just wondering how it was going and don't forget what we talked about in the meeting last week.  How likely would you be to try to actually remember what that was?  Bottom line, varying your communication mediums works and with the daily noise we all face, it's critical to figure out what you are going to do.  Why is that, let me direct your attention to the first line . . .

Learning - It Really Is About The Journey or Podcasts Part 2



Photo by thms.nl

 More to share from the podcast experience.  Apparently, it's my week to focus on this dimension of technology.  If you read my last post, you may recall a particular reaction I had to some suggestions about what you might do while listening to a podcast.  Today, however, I found myself doing some of those exact things!  Truly, I am making progress.  Really, it was ever so simple.  Sort of like having folks in my kitchen with me, only I didn't have to entertain them.  Perfect!  I also took in a 'cast while driving. Much like my exercise experience, I had to drive around my neighborhood to finish.  Funny, I did not find this as bothersome as continuing my walk. 

I checked out some shorter podcasts by subscribing to Robin's Top 5.  Just about enough to get me to the grocery store and back!  I would particularly suggest this weeks podcast, Top Five Tips For Using Google Search.  While we learned a great deal of this in class, I found the review to be particularly helpful.  Maybe there really is something to that reinforcement of learning, and look, I just used a podcast to do it.  Fabulous!  Most importantly, I'd like to draw your attention to tip #1, setting up Google Alerts.   While the alert function is great, Robin walks us through setting up an alert in Google Scholar.  This was on my list of things to figure out as I wanted to set an alert for a particular subject matter that I am interested in for my research project next semester.  So, I went right in and set up that alert.  Scholarly articles will soon be flooding my inbox!  Let the lit review begin.

You might want to consider listening to this podcast in front of your computer.  Clicking along with Robin as she goes through the tips would be very helpful.  Especially if you are new to Google and all it has to offer.  It was very good in the car and of course, you can always check out the notes on the website.

I also listened to TLW 015:  You Have Poppy Seeds In Your Teeth while messing around.  Great discussion on feedback and the importance of it, potential new technologies and the relevance of the training department.  Very enlightening and a great way to stay in up with what is going on in our industry.

So, the journey continues.  What I thought I would never do, in fact I am doing and finding it quite enjoyable.  Now, to find some content that I like on my own.  Anyone finding any podcasts that they are enjoying?  Let me know, I've got some dishes to do!

The Hidden Value of Podcasts

I am recording another first!  I officially listened to my first podcast on Tuesday and found a hidden value in them - more to come on that!  I had subscribed to a few and even downloaded them to iTunes (I'm not sure, but that might be the same thing), but had not taken the plunge yet to listen to them.  I mean, really, who has that kind of time?  Who can find an hour to sit and listen to something.  Although I seem to have absolutely no problem finding an hour to watch a meaningless TV show.  But, I attribute that to needing a break.  Up to now, I've labeled listening to a podcast as "work" and certainly not as much fun as a good Big Bang Theory episode.  Honestly, Sheldon just makes me giggle.

This week I found myself with a little bit of time on my hands and a nagging issue of an unresolved goal that involved listening to a podcast.  Someone I have immense respect for suggested that one might consider listening to a podcast while doing other things around the house, i.e. dishes, cleaning, yard work, exercise, etc.  Just hook up your mp3 player and you're good to go.  I think I may have even rolled my eyes, although I 'm sure I had respect enough to turn my back.  It is graduate school . . . 



Photo by Ed Yourdon



With all excuses exhausted, I remembered this suggestion and found myself heading out for a walk on a beautiful fall afternoon, nano hooked up and ready to go.  Not with the traditional Bon Jovi blaring in my ears, but with TLW: 014 PPT Doesn't Bore People; People Bore People a podcast from Today's LearningWorkplace going strong.



I have to tell you, I had such an amazing experience!  The content was spot on and I found myself not missing Jon and the boys.  Here's the hidden value I promised - I found that I had to keep walking to finish the darn podcast.  I even had to throw in a little bit of yard work!  I am not an exercise junkie, so on one hand, this did not make me happy!  I mean, seriously, how many more blocks can they keep talking!  On the other hand, I can not remember something that kept me moving to finish it.  To top it off, I was wishing that I had  pen and paper to jot notes, and was very relieved that show notes are available on the website.



The past few days have presented an opportunity to reflect on how I would have been able to learn about all the different topics that were covered in this one podcast.  It certainly would have been many articles, probably a few books and a seminar or two to be able to get ideas from three different professionals.  I was left wondering how this might be effective in an organizational setting.  What if we had the opportunity to hear our executives struggle with some of the questions the company is facing?  Would they seem more real (both the problem and the executive)?  Could this format be utilized to reinforce a learning "event"?  Maybe participants could discuss what they've implemented or tried and failed at? 

Bottom line, I was so surprised that I found it to be as engaging as I did.  I will be highlighting podcasts as a learning format for our leadership team who are on the road a lot.  Many of them listen to audio books, which is great, but the podcast may offer a shorter, more time sensitive way to gather information.  Plus, they all drive vehicles that have that little jack that makes playing our mp3 player so convenient.  (Admit it, you're a little surprised that I know about that, aren't you.)



Here's my number one tip - if you're heading out for a walk, be sure to check the length of the  podcast or you might just find yourself over exercising.  Goodness knows, we don't want to encourage that!  My second tip - give podcasts a try, you might just find a whole new world of information just waiting to make an impact in your life!



The Power of the Story



Photo by Idovemani

 From our earliest years story telling has had a powerful influence on us.  For many of us, it starts with bedtime stories, transitions to ghost stories around a campfire, then to family stories at reunions.  As we grow older, though, the frequency with which we engage in the skill lessens.  We tend to become much more serious about the messages that we need to convey and rely entirely on the lecture format.

As the complexity grows in our personal and business lives, there is a resurgence of the art of story telling, not just from an entertainment perspective, but from the perspective of creating a different way to engage listeners in critical messages.  If we add technology to this, it can be powerful indeed.  Technology provides us with the opportunity to stimulate additional senses and invoke personal memories that make the message stick.  But, to do it, it will take some time and planning.  Some digital storytelling tips will make it go much more smoothly and make your story more engaging.

Storytelling, an age old art that has never lost it's effectiveness, we just need to come around to it again!

Chronicles of A Tecno Novice

For your enjoyment, I'd like to offer my latest foray into the world of technology, as you can imagine, it was not without incident.  But, it went better than most.  Here we go. 

This was all a result of wanting to try out Google Instant, because it's supposed to be "so cool".  (Whatever, on the coolness scale, I thought the old one was just fine.  I do, however, still have a copy of the phone book in a drawer and a set of encyclopedias.)



Photo by Zak Klein

 So, I tried to download Google Instant to my web brower, which apparently meant that I had to upgrade my browser.  That's never a good sign.  I clicked away and eventually was told that I didn't have the right sort of package to do what I needed to do.  Okay, I had no idea what any of that meant, but I did get that it's not going to work and it's probably going to be out of my realm of understanding to get it to work.  Plus, did I mention that I've been just fine with the regular Google and the browser that's been working perfectly for some time?

But, I made myself a promise not to give up as easily as I might have say in early August.  So, I set out to try something new.  Not to fix the problem,  mind you, I knew that was way out of my skill set!  Recently I was  introduced to the site ninite.com which allows the packaging of lots of different free software and easily downloads it at once.  I remembered that there were some different web browsers available there.  Now, I must admit, I'm not really sure why one needs multiple web browsers, but do recall others saying they are really "cool" and, I believe, "wicked fast".  Well, wicked fast is right up my alley and maybe, just maybe I could get Google Instant on one of those so I can enjoy the life changing impact that enhancement will have on me, or I can just say that I got something to work. 



Photo by Microlins

 So, I checked out ninite.com, sure enough, there they are.  I selected Google Chrome, Firefox and Opera and throw in Hulu for fun (because it really is pretty cool).  Sure enough, the download went very smoothly and everything worked!  I must say, they really are very nice and being able to package free software for one time downloading is perfect.  In addition, I tried Google Instant on Google Chrome and it was pretty slick.

The only downside is that now I can't stream my Netflix through my Wii anymore (another foray into the world of technology). It says my web browser is not current.  So, now I am going to have to face that problem.  Why is it that it worked before I tried this whole adventure and it's working on my computer, but not streaming to the Wii.  That's just not making sense.  I'm sure there will be content for another blog in that experiment.  I may have to call my neighbor in for tech support or practice the tried and true ignore it and hope it will work the next time I try it strategy!

What's The Real Value of Technology in Learning?

I have the entire day to myself (Go Hawks), which leaves a lot of room for the mind to wander. I was driving to the Farmer's Market this morning (did I mention I have the day to myself and it is lovely?) and I found myself thinking about the value of some of the technological advances we are learning about in the adult learning process. Seriously, with all the other things to wonder about, this is what I found myself pondering.

Here's what I was thinking. Book after book, article after article, study after study talk about the importance of repetition in learning. As adults, we have to mess around with a topic or bit of information 7-14 times before we form a memory, or we "learn" it. Since, not if, that is the case, how can we leverage technology to actually support this fact instead of ignoring it. I believe that while we intellectually know this to be true, as learning professionals we are all secretly hoping that our learning intervention will be the one that magically only took once and the learning occurred. Well, that's probably not realistic. So, what can we do about it?

With so many programs available to us, many with wonderful options available for free such as Audacity, Jing and join.me, how can we leverage these within the design not just of an event, but in a learning strategy? What I mean is, can this technology provide additional opportunities for participants to interact with the content outside the actual learning event? How can we do a better job of designing a series of interactions instead of one touch with the content. What types of pre and post touches could we design?

In the real world many of these pre and post suggestions are discouraged due to monetary and time constraints. However, these programs allow us to create effective interactions that are inexpensive, short and available when the learner wants to access them. From an adult learning perspective, it allows the best of both worlds. The ability for the learner to engage with the content several times in different types of interventions at a time that they determine is right for them. From a business perspective, it allows for inexpensive and effective design which can lead to real learning and real results. Who doesn't like the sound of that!

Texting While Driving? An App to Help You Out

We all know texting while driving is a bad, very bad thing.  However, a large number of us still do it, sort of like smoking, I think.  Whatever your belief is about second hand smoke, it's hard to argue the fact that texting while driving puts a number of others at risk. 

Here's some information about an app that sends a return message to any texts you get during a time you really don't want to or shouldn't be returning a text.  It's available for Android right now, operates as a widget from the Pocket Agent app.  They are working on an iPhone app.  More to come.  You can find the app for free on Android Market or learn more about it here:

On The Move Texting App

Download it today, turn it on when you are in the car, movie or somewhere you don't want to be disturbed and relax. That text will wait, at least for a little bit!

Uploading To The Cloud

Photo credit:  Dimensions

How is it that we've survived as long as we have by sending attachment after attachment back and forth between our co-workers or partners as we collaborate on a project?  You know how that goes, right?  Inevitably someone updates the document from three revisions ago, no one really knows what version is the "right" version and ultimately, you find yourself redoing what once was probably pretty good work.  Well, leave it to the folks at Google to simplify our lives with Google Docs.  I know this has been available for quite some time, but as usual, I just found out about it.  Yes, a little slow on the uptake.  I was busy revising attachments . . .

All you need is a Google account and the world is opened to you. Honestly, I'm not sure how any of us survived without one.  Anyway, with that little account, you can access Google Docs and your days of updating attachments are numbered, my friend!  Wow, that just feels good to say it, doesn't it?  Check out this little video I made to help you through the updating process.  I didn't really make if for you.  You can find a blog, I figure you can probably figure out how to update a darn file.  Really, it's pretty intuitive.  I figured it out for gosh sakes.  But, I did make if for my mom and dad who are even less techy than me.  I'm thinking if my mom can do it, anyone can!  So, I'm testing the video out on her. Maybe you've got someone similar in your family (or workplace).  Hope you find it helpful!

Uploading Files to Google Docs

Technology Novice Actually Gets Something To Work (Relatively Speaking)

I did it, yeah, yeah, I did it!!!  I am so excited.  I just completed my first tokbox video chat with two of my peers!  I am so excited.  Why, you might ask?  Because this sort of thing never, may I emphasize never, works for me.  Hence the name of the blog.  Seriously, I am not kidding.

I learned about tokbox yesterday and was interested because you can video chat with more than one person.  I've used Skype a couple of times and have been ever so happy with it, but I really wanted to try to see if we could see each other for our meeting today.  Remember, I'm old school, I tend to believe that communication is even more effective when we can see each other.  Well, maybe not so much.  While we found it to be wonderful to see each other, the feedback from the audio and different quality of our images was a bit distracting.  But, honestly, I was so darn excited that we got the video and audio to work that I didn't notice as much.  My peers, however, did not agree.  So, next weekend, we're spending a bit of time with Skype!  I'll be interested to compare the experience now that I've been able to utilize another type of program.

I do have to share that I tried it out with my sister and brother-in-law this morning. (Yes, I had to do a dry run before my meeting . . .   And, yes, that's me not trusting that everything is going to work.)  We were not able to sustain the video and audio throughout the entire conversation.  But, I got to see them both which was great as it has been two years since I've seen them.  What a gift to be pushed out of one's comfort zone to give something a try!