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!

Weekend 2 Reflections

Wow - where to start, where to start. I think it's great to say that I don't feel as disconnected as I did at the end of our first weekend. I feel like that is some real progress! I attribute it to the processing that I've been doing over the past few weeks. Oh yeah, I guess we call that blogging . . . So, I feel like I'm in a pretty good place, especially with only one serious technological issue to work through today!

But, seriously, looking back over the weekend, I feel that I need to start branching out into the more technological aspects of the class, not just the learning theory aspect. So, that will be a bit out of my comfort zone. I've got a list of several blogs that I'll subscribe to and followed some techy looking folks on Twitter. I guess I also found a few podcasts to fit in as well.

I'm fascinated by the free sites that we looked at. Especially Tokbox which I will be using with a learning team tomorrow. I'd also like to take a deeper look at Google Voice. We learned about some great ways to add voice and video into our design tool belts. But, as I think about my project, the best way to go may still be recorded PowerPoint. If for no other reason than I have it and it provides some more functionality without an additional investment.

So, here's where I'm at. I've learned that there are a lot of different ways to do some of the same sort of things. You really have to figure out what the best way is for the content you have to deliver. I believe that you have to weigh the content, the audience and your excitement over a new piece of technology and make the best decision at the time. If not, you run the risk of using technology to use technology which can lead to the audience discounting the content or becoming irritated. All good things to consider when the goal at the end of the day is learning, not impressing others with your grasp on bells and whistles.

Wendy's Link

This is my first posting with an audio feature!  I'm feeling quite accomplished, usually I'm unable to get anything technological to work!  What a great feeling.  Only a little bit of frustation in getting headsets to work, etc., etc.  But, I was expecting much worse! 

Tech Tools - Making Life Easier or Broader

I'm currently find myself learning about a significant number of tech tools and programs that I really didn't know existed.  Seriously, how many people really know that Google is so much more than a place to find the address for the restaurant you overheard someone talking about?  I sure didn't.  Fact is, it's a tremendous tool for both personal and business use, not to mention learning.  Couple that with programs like Skype and you can create a really powerful experience.

At first I was having difficulty finding a place to put all of this technology, wondering if I really have the time

to integrate the programs into a daily routine.  (I know, thank goodness she might be

moving to a different place, right?) Now I find myself wondering if these tools just might open up a whole new world.  I mean that in a couple of ways.  First, I am beginning to think that if you have a strategy for integration, these tools can increase your efficiency.  I think of what I am discovering by using Google Reader and the subscription functions.  It really is saving a significant amount of time.  Secondly, what is out there to learn from others that I can't learn without being able to reach them?  Really, what is someone in London wondering about?  Today, you can find that out and maybe it's the same thing you are wondering about and how cool would it be if you could wonder together?

What about the connectivity opportunities provided by a program like Skype.  Now we are not only talking to each other, but have the critical relationship building piece of seeing each other as well.  From a learning perspective, it makes for a much more effective discussion.  When you couple that with the sharing capabilities of Google Docs, imagine just who we could be collaborating with. 

I'm pretty old school, so what it seems to offer from a learning perspective is the ability to take the old "pen pal" notion and put it on steroids.  Individuals, classes adn businesses can talk across the world or across town.  The barriers of monetary investment are really no longer an issue.  It seems that we need only work through the creative process of how to leverage these tools within the learning or business environement and have the guts to let go of some of our controls or egos to give them a shot.  Then, sit back and see what happens!

The New Classroom

I've found myself taking a look at the role of technology from the pedagogy perspective lately.  I'm not sure if it is because of the advent of junior high in my household, or an unrealized long term interest.  But, I find it interesting as the way our traditional students are interacting with technology during their early learning experiences will influence their expectations as they get out into the work force.  I recently viewed a video that opened my eyes to the possibilities.  What if there are no classrooms, what if students operation in a virtual environment armed with a mobile device, learning while they go around town.  What if the world really is their classroom?  You might find the video interesting!  I found myself wanting to be a part of that type of classroom, definitely inspired by the passion of the teachers highlighted and wondering what it all means to the business world.  Check it out at: 

Learning to Change - Changing to Learn

I also find myself wondering about the role of the educator or the facilitator in a more virtual learning environment.  In our Adult Learning class we spent a fair amount of time discussing the Darkenwald & Merriam article "Adult Education:  Foundations of Practice" which outlines the four philosophies of adult education.  I found myself drawn to the personal development philosophy. This philosophy focuses on the content being whatever promotes individual growth, focus on the student and group interaction.  However, as I think about the future of education and the learning and performance industry, I find myself gaining an appreciation for the progressive philosophy where the teacher and learner are partners, content is drawn from the real world and problem solving is the main method of facilitation. 

Watching the video and listening to the teachers speak about how they will need to work differently to prepare today's student for tomorrow's opportunities, I'm struck by how the world outside academia is struggling to do much the same thing.  As these students transition into the work force, they will have very different expectations of how they work and the type of work they want to do.  Our focus may need to be in preparing the worker of today to work with and lead the worker of tomorrow.

I find myself still struggling to process this whole "free" thing.  While intellectually it makes sense, there is still a part of me (probably the part that is stuck in the 80's, well maybe 90's) that says, "Really, all of that is for free and people really are looking for ways to engage with others and offer their services just to be a part of something bigger?"  Well, yes, they do.  I'm pretty sure a significant part of it comes from my minuscule knowledge of what is really out there and, up to this point, a limited curiosity about it.  If you read some of my posts, you'll see this is a recurring theme.  You're probably wondering just when I'm going to get over it, right?  I'm processing, I'm processing!

I found some more information about several sites where you can upload your design and folks will give you feedback, for, hold on now, you guessed it "FREE".  You can read more about it at Excellent Websites To Get Design Feedback.  These sites cut down on the tried and true version of emailing whatever you are doing to your good buddy who provides the same feedback and advice he or she has provided for the past several projects you collaborated on.  It truly provides a much greater evaluation resource than what we have been able to muster with our old collaboration tactics.  Plus, think of the expert advice that is available from folks just looking for ways to share it!  It provides an example of many of the concepts that we learned about in Wikinomics.  Hmmm, creating a platform for those who have a common interest and expertise in which they can engage on equal ground, sharing and collaborating for the good of all.  Sounds like if you put it out there, you will get it back several fold if you ask me.  That's not a bad thing to be about.

Free At It's Best (In Other Words, A Saviour For 6th Grade Math)

Have you ever found yourself struggling with sixth grade math when you are in your forties?  I know, just when you thought you'd escaped the nightmare, your child enters into it.  And, who do they look to for help?  You of course.  Well, at our house, that's a humbling experience to say the least.  Now, we are facing seventh grade math.  I'm afraid we've started a pattern.

Imagine my delight when I discovered a site that was built to help with math concepts.  It's design is beautiful (I'd say that even if I didn't think I'd just found the gold at the end of the rainbow).  Really, it's based on simple, short learning videos focused on one concept at a time.  So, break it down and make it cool to learn.  Not rocket science, right?  The genius behind it is Sal Kahn who started tutoring his niece virtually and stumbled into a great learning tool.  Now the video learning site has expanded from basic math skills to trig, calc, geometry, science, history, business issues, the housing crash, finance, etc., etc.

Best of all, it's free.  It's a perfect example of what Chris Anderson describes in his book "Free".  Sal is creating wonderfully helpful tutorials for all the world to use.  Now, others are discovering it and it is growing exponentially.  Advertisers are starting to be very interested and revenue is beginning to be generated.  The tutorials though, are reaching students who have never had this type of content available to them.  The introduction our schools provide to our students is something that we take for granted.  Sal is bringing this to the world for free realizing his goal of providing free worldwide education through his academy.  Check out the Kahn Academy- but be careful - you'll probably learn something and have fun at the same time!  It's now a staple in my home and I'm wondering how I can introduce the adults I work with to the learning style!

Creating Useful, No, Impactful Presentations

How many times to do you find yourself reverting to the good old PowerPoint presentation to make a point?  We utilize it extensively in my world.  So much so that I think we actually believe that people are reading our slides and that the presentations are making an impact.  When, in reality, the presentation may actually be distracting for the audience and create a barrier to learning.  Like we need any additional barriers, right? 

The fact is, there are a number of different tactics we can take in the design of the presentation that allow us to create a presentation that supports the presentation instead of distracting from it.  This helps the learner to process the information in a way that might lead to a memory which is the foundation for learning to take hold.  Joshua Johnson provides some sage advice for those of us stuck in the world of PowerPoint.  If we're going to use it, we'd best use it to our advantage.  Check out his tips at:

10 Tips for Designing Presentations That Don't Suck - Tips 1-5

10 Tips for Designing Presentations That Don't Suck - Tips 6-10

I've made a pledge to myself to implement a few of these tips and am planing to share it with our leadership team.  I'm even thinking of a training session designed to help our leaders begin to understand that what they are saying is the important part of their presentation, not what is on the screen.  That may or may not be a reality.  I hope to help us all understand that PowerPoint is a wonderful support for a presentation, but it is in fact, a support.  We,the speakers, are still the most important part of the message.

We Are Better Together, Aren't We?

It seems that whatever we need to do, we are better together than apart. That by working together, we can provide many more solutions that we can individually. While intellectually, that makes perfect sense, in the real world we struggle to create environments where that actually happens.

It has been proven time and time again that open space provides an environment in which true collaboration can occur. Its lack of hierarchy and rules is very appealing to those who just want to find a place to be a part of something, to make a difference. A place to apply their skills and knowledge for the greater good regardless of who owns it or will make money from it.

It is this willingness to open up and give up ownership rights that seems to drive the true collaboration. It, in effect, seems to create the freedom to be creative and try new things. I wonder, since it has been so effective in the technical arena, what could happen with global issues. If we were willing to truly work together across social, economic, political and cultural boundaries, what is it that we could accomplish as peers working together? Could we create an environment of collaboration, develop solutions and improve those solutions continuously? I think so, and wouldn’t that be a great place to be?

But, we must be willing to take a risk, admit that we don’t have all the answers, or, in fact, any of them. We just have a problem that seems insurmountable to us, but may not seem so insurmountable to someone else. Will we be willing to do that or will our pride stand in our own way? As a country, a country that has enjoyed world dominance for many years, a country that has solved so many issues (and probably caused as many), will we be willing to ask for and accept help?  Will we accept ideas from great thinkers outside of our boundaries. Will companies be willing the do the same? If not, I fear we will shrivel up within the very walls that we build and fortify around ourselves instead of enjoying the prospect of broadening our horizons and enjoying the immense possibilities.

I found myself in a very interesting discussion last week regarding the use of technology in the classroom and the characteristics of the millenial audience in that classroom.  I was actually sharing some of the cool technology that we played around with in class, namely Poll Everywhere, with a couple of my baby boomer and gen X colleagues.  The question arose about rules regarding cell phones in schools.  Specifically "Does anyone even know what the rules are about having cell phones in class?"  This from the one Gen Xer that doesn't have a teenager with a cell phone growing off his fingers . . .  Those of us who did immediately responded "They are not allowed, they must be turned off and in their lockers at all times.  And thank goodness for that rule!"  Apparently we feel this way because the world would come to a screeching halt if students were allowed to carry a cell phone into class.

But then it dawned on me.  How are teachers supposed to be able to utilize some of the technological advances in learning when the school does not allow for the device that supports it to be brought into class?  I posed this question to my peers and it was amazing how we all just had to say hmmmm, I'm really not sure.  It made me stop and wonder if we are not doing some of the same things we have been so critical of others in the past.  We make a broad sweeping judgement about a technology because of the threat it could pose.  Because it could be misused, we just ban it from the classroom.  Thus leaving teachers to think of ways to engage the student population by utuilizng dated methods. 

I wonder if we've taken the right approach.  It seems like some of the negative aspects of the technology have been around since the dawn of time.  Students have always cheated, teachers have always had ways to find out.  Does this really change anything?  This generation, the millennial, have never known a time without cell phones, laptops, ATM's, etc.  The list can go on forever and ever, right?  How is it that their learning environment should not represent their everyday world?  Why is it that we think it is best to ban the very technology that makes them who they are, which is an amazing, collaborative generation, tied together in ways that we've never thought imaginable.  Do we tie the hands of the educator or free them to do what it is they do best - integrate the real world with the laboratory to lead to learning.  I'm not sure what is right or wrong, but it certainly seems worthy of additional thought.

Most Popular Learning Tools

Collaboration is certainly an important part of learning.  We certainly experienced this as we collaborated to put our syllabus together for the rest of the class.   The creative process is not a straightforward process, but one that is usually messy before true brilliance begins to shine through.  Much like the experience we shared late one Friday night in the basement of the School of Ed building . . .

I was wondering if there are other examples of this collaboration out there in the real world.  An example of something from our industry, learning and performance, not necessarily product enhancement or problem solving.  I found a very interesting endeavor to name the top 10 tech learning tools from the Center for Learning & Performance Technologies (C4LPT).  They are currently in their annual process of gathering the best thinking from the world around them and creating the top 10 list.  Currently, the top five are:

Twitter
UTube
Google Docs
Delicious
SlideShare

Wow, look at that!  Four of five topics we identified or have already discussed!  Not to mention the next five topics.  Again, many of the topics we wanted to discuss.  We are brilliant and have a pulse on the current technologies out there.  The best thing, we can go in an vote ourselves to help shape the listing.  What a great example of collaboration within our own industry.  Check out the website for some good information on social networking, which I am sure will provide a great deal of processing opportunity for me in the future!