Writing about writing
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When the magic rapid e-learning tool comes out, will it suffer the same negative fate at PowerPoint? That is, will the tools be misused to create bad e-learning? Of course! It will just like PowerPoint, a tool that is often mis-used and abused. Making e-learning easy makes it so that anybody can create e-learning. It…
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Throughout my years as an instructional designer developing product training for software companies, I have seen both good and bad reasons for product training. It is often the case that the need for training is not clearly understood, but the desire to have something developed is. Here are my thoughts as to when you should…
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In Brent Schlenker’s post “20 years of death by PowerPoint“, he talks about all that is wrong with PowerPoint. This has got me wondering, why do we blame the tool for its misuse? Why do we blame the big guy? It is partly this attitude that led me down the path of using more complicated…
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The people enter the ritual room, each with a sharp implement in their hand. They carry satchels over their shoulders that appear to contain a variety of different tools. As they enter the room, they stack their satchels around the outside edges of the room. The room is well-lit. It has tables setup in rows…
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Since my job ended at exactly the right time, I’m taking a short sociology course this summer. I have wanted to take such a course for a while, so when I saw that the course started just after I finished work, I figured why not. I decided to audit the course, and I’m really glad…
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Hi all, This is the first in my series on what I learned in my last job as training specialist at a small high-tech start-up. I picked up the book Beyond Bullet Points and wanted to give the new presentation paradigm a try. I was able to make some minor modifications to the corporate template…
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Hello world :). Now that I am soon to be unemployed (at least briefly), I hope to get back to regular blog posts. One of the first series I shall do is, what I learned during my last job. My last job, was a the “Training Specialist” for a high tech start-up. I was the…
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It has been awhile since I last blogged. I’ve been reading various blogs, but haven’t felt the inspiration until today. I am about to embark on a new project. I want to figure out how to integrate the good parts of ISD (identifying objectives and outlining the flow before developing) with the concept of storytelling…
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In order to be creative (or innovative), you must be allowed to have bad ideas. I recently encountered a situation where I felt that I had to be good at everything I did. When I did something different, and it didn’t work out, I was made to feel bad. In addition, that experiment was later…
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Let’s start by looking at a few definitions (source wikipedia):Artist: Artist is a subjective term which describes a person creative in, innovative in, or adept at, their endeavors.Artisan: An artisan, also called a craftsman, is a skilled manual worker who uses tools and machinery in a particular craft. … How does this apply to instructional…
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I have seen many recent posts about “Do-it-yourself” learning management systems, including Harold Jarche’s recent post. It is OK to learn from a book. Yes, the Internet is a great resource; however, I find that I need something to help me find direction. The Internet often provides too many choices for me. (BTW, a great…
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This is by far my favourite photo from our November 2006 vacation in Hawaii. The picture is taken from the top of Mauna Kea at sunset. What you are seeing is the shadow of Mauna Kea in the cloud layer which is below us. If you ever get a chance to visit the Big Island…
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In my brief moments of reflection (while soaking in the tub or sauna) I’m reading the book “The Progress Paradox” by Gregg Easterbrook. I’m finding the book a great source of reflection. As a result, I only read a small portion each night. The book makes me look at the world in a much more…
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So, how is blogging like karaoke you ask? Have you ever been to a karaoke party where everyone that gets up and sings is really excellent? I have, and it was a real drag. On the other hand, I’ve been to a karaoke party where a couple of really courageous people get up and belt…
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I’ve been wondering lately, how the Internet will affect the next generation of kids. Their entire lives are stored on the Internet. Parents start blogs with the kids names from the moment they enter the world. It’s a great way to tell family and friends what’s happening without having to make numerous phone calls. But…
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I recently attended an Informal Learning Unworkshop facilitated by Harold Jarche. It has inspired me to investigate further blogging and to jump onto the blogging bandwagon. When blogs first came out, I didn’t see what all the fuss was about. I really didn’t see how they could be applied as a learning tool. I dismissed…
