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    • ASTD First Friday - January 2nd

    By Gina Anzaldo | December 31, 2008

    ASTD First Fridays are a great way to stay in touch! These informal events provide our members an opportunity to socialize with other colleagues in the ASTD Cascadia Chapter. These functions are open - so persons interested in learning about ASTD, or ASTD members visiting the Portland area from other chapters are always welcome

    In January, First Friday (January 2nd) will take place in Northwest Portland - on 23rd Street. Here are the particulars - hope to see you there!

    Location: Uptown Billiards Club in NW Portland on 23rd. (120 NW 23rd) Here’s a map of the area

    Time: anytime between 5 and 7pm

    Parking: street parking only, unless you get there after 6. In that case, the Uptown Cleaners lot on the south side of the building is available for use.

    RSVP: Due to the short notice on this posting, no RSVP is necessary. Feel free to just come on by.

    Hoping you’ve all had relaxing holidays - we’ll see you in the new year! Gina

    Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »

    Why #8: Roam & Learn

    By Kevin Jones | December 22, 2008

    WHY #8: Roam & Learn

    Another characteristic is that we can choose when to learn - it is not time bound.  There are three aspects to time.  Before now - now / this moment - later.

    Email is timeless on two fronts – it satisfies the need of now and later, but not before now. Before email, there isn’t a discussion.  You start at now.

    Books are on two fronts as well – before now and now, but not later.  There is not a discussion afterward.  For example, the book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell was just republished.  Why did he republish it? Because he wanted to update it, something that an author cannot do easily.  Once you write it, it is written and done.

    An instructor-led training class is usually just a now.  There isn’t a lot of before, nor is there a lot of later except for the notes you took.

    Social learning has a history, as we have pointed out, a now and a future all combined into one.  You learn from what others in the past have made for you and you discuss it further to further expand on it.

    What I have casually observed is that because the information is available whenever we want it, employees are more willing to learn on their own time, which is a great PRO when you are talking to executives.  They choose to listen to podcasts when they are going home.  They choose to log in at home and learn something really quickly because they have a question now.

    I don’t have to sign up for this learning.   There isn’t a schedule or registration.  It just happens.

    Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »

    WHY #7: Choosing When To Learn

    By Kevin Jones | December 19, 2008

    WHY #7: Choosing When To Learn

    There are three aspects to time: Past, Present and Future.

    Email is timeless on 1.5 fronts – it satisfies the need of the Present.  Future? If you can find the email.  And it does not satisfy the Past. With email you start at now.

    Books are on two fronts – Past and Present, but not Future.  There is not a discussion afterward.  For example, the book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell was recently republished.  Why?  Because he wanted to update it, a characteristic of books that cannot be done once it is printed.  Once you write it, it is written and done.

    An instructor-led training class is usually just Present.  There isn’t a lot of Past, nor is there a lot of Future except for the notes you took.

    Social learning has a history, as we have pointed out, a Past and a Future all combined into one.  You learn from what others in the Past have made for you and you discuss it further to further expand on it.  And it is there for you in the Present.

    What I have casually observed is that because the information is available whenever we want it, employees are more willing to learn on their own time, which is a great pro when you are talking to executives.  They choose to listen to podcasts when they are going home.  They choose to log in at home and learn something really quickly because they have a question now.

    I don’t have to sign up for this type of learning.   There isn’t a schedule or registration.  It just happens.  And I get to choose when it happens.

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    Topics: - Social Learning SIG | No Comments »

    Why #6: Liberating Knowledge

    By Kevin Jones | December 12, 2008

    Wordle Cloud of the Internet Marketing Blog - ...

    Image by DavidErickson via Flickr

    (Continuing a series I have not updated in too long… The “Why’s” of Social Learning.)

    WHY #6: Liberating Knowledge

    There are reasons, but for the most part, why stick perfectly good information in email? No one else can learn from what you just learned when it is in email. Here is a simple example. I know one person who was looking for a corporate template. He was about to email the marketing department and knew it might take a couple days and a few routed emails before he saw it. Instead, he did a quick search and found that someone had shared it with everyone. Problem solved.

    What if we could do that with other knowledge? As a general rule, I use email only when it needs to be 1:1 or is sensitive. Other than that I try to use anything but email.

    Next time, instead of asking a question in email, ask a question using a forum, or a blog, for exameple. When you do, the question doesn’t go to just one person, it goes to potentially thousands of people. Anyone can answer it. And the beauty of this is that everyone has a different perspective. Sure, there may be one basic answer to a question, but we all have our own view. My view of it may not match yours - it may be just a bit off. But someone else may share your view and give you the exact answer you are looking for. Also, if the answer can be debated, you get a wealth of knowledge in the exchange of ideas.

    Make it your quest - make it easy to for others to find information and learn – the easier the better. If the process is difficult others will either 1) not use it or 2) put up with it and grumble the whole time.

    Social Learning liberates knowledge.

    Related Posts:

    Why #5: Adapting to a New Learning Structure
    Why #4: Distributing Ownership (Cont’)
    Why #3: Discovering Experts
    Why #2: Personalizing Learning
    Why #1: Focusing on People (Part 1) (Part 2)

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    Topics: - Social Learning SIG | No Comments »

    Social Learning Question of the Day = @slqotd on Twitter

    By Kevin Jones | December 11, 2008

    Image representing Twitter as depicted in Crun...
    Image via CrunchBase, source unknown

    For those of you who have not heard, the Social Learning Question of the Day was created this Tuesday on Twitter.  In only three days we already have 148 tweeples chiming in on the discussion.

    Each day a new question is asked.  Everyone can tweet in and give your two-cents or start a conversation with another twitter-er.

    Here are the questions we have started with:

    1. What are the most valuable characteristics of social learning (eLearning 2.0) for you - and why?
    2. How will SL change traditional, formal organizational training? Or will it?
    3. How do we ensure accuracy of information in a social learning model?

    The answers?  Varied and very valuable.  We have had some fabulous conversations and expect to have many more.

    Come an join us!  Follow @slqotd on Twitter.

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    Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »

    Why #5: Adapting to a New Learning Structure

    By Kevin Jones | December 11, 2008

    WHY #5: Adapting to a New Learning Structure

    Wow.  We haven’t figured this out yet.  When we work, we learn. As I have looked into this, I have been surprised at how we just don’t get it.  We are constantly learning as we work, but we don’t think of it as learning.  We think of it as working and we separate the two.

    Have you seen the show “Hole In The Wall“?  If the contestants don’t fit into the holes cut out in the wall (which is coming at them) they are knocked into a pool of water.  Not surprisingly, these guys made it in the pool.

    Within traditional organization learning, you have presenters, instructional designers, researchers, eLearning specialists and more.  And then you have models like ADDIE or the such to help you start at the beginning and end at the end and then loop around.  But (I was about to say ‘new’ but it isn’t new) this structure of learning doesn’t have a beginning or an end.  It is always.  For example, when you get up in the morning, when do you start breathing?  There isn’t that beginning to your day.  It is always happening.

    Again, going back to the water cooler example, how would you organize the water cooler talks?  That is absurd.   You wouldn’t.    Not that there isn’t organization, because there is.  You let those who are in the conversation organize it, not try to impose one.

    This learning organizational structure is created by the learner. Every person organizes it differently according to their own construct.  Yet so much of information is rigidly organized in a hierarchical form that may or may not make sense to each individual person.

    QUESTION: What pros/cons do you see in this type of self-organization?

    (Reposted from Engaged Learning)

    Topics: - Social Learning SIG | No Comments »

    Reminder: ‘First Friday’ Meetup Is This Friday

    By Gina Anzaldo | December 2, 2008

    Our First Friday Meetup is fast approaching! Join us, won’t you?

    First Friday is December 5th at the Bridgeport Brewery in the Pearl - stop by anytime between 5pm and 7pm in the upstairs mezzanine area. You can’t miss us - we’ll be the group talking training :)

    Click here for more details and RSVP contact info. Hope to see you there!

    Topics: Programs | No Comments »

    Why should I renew my membership at ASTD Cascadia?

    By Kelly Orehovec | November 5, 2008

    We are in renewal time at Cascadia. http://www.astdcascadia.org/cgi-bin/retmemform.pl

    ASTD Cascadia renewal time each fall reminds me why I choose to be a member of my local professional organization. In this unprecedented time for our global economy, being a member of Cascadia has never been so important for sharpening professional skills and networking with fellow colleagues. ASTD Cascadia is a regional organization with a national presence bringing the highest quality programming and professional development opportunities to you. Take advantage of the vital professional opportunities ASTD Cascadia offers to help you develop your knowledge and skills:

    Business Opportunities—helping local learning professionals grown their businesses and experiences through:

    Networking—connecting training professionals throughout the Oregon and SW Washington with:

    Giving Back—providing training professionals with opportunities to grow the profession through:

    Professional Development—presenting local educational opportunities that expand skills, knowledge and resources through:

    Please let me know what we can do to help make your professional organization even more beneficial for you and your organization to achieve success. Thank you for being a part of ASTD Cascadia.

    Kelly Orehovec
    kellygaylecollson@yahoo.com
    President ASTD Cascadia

    Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

    Why #4: Distributing Ownership

    By Kevin Jones | October 30, 2008

    Watercooler Talk

    Image via Flickr.com:tymesynk

    WHY #4: Social Learning Distributes Ownership.

    Think of a water cooler discussion you have had lately.  Or maybe an email you sent out where there was a string of responses.  Who owns those conversations?  That is actually a silly question to ask because we all know that no one owns the conversations – they just are and we all might be participants in them.  This is different from training and traditional organizational learning where someone or organization or department owns the learning and its delivery and content.  Here, in the social world, no one owns them.  There are exceptions, but for the most part they are not owned.

    It is in our nature to own content - information.  If you create a document or PowerPoint or Excel spreadsheet, you own it.  If someone wants to change it you email it to them, they change it, email it back and you approve the changes.  That is a traditional model of content ownership.  If another comes along and changes it without the owner’s knowledge - well watch out!  I have seen too many people get upset about that.

    But with social learning, if I put out information and it is changed by someone, I should only be thankful and not get upset.  I relinquish control and ownership to everyone. S ure, I may be very interested in the information and may be the most active one in the document, but It is not mine.  The more who are willing to contribute, the better.  More views/perspectives and the more we can all learn.

    If we combine this principle with the “Focus on People” principle, you can see how we would look at content differently.

    Oddly enough, this is a difficult point for many to overcome.  In my research I found that people still have a file mentality.  They created a file and it is theirs.  If someone wants to change it or add to it, they have to ask permission.  It isn’t the same here.

    After I implemented my first social learning environment I did some ethnographic research on how it was being used. I wasn’t expecting it, but I found that people would still put information in a wiki and expect that the information was theirs. They didn’t want others changing it nor did they want to change others’ without their permission.  Over time this has disappeared, but it a ‘gotcha’ we all need to be aware of.

    Spread the idea that it is GREAT to add to or change information.  This may catch people off guard, but be ethusiastic about this point.

    In the end, we all own it.  Again, like BarCamp, no one person owns it.  They may have someone driving it, but they don’t own the conversations or organization.

    The UK government did some research and found:

    Pupils feel a sense of ownership and engagement when they publish their work online and this can encourage attention to detail and an overall improved quality of work. Some teachers reported using publication of work to encourage peer assessment.

    Dawn Foster mentions:

    The community “owns” the community, and the employees of an organization or other people hosting the community are an integral part of that community. If you think of yourselves as an equal member of the community, it might be more natural to have conversations about negative criticism and work to resolve them together. Maybe this is just semantics, but I think it can help people think about the community in a way that facilitates collaboration and cooperation.

    Why is this important?  Because the more that anyone can add or clarify, the more information you have and the more accurate it becomes.  The ownership isn’t an exclusive ownership, it is an inclusive ownership. Everyone owns the community, thus everyone owns the content.

    What does “Distributes Ownership” mean to you?

    How have you seen this principle work?

    Related articles

    (Reposted from EngagedLearning.net)

    Topics: - Social Learning SIG | No Comments »

    Socializing or Networking? How do you differentiate in a 2.0 world?

    By Gina Anzaldo | October 21, 2008

    I’ll write about this because I think many of you have asked yourself the same question.  Social media sites, such as Twitter, Face Book, and even sites like Upcoming, allow you to create a profile of yourself, and to ‘connect’ with others (I follow you.  You follow me).  Through these connection, you build your network of friends who use the same services.  Then, as the popularity of these services increase, you find that your professional colleagues are ready to make connections (network) through these same sites.

    But there’s just one of me! What to do? Subject my clients to my occasional haiku posts? Subject my sister to rants about the LMS? Egad.  Neither seems appropriate.

    A tweet (Twitter term) from an ASTD colleague (thanks Sean Harry) points out a great article which was in the NY Times a while back.  The article is primarily about the power of networking for professional purposes, but it does drive a point home in the closing line:

    So perhaps the best tip of all for online social networking would be: Keep the social separate from the networking.

    So, how do you use social media sites for networking and socializing?  Are there some sites that you only use professionally, and others only socially?  Do you maintain multiple profiles for your various ‘fan bases’?  Or has your networking just become a lot more social than it was before Web 2.0?

    Topics: - BlogCascadia, - Online Communities, - Social Learning SIG, -Consultants SIG | No Comments »

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