Friday
Dec311999
135 - Instant Messaging Battle Shows Key Role of Digital Collaboration; Tips for Trainers: Rotational Note Taking - Medical students do it!
December 31, 1999
1. Instant Messaging Battle Shows Key Role of Digital Collaboration - At
the end of last week, a war broke out between AOL, Microsoft and Yahoo over
the format and business models for "instant messaging". Microsoft launched
a new messenger application that could integrate with AOL's installed base.
AOL changed their technology to block it. Microsoft changed it. Yahoo
entered the scene with their messenger. And the heat rises. How this will
all work out in the courts and the court of public opinion remains to be
seen. But, from a TechLearn perspective, it highlights the importance of
the trend towards Digital Collaboration.
People don't want to rely solely on asynchronous email for communicating
with key people. They want to know if YOU are on-line NOW and to touch you
digitally NOW. If I am going to collaborate with a colleague on building a
proposal for a project, being able to SENSE their on-line presence and to
have a granular, short communication with them is vital for moving the work
forward. In the next several years, you will see this arena of
collaboration move forward dramatically. We will have groups of colleagues
in communities of learning, of practice, of collaboration and of production.
And, the field will evolve with new standards, new business models and new
tools for shaping the levels of access that we allow people into our moment
to moment lives.
We will be raising the issues of Digital Collaboration at the upcoming
TechLearn '99 event and at future conferences and telecasts in partnership
with ASTD. The MASIE Center and ASTD believe that Digital Collaboration is
a core topic for businesses and will be the focus of future events and
activities in our partnership.
2. ITTA to Co-Host TechLearn '99: We are pleased to announce that ITTA, The
Information Technology Training Association, will be a co-host of TechLearn
'99. I have been a former Board Member and long time member of ITTA and we
are very excited that they are joining us as a co-host of TechLearn '99.
Here is the announcement from Doug Upchurch, the Executive Director of ITTA:
"ITTA's decision to co-host TechLearn and more importantly the Computer & IT
Training Convention was a strategic decision on behalf of our membership.
Many ITTA members have benefited from the insights and information that past
TechLearn conferences have brought them. With the addition of the Computer
& IT Training Convention, more opportunities for insight and information are
available to ITTA members. As well, we welcome the introduction of our
international network of IT Education professionals to the TechLearn
attendees in hopes that they will also find value in our mission and work
of, 'Shaping and Supporting IT Education for the Future.'
ITTA members will receive a $100 discount at TechLearn. Sign up now at
http://www.techlearn.com
3. Portal Sites Launched: Last week, two portal sites opened up on the
Internet for purchasing learning. Asymetrix launched the Click2Learn
Portal Site. http://click2learn.asymetrix.com It is a content authoring
and selling focused site, with early entries in a wide range of topics from
established training companies.
Seventh Street renamed itself Learn2.com and launched a new learning portal
site at http://www.learn2.com They are running a storefront model for
aggregating content for on-line delivery.
Watch for at least 10 more portal sites to be launched between now and
January 1st.
4. Knowledge Management and Business Alignment of Learning Themes at
Microsoft Fusion Conference: I gave several speeches and keynotes at
Microsoft's FUSION and CTEC Conferences that just ended in San Francisco.
The key themes of Knowledge Management and
Business Alignment of Learning were echoed in many of the sessions and
keynotes. Bill Gates presented his view of the next wave of technology
impact and focused on the need to enhance the skill base of integrating
technology with business processes and to leverage technology as a knowledge
management capability. The conversations were clearly aiming towards an
expanding role of learning, extending the impact beyond traditional
classroom offerings focused on a specific software package to an emphasis on
the competencies needed to create a business solution (eg. setting up an
e-commerce or customer service site).
5. Tips for Trainers: Rotational Note Taking - Medical students do it!
They rotate the role of note taking around the group. One person has
detailed note taking roles for an hour and then duplicates (or posts) the
results for everyone in the class. I use that technique in technical
classes and it works very well. For 60 minutes a person has the role of
note taking and then passes it along to the next person in class. Everyone
gets a copy of the group notes, as well as taking whatever level of personal
notes they want. It works!
TechLearn '99 Update: Oct 31 to Nov 3rd - Orlando, Florida - Over 1,432
Registered Already!
* Jazz Band Selected for TechLearn: We are pleased to announce that a
Seattle based jazz band, comprised of high school great musicians, has been
formed to provide the musical context for TechLearn '99. Welcome The Jazz
Continuum. They are awesome and will provide music at every General
Session and for Bill Cosby's session. Coordinated by Gabe McCormick, son
of Marsha Kabakov from Microsoft, this group of young musicians will astound
you with their music and spirit. We are also planning to produce a CD of
their music to raise money for Starbright, one of the TechLearn charities.
* CEU's Available for TechLearn: If you want to obtain Continuing
Education Units for your attendance at TechLearn, we have created a
partnership with Idaho State University to bring that option to you. More
details will be available in September.
* Resource Suitcase for Every Participant: Each participant at TechLearn
will leave with an additional suitcase. We don't have an Expo or Trade
Show at TechLearn. So, we have done the information gathering for you. You
will receive a "Roll-On" Suitcase, with a handle and wheels, chocked full
with information from the TechLearn Sponsors. Videotapes, CD's and other
info that you can take back to your office and share with colleagues,
without having to walk around a crowded Expo. And, you get to keep the
suitcase for your next journey.
* International Perspectives @ TechLearn: We will have case studies from a
variety of overseas groups to add an international flair to the event.
* Decision Support Lab: We will demonstrate how to use a classroom as a
Decision Support Lab, to facilitate group writing, development and decisions
making. Very cool stuff!
PLEASE REGISTER SOON! We plan on filling all of the seats at TechLearn and
would like to accommodate you and your colleagues. Just go to
http://www.techlearn.com
the end of last week, a war broke out between AOL, Microsoft and Yahoo over
the format and business models for "instant messaging". Microsoft launched
a new messenger application that could integrate with AOL's installed base.
AOL changed their technology to block it. Microsoft changed it. Yahoo
entered the scene with their messenger. And the heat rises. How this will
all work out in the courts and the court of public opinion remains to be
seen. But, from a TechLearn perspective, it highlights the importance of
the trend towards Digital Collaboration.
People don't want to rely solely on asynchronous email for communicating
with key people. They want to know if YOU are on-line NOW and to touch you
digitally NOW. If I am going to collaborate with a colleague on building a
proposal for a project, being able to SENSE their on-line presence and to
have a granular, short communication with them is vital for moving the work
forward. In the next several years, you will see this arena of
collaboration move forward dramatically. We will have groups of colleagues
in communities of learning, of practice, of collaboration and of production.
And, the field will evolve with new standards, new business models and new
tools for shaping the levels of access that we allow people into our moment
to moment lives.
We will be raising the issues of Digital Collaboration at the upcoming
TechLearn '99 event and at future conferences and telecasts in partnership
with ASTD. The MASIE Center and ASTD believe that Digital Collaboration is
a core topic for businesses and will be the focus of future events and
activities in our partnership.
2. ITTA to Co-Host TechLearn '99: We are pleased to announce that ITTA, The
Information Technology Training Association, will be a co-host of TechLearn
'99. I have been a former Board Member and long time member of ITTA and we
are very excited that they are joining us as a co-host of TechLearn '99.
Here is the announcement from Doug Upchurch, the Executive Director of ITTA:
"ITTA's decision to co-host TechLearn and more importantly the Computer & IT
Training Convention was a strategic decision on behalf of our membership.
Many ITTA members have benefited from the insights and information that past
TechLearn conferences have brought them. With the addition of the Computer
& IT Training Convention, more opportunities for insight and information are
available to ITTA members. As well, we welcome the introduction of our
international network of IT Education professionals to the TechLearn
attendees in hopes that they will also find value in our mission and work
of, 'Shaping and Supporting IT Education for the Future.'
ITTA members will receive a $100 discount at TechLearn. Sign up now at
http://www.techlearn.com
3. Portal Sites Launched: Last week, two portal sites opened up on the
Internet for purchasing learning. Asymetrix launched the Click2Learn
Portal Site. http://click2learn.asymetrix.com It is a content authoring
and selling focused site, with early entries in a wide range of topics from
established training companies.
Seventh Street renamed itself Learn2.com and launched a new learning portal
site at http://www.learn2.com They are running a storefront model for
aggregating content for on-line delivery.
Watch for at least 10 more portal sites to be launched between now and
January 1st.
4. Knowledge Management and Business Alignment of Learning Themes at
Microsoft Fusion Conference: I gave several speeches and keynotes at
Microsoft's FUSION and CTEC Conferences that just ended in San Francisco.
The key themes of Knowledge Management and
Business Alignment of Learning were echoed in many of the sessions and
keynotes. Bill Gates presented his view of the next wave of technology
impact and focused on the need to enhance the skill base of integrating
technology with business processes and to leverage technology as a knowledge
management capability. The conversations were clearly aiming towards an
expanding role of learning, extending the impact beyond traditional
classroom offerings focused on a specific software package to an emphasis on
the competencies needed to create a business solution (eg. setting up an
e-commerce or customer service site).
5. Tips for Trainers: Rotational Note Taking - Medical students do it!
They rotate the role of note taking around the group. One person has
detailed note taking roles for an hour and then duplicates (or posts) the
results for everyone in the class. I use that technique in technical
classes and it works very well. For 60 minutes a person has the role of
note taking and then passes it along to the next person in class. Everyone
gets a copy of the group notes, as well as taking whatever level of personal
notes they want. It works!
TechLearn '99 Update: Oct 31 to Nov 3rd - Orlando, Florida - Over 1,432
Registered Already!
* Jazz Band Selected for TechLearn: We are pleased to announce that a
Seattle based jazz band, comprised of high school great musicians, has been
formed to provide the musical context for TechLearn '99. Welcome The Jazz
Continuum. They are awesome and will provide music at every General
Session and for Bill Cosby's session. Coordinated by Gabe McCormick, son
of Marsha Kabakov from Microsoft, this group of young musicians will astound
you with their music and spirit. We are also planning to produce a CD of
their music to raise money for Starbright, one of the TechLearn charities.
* CEU's Available for TechLearn: If you want to obtain Continuing
Education Units for your attendance at TechLearn, we have created a
partnership with Idaho State University to bring that option to you. More
details will be available in September.
* Resource Suitcase for Every Participant: Each participant at TechLearn
will leave with an additional suitcase. We don't have an Expo or Trade
Show at TechLearn. So, we have done the information gathering for you. You
will receive a "Roll-On" Suitcase, with a handle and wheels, chocked full
with information from the TechLearn Sponsors. Videotapes, CD's and other
info that you can take back to your office and share with colleagues,
without having to walk around a crowded Expo. And, you get to keep the
suitcase for your next journey.
* International Perspectives @ TechLearn: We will have case studies from a
variety of overseas groups to add an international flair to the event.
* Decision Support Lab: We will demonstrate how to use a classroom as a
Decision Support Lab, to facilitate group writing, development and decisions
making. Very cool stuff!
PLEASE REGISTER SOON! We plan on filling all of the seats at TechLearn and
would like to accommodate you and your colleagues. Just go to
http://www.techlearn.com
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