525 - SmallWorlds, Collaboration Skills, Wellness and Learning

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - June 13, 2008.
#525 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,243 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host, Learning ‘08 - Oct. 26-29 - Orlando.
Register Early & Save $$ By June 15th
1. New, Thinner Virtual World in Beta - SmallWorlds
2. Skills to Collaborate: Your Ideas
3. Wellness & Learning Focus at Learning 2008
1. New, Thinner Virtual World in Beta - SmallWorlds: I’ve been experimenting with a new, cool and very “thin” virtual world that is totally browser-based and quick to load. SmallWorlds is in free Beta - developed in New Zealand - with a very Web 2.0 style. I am intrigued by this more intuitive and easier to navigate place. Go to http://www.smallworlds.com and create a free account. Poke around and visit our chatting space called LearningWorld. It is interesting to consider how these tools could be leveraged for learning and work groups.
2. Skills to Collaborate - Your Ideas Please! Several TRENDS readers have asked about “Skills for Collaboration”. In other words, what are the skills that a worker should ideally possess to effectively and authentically collaborate? We’d love to hear from you about these skills (eg. ability to maintain relationships with colleagues in remote locations). Could you take a moment to send me an email with a 1 (or 10) skills that workers would ideally have to maximize the effectiveness of collaboration? Add your thoughts about how we might increase these skills in the workforce. Send your short email to emasie@masie.com We’ll post a summary next week.
3. Wellness & Learning Focus at Learning 2008: We are pleased to announce a new segment at Learning 2008 focused on Wellness & Learning. Paul Arciero, Ph.D., will lead these sessions looking at the role of Wellness, Lifestyle Balance, Nutrition and more in workforce issues and learning. Paul is a specialist in exercise physiology at Skidmore College and is doing breakthrough research on these issues. He will also be leading early morning sessions, including Yoga and Exercise, for our participants. I am excited about a project that Paul is conducting with senior citizens using exercise bikes while they are connected online to other seniors on exercise bikes - leveraging real-time collaboration and competition for performance. The Wellness conversation has been absent from many of the conversations about learning technologies and changes.
Note: Register by June 15th to receive the Early Registration Discount for Learning 2008. Go to http://www.learning2008.com/
Upcoming MASIE Center Services & Events:
* 0ver 4,870 Learning Colleagues on LearningTown. Join us today: http://www.learningtown.com
* Learning Design Seminar & LAB: June 23-25 - Saratoga Springs
* Performance Support Seminar & LAB: July 9-11 - Saratoga Springs
* Learning 2008: Oct 26-29 - Orlando
Information and Registration at http://www.masie.com
Contact Elliott Masie: emasie@masie.com
