836 - A Kidney Stone Learning Experience, Bobby Flay on Cooking Throwdowns

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - August 4, 2014.
#836 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
56,587 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2014 - Oct 26-29 - Orlando. 711 Registered Already.

1. Elliott’s Kidney Stone - A Learning Operation :)
2. Bobby Flay at the Races - Cooking, Learning & Throwdowns.

1. Elliott’s Kidney Stone - A Learning Operation: This is going to be a different flavor of Learning TRENDS, where I share a story about how a Kidney Stone became a learning operation and experience.

Last Tuesday, I spent the day at the Saratoga Hospital, including 2 hours under general anesthesia, having my first Kidney Stone removed. The week before, the pain in my back was an early indicator, then confirmed with a Cat Scan, that I had developed a pretty large Kidney Stone in my kidney. It was measured by the scan to be 1 1/2 centimeters, the size of small stone.  It was too large to pass naturally and too large to do external shock waves, so my urologist went inside with a camera and a laser to disintegrate this stone.

Why does it end up in my Learning TRENDS? Because, it was a deep and intriguing learning experience for me - along with some lessons for my future health.  To start, the hospital did an incredible job. I was invited to go to Mayo Clinic for the procedure, but after conversations with doctors and the president of the hospital, I decided they would give me great care - ideal for a one-day, outpatient procedure.

The learning moments happened throughout the experience, including:

* Almost every person I told about my Kidney Stone had a personal or nearby story to share about how painful they are to pass. And, interestingly, most people described it in terms that referenced some of the pains of pregnancy.  
* The hospital was sharply aware of the digital nature of most patients, including me. So, they shared content with me digitally, set up my wireless access at the hospital and were digitally aligned with me - for information, content, context and even access to other patient’s experiences.
* At the hospital, the day of prep, waiting and recovery were filled with learning dialogues. Once the nurses figured out that I was a learner, they gave me a continual flow of information that I asked for.  And, my smart phone was used throughout the day to learn more where necessary.
* The operation went great and I was discharged in the afternoon with supplies, charts and even a digital picture of my cool looking stone before they blasted it.
* Strangely, I will share it as it was cool to see my own Big Medical Data in graphical form: http://tinyurl.com/masiestone
* And, I walked out of this process aware of my need to drink WAY MORE water. I am aiming for 8 large glasses a day. We even just added a water bottle for every participant coming to Learning 2014.

My “aha’s” are that medical situations are always learning moments - often without a design or a facilitator. We bring our own approaches to learning and medical organizations are coping with a more wired and more connected set of patients and families. I am doing great - up and about in 24 hours and back at work in a few days.  I am less one Kidney Stone and richer from the learning readiness of my caregivers and the ever wired world of content, context and collaboration.  

It was a difficult decision to see if I would post on Facebook that I was going under this procedure.  On the advice of a friend of mine who does global social media, he urged that I wait until it was over and then post the update. Hundreds of colleagues and friends looked at the stone, wrote notes and were part of my spirit uplifting. So, in that spirit, feel free to check out the stone and drink lots more water.  Here is a great website from the National Kidney Foundation with info: http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/kidneystones.cfm

2. Bobby Flay at the Races - Cooking, Learning & Throwdowns: This weekend there were big horse races in Saratoga Springs. I ran into a fellow horse owner and one of our keynote speakers at Learning 2014, Bobby Flay. He and I talked about the world of cooking shows. It was fascinating to hear about how many of the shows, including his own, have shifted into a competition and gaming model where the contestants compete on both skill and agility in cooking under time pressure.  So, I am starting to think about how we could do a Learning Design Throwdown at Learning 2014 - or another model where learning designs are done in a compressed and competitive fashion. Got any ideas?  Send them to me at emasie@masie.com

Bobby Flay will be exploring the world of cooking and learning - and the elements that are the same about both fields.  We will have a kitchen on the stage and Bobby will cook - with several participants - some cool dishes and explore how design, context and personalization are a part of cooking - and also of learning. Info at http://www.learning2014.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
email: emasie@masie.com
twitter: @emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Learning 2014 - October 2014 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com - twitter: emasie