897 - Learn-A-Thon Model, Short Video Mentoring, Coin App

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - December 1, 2015.
#897 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,122 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2016 - Oct 23 to 26, Orlando, Florida.

1. Learn-A-Thon Model.
2. Short Video Mentoring Explored.
3. COIN - 1 Card for Many Credit Cards.

1. Learn-A-Thon Model: As many TRENDS readers know, I am a fan of and experimenter with the Hackathon model: a creative way to pull together a group of people - many with computer coding skills - to create a working prototype of a new app or program, in a few days of working intensely. I helped create a Broadway Hackathon model last year with the NY Public Library at Lincoln Center that created very cool new apps in 2 days with the only expense being pizza for lunch.

But, as we applied this model to the world of learning, the challenge was that the hackathon was most appreciated and engaging for people who write code. So, we developed a new model called:

Learn-A-Thon.

The difference is that the Learn-A-Thon will imagine a new method, learning process or even a technology system/app, but it is brainstormed by subject matter peers regardless of their coding skill.  They will dream, stretch and even sketch out what a process or an app might look like, but not actually build the app in real time. 

The IT process of creating the actual code can be put down later - or even overnight remotely - but the emphasis is on the User Experience and the Learning Process.

We have experimented with the Learn-A-Thon model in several of our classes and are now rolling it out as a major function at The MASIE Center.

The first public implementation of the Learn-A-Thon will be at the upcoming Learning Innovations LAB to be held in Saratoga Springs from January 12th to 14th. We invite you and your colleagues to take a stimulating, start-of-the-year retreat and participate in this high energy program, which includes the Learn-A-Thon. Details and online registration at http://www.masie.com

2. Short Video Mentoring Explored: Sometimes all one needs as a learner is a few minutes of conversation or feedback from a peer. That is the core of On-The-Job learning. And, as we add video and more distributed workers, we need to stretch the process. We have been tracking increased use of short Video Mentoring sessions - sometimes using Skype or corporate video desktop systems - to connect a learner to a mentoring peer in another location. The fun part is that the duration can be very short. For example, someone who is learning a new sales process might have the option of dialoging for 3 to 5 minutes - a few times each day for a week - with an experienced sales person located in another part of the world. Their mentoring is not meant to be behavioral coaching; rather, it is focused on what the learner is about to do - or what they just did. In the sales example, pre-brief a sales call or do an autopsy after a failed sale. 

This process does not take much infrastructure and can be amazingly engaging for both the learner and the mentor! Try it!

3. COIN - 1 Card for Many Credit Cards: We have been experimenting with a new application called “Coin”. It is a high tech single card onto which I securely load the data from a range of my credit cards. It synchronizes with my mobile phone and is only authorized when I use a code on the card or turn it on by the nearby mobile phone. It allows me to go from many to 1 credit card - and to get ready for a smaller wallet. The synchronizing of data to a digital format is intriguing and may lead to other applications for corporate access and security. Here is the link: http://onlycoin.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2016
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Learning Innovations LAB - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Gamification, Engagement & Learning - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

896 - Learning Innovations LAB and Gamification, Engagement & Learning LAB

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - November 16, 2015.
#896 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,119 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2016 - Oct 23 to 26, Orlando, Florida.

1. Learning Innovations LAB Announced!
2. Gamification, Engagement & Learning Announced!

It is with great pleasure that we are announcing two new programs that I will be hosting and curating in Saratoga Springs, New York in January 2016:

1. Learning Innovations LAB Announced! (January 12 to 14 - Saratoga Springs, NY)

Imagine spending 2 1/2 days in a 10,000 foot Learning Innovation LAB, working with emerging technology and methodology, exploring:

- Learning “Apps”
- Learning Personalization
- Hyper “Search” & Learning
- Mobile Learning Models – Mobility & Performance
- Big Data & Metrics for Innovation
- Gamification in Design
- Video: Fast, Short, Targeted, User-Created, Open, Digital Studios
- LMS, LCMS & Learning Systems Refreshed
- Emerging Virtual Reality - Oculus, Cardboard & Simulation

You will have hands-on experiences and experiments in a wide range of new and emerging learning innovations. LAB size is limited so please register soon. Details at http://www.masie.com

2. Gamification, Engagement & Learning Announced! (January 26 to 28, Saratoga Springs, NY)

Join me for a high-energy and hands-on event, focusing on Gamification, Engagement & Learning. We will explore every aspect of:

- Gamification
- Games vs. Gamification
- Impacts on Learners and Learning
- Engagement: Social and Beyond
- Links Between Gamification and Engagement
- Simulation and Gamification
- The Role of Failure
- Badging and Ratings
- The Upsides and Downsides of Gamification or Engagement

This is a deeply hands-on and research-based experience. Complete details at http://www.masie.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2016
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Learning Innovations LAB - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Gamification, Engagement & Learning - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

895 - Farewell, Jay Cross; Google TensorFlow; Curated Learning Content

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - November 11, 2015.
#895 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,109 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2016 - Oct 23 to 26, Orlando, Florida.

1. Jay Cross, Innovator and Informal Learning Remembered.
2. Google Open Source Machine Learning Code: TensorFlow.
3. Learning 2015 Curated Content and Flow.

1. Jay Cross, Innovator and Informal Learning Remembered: Whenever I received an email from learning innovator and colleague Jay Cross, I smiled. Jay’s emails would push me, disrupt some of my thinking and make me smile. Yet, the email that came the other day made me cry.

Jay Cross died at his home in California on Nov. 6, 2015.  Very appropriately, Jay was working on his latest project, “Real Learning”, advocating for a strong slice of DIY in learning.

Jay leaves us with great work, strong thinking, rich dialogue and learning disruption. One cannot change a field without disruption - and Jay brought that, with a smile. I have known Jay for decades, spanning our mutual work in IT, Learning and Innovation. His passing leaves a gap in our field and his contributions have moved our field forward.

Here is a great collection of tributes to Jay Cross and samples of his work, compiled by David Kelly: http://davidkelly.me/2015/11/an-industry-remembers-jay-cross/

Goodbye and Farewell, Jay!

2. Google Open Source Machine Learning Code: TensorFlow. Google made an exciting announcement about the open sourcing of their new Machine Learning Framework, TensorFlow.

Machine learning is the science of getting computers to act without being explicitly programmed. In the past decade, machine learning has given us self-driving cars, practical speech recognition, effective web search, and a vastly improved understanding of the human genome.

Check out TensorFlow and follow the exploration of how we engineer a construct of “learning” into machines and programming. It may have intriguing implications for workplace learning and the performance support field. TensorFlow info at: http://tensorflow.org/

3. Learning 2015 Curated Content and Flow: We were honored to have 2,066 global learning professionals participate in Learning 2015 last week. It was an amazing 3 1/2 days of content, context and collaboration. We are now starting the curation of the sessions and conversations from Learning 2015 and will post waves of links in the weeks ahead.

Get started by looking at the cool graphic illustrations of our six keynote sessions - including interviews with WOZ (Steve Wozniak), Sal Khan, Karl Kapp and Susan Cain:

Check these out at: https://emasie.smugmug.com/Learning-2015/Graphic-Illustrations/

Watch for more content and video clips to be curated and published.

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2016
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

894 - A Personal Thank You for 25 Years of Learning

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - October 30, 2015.
#894 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,097 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 2,062 Colleagues Now Registered!

Dear Learning TRENDS Colleagues,

This is a Thank You note for your support, connections and history over the past 25 years!

I am now in Orlando, Florida at Walt Disney World with our Learning 2015 Production Team - and we are doing the assembly work to greet 2,062 learning colleagues from around the world starting on Sunday.

This year is a special honor and treat for me.  It marks the 25th year that I have hosted and curated an annual Learning event in Orlando, Florida.  Over the years, the name of the event has evolved from Computer Training & Support to TechLearn and now to Learning 2015.

The focus has always been workplace learning - and we have added eLearning, Computer Training, Social and Mobile Methodology, and Learning Personalization along the way.  Over 25 years, we have hosted tens of thousands of new, experienced and even about-to-retire learning colleagues. Our keynotes have ranged from Apolo Ohno, Robin Roberts, General Colin Powell, The Midtown Men, Malcolm Gladwell, Dan Pink, Susan Cain, President Bill Clinton, Jack Welch, 50 Chief Learning Officers and even ABC’s Brit Hume coming by video from the White House explaining how the first presidential user of WordPerfect learned to use a word processor.

I look forward to the fun, excitement and learnings ahead in the next few days.  As always, we will curate a large amount of the content from the event and post it online in the coming weeks.  And, you can follow our twitter accounts - @learning2015 and @emasie - for real time blasts.

To each of our Learning 2015 readers and colleagues, thanks for your ongoing support and idea generation.  I hope we have an opportunity to meet at Learning 2016, Learning 2020 or continue to connect with shared ideas and innovation virtually. 

Finally, if you would like to send a note as we celebrate 25 years of Learning Events, send it to me at emasie@masie.com   We will have a “toast” to our 25th Anniversary on Monday night and I would love to share a few of your thoughts with the group.

Learning Really Matters! It is the powerful way we as humans develop new skills, awareness, job readiness and evolving knowledge.  What we do in learning is cool and important.  Thanks!

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2015
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
- Learning 2015 - Nov 1st to 4th - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

My Train and TESLA to Learning, Forwarding Video

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - October 23, 2015.
#893 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,093 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 2,003 Colleagues Now Registered!

1. Taking the TRAIN & TESLA to Learning.
2. Video to Forward?
3. Just in Time Learning - 9 Days!

1. Taking the TRAIN & TESLA to Learning: One of my traditions is to take an Amtrak train from New York to Orlando each year for the start of our annual Learning event. While I love flying, it is powerful for me to take an overnight train as a way of reflecting, planning and relaxing before hosting 2,000 colleagues. This year, my trip will have an extra element. I’m taking my all-electric TESLA, which was just upgraded to Auto-Steering, on the train.

I will be driving the TESLA from Manhattan to Lorton, VA on Tuesday and then loading it on the AutoTrain, which will take me and the car on an overnight trip to Orlando. I will relax in a small bedroom with my wireless and books. At Learning 2015, we will explore the impact of innovations like Auto-Steering and Self-Driving as we look at the larger issue of robotics, machine learning and more. Steve Wozniak owns 2 TESLAs, my colleague Nick Howe is coming with his TESLA, and several learning designers from the TESLA factory are registered. We will have the TESLA on display next to our NASCAR tire changing contest.

Here are some pictures and my blog about the “Train-to-Learning” habit of mine:  http://www.learning2015.com/index.php/item/countdown.html

I would love to chat by phone with you if you are along the route from VA to Orlando on Tuesday afternoon and evening. Send me an email to emasie@masie.com and a good time to call.

2. Video to Forward? We are hearing from many learning coordinators that they are moving much of their video content collections to alternative hosting sites in order to allow learners to securely forward key video segments to other learners (usually behind the firewall). The viral nature of great video, where peer-to-peer sharing occurs, is an intriguing trend to follow. Check it out!

3. Just in Time Learning - 9 Days! In just 9 days, we will have the honor of opening Learning 2015 to over 2,000 participants. Last night, at 1:14 am, we took our 2,000th registration (this one is from Singapore). There is still time for you and your colleagues to come to Orlando for Learning 2015, which kicks off on Sunday, November 1st. We have added extra hotels and extra cool innovations focused on learning! Check out website at http://www.learning2015.com   Hope to see you in Orlando!

All Aboard the Train to Learning :)

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2015
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
- Learning 2015 - Nov 1st to 4th - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

892 - MEMEs in Learning ala George Takei, Learning Diversity

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - October 16, 2015.
#892 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,076 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 1,917 Colleagues Now Registered!

1. MEMEs in Learning? Lessons from George Takei.
2. Diversity in Learning Universe - Honor the Range!
3. Music Added to Learning 2015 - Over 1,917 Participating.

1. MEMEs in Learning? Lessons from George Takei: Yesterday, I had the honor of delivering a Keynote Address for several hundred media professionals who work in the world of US Intelligence (CIA, DOD, Army, etc).  My opening slide had a photograph of George Takei, the star of our musical Allegiance that is now in previews on Broadway.  Interestingly, once people saw that slide before I began my address, dozens came up to start talking about George Takei and his Social Media Presence.  So, I did a just in time adjustment and reframed much of the talk about him and how he has used MEMEs - illustrations with striking comments - as his primary vehicle for building and communicating with over 10 Million likes, followers and contacts on Facebook and Twitter.

Our conversation evolved to how we might use the Meme, taking a key still (or now we are starting to see VEMEs, which use 6 second videos) to communicate a key learning lesson or provocative statement.

I am fascinated about this conversation and will explore it at The MASIE Center.  If you want to respond about MEMEs, send me a note to emasie@masie.com and let’s explore this.

2. Diversity in Learning Universe - Honor the Range! We must be careful not to innovate around a non-diverse sense of the audience of learners.  I hear people say things like “our workers are all mobile” or “no one wants to go to class anymore”.  In fact, some of those may be true, but there is also a huge diversity of learning styles, histories, preferences and even managerial permissions.  Let’s keep open our learning choices, aiming to touch and support a much wider range of learning modes. At the end of the day, our goal is to support the workforce in learning for performance, regardless of the learning method chosen.

3. Music Added to Learning 2015 - Over 1,917 Participating:  As we close in on 2,000 registered learning leaders at our upcoming Learning 2015 event (Nov 1 to 4, Orlando), I am adding the last minute musical and artistic elements to sweeten the settings at our General Sessions.  We are pleased to announce:

- Learning 2015 Musical Director: Marco Paguia, who will be providing music throughout the event.  Marco is an accomplished Broadway Musical Director, having led shows like If/Then, Peter & The Starcatcher, The Adams Family and our new show Unknown Solider.
- Anna María Pérez de Tagle, a powerful actress and singer, will add a fun and engaging musical welcome for both Steve Wozniak and Sal Khan.  Anna María starred in Godspell on Broadway and was featured on Hanna Montana, Fame, Camp Rock and other shows.
- A Surprise Opening Number - can’t give it all away.  It will weave music, history and learning together.

There are still Just in Time registration discounts available and 2 more hotels with free transportation.  Info and online registration at http://www.learning2015.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2015
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
- Learning 2015 - Nov 1st to 4th - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

891 - Just in Time Learning, Allegiance Begins Tonight

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - October 6, 2015.
#890 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,041 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 1,734 Colleagues Now Registered!

1. Just in Time Learning!
2. Japan, Taiwan & Korea Learning.
3. Allegiance Begins - Join us in New York City!

1. Just in Time Learning! We live in a time of Just in Time Learning. Our learners and their managers often focus or switch their focus Just in Time. And, as producers of events, we have all adjusted to last minute decisions and timelines.

Learning 2015 is a perfect example. We are honored to now have 1,734 global learning colleagues registered for Learning 2015 - from November 1st to 4th in Orlando.  This is amazing and significantly higher than last year.  So, what is a learning producer to do in terms of planning hotels, meals, supplies and experiences? Well, that is the shift to Just in Time Learning Planning.

In the coming month, we know that hundreds more colleagues may be registering for Learning 2015 and we have added these Just in Time Learning expansions:

- Early Registration Discount Extended until October 24th.
- Two More Nearby Hotels Added – With Free Shuttle Transportation.
- New MeetUp Connections Added for Real-Time Conversations.
- New Beta: Digital Beacon Scanning Help to Find New Colleagues.
- Curation Volunteers in Every Session for Content/Context Sharing.

If you or your colleagues are planning on attending, we are ready! Just check out the Program Guide and complete schedule at http://www.learning2015.com

Just in Time Learning means you are delighted with 1,734 awesome participants and you are prepared for several hundred more. Welcome to the world of continuous and agile change.

2. Japan, Taiwan & Korea Learning: I have just returned from a 7 day trip to 3 countries, to deliver a keynote address at the ATD event in Taiwan and to meet with learning and theater colleagues in Japan and Korea. 

Learning in Asia is booming. There is a deep shift happening with the rise of more local/regional learning approaches, reflecting the rising use of technology and blending learning more tightly with local culture. Here are just a few impressions from my visits with Asian colleagues:

- WebChat Apps Dominating Learning Collaboration: A shift towards WeChat, WebChat and other apps for corporate and cross-community collaboration.
- Blended Learning Mix Rising: Deep shifts towards “flipped classroom” and desire to make classroom engagement more engaging.
- Hero Teachers/Tutors: Mirroring the rise of Hero Teachers for augmenting K to 12 learning. The rise of workplace Hero Teaching.
- Scout Badging to Lifelong Badging: Fascination with extending the Scout Badge model to a lifelong and credentialed for workplace badging system.
- Working Globally Isn’t Easy: Desire to explore HOW to work and collaborate across borders and cultures.
- When You Can’t Fire Someone: Interesting conversations with Tokyo colleagues about the challenge of a non-firing society. How to deal with mis-matches.
- Beyond the MBA: Lowered interest in the MBA as the key business certification. Design, Innovation and User Experience are rising in degree ladder.

I came away from my visits with a desire to make Global Learning one of the major MASIE Center focuses in the coming years. I will be going to Manila in the middle of November to work with corporations and government leaders on these issues and plan to travel more extensively in 2016 working on learning globally. Stay tuned!

3. Allegiance Begins - Join us in New York City! Tonight is a very powerful time for MASIE Productions.  We have been involved as producers of Allegiance, a new musical starring Lea Selonga, George Takei, Telly Leung and dozens of other incredible actors. It is the story of the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II and the choices that family members made in those times. It is an inspiring, historical, romantic and amazing production with music and storylines that will move you deeply. Many of you will remember Lea Selonga from her role as the first Kim in Miss Saigon, George Takei from Star Trek and Telly Leung from Glee. They are unforgettable.

I am offering a special MASIE Friends and Colleagues discount for Allegiance, which is starting performances tonight. If you are in NYC or can come here in the coming months, please access this special discount code at: http://allegiance.show/elliott

To watch some video segments about Allegiance: http://allegiancemusical.com/explore/trek-to-broadway/#OGmE7L3p8ZPZ5gyQ.97

And, please send a note to us wishing for us all to “Break a Leg…”

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2015
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
- Learning 2015 - Nov 1st to 4th - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

890 - Oil Rig Learning, Curators and Connectors, Trip to Asia

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - September 24, 2015.
#890 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,032 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 1,581 Colleagues Now Registered!

1. Oil Rig Learning - Onshore?
2. New Roles: Curators & MeetUp Connectors.
3. Your PitCrew Car is Designed!
4. Asia Visit Next Week

1. Oil Rig Learning - Onshore? We had an incredible day of being at an oil rig, except it was onshore. This is a highly immersive learning facility in Louisana, The Shell Robert Training Center, which I visited last week to experience how a worker is trained for the skills and safety of working on an off-shore oil drilling or exploration facility.

It was amazing! From a simulation of how to pilot a lifeboat, to surviving a smoke filled helicopter, to a water-based immersion experience, to a full engineering simulation, we had hands-on experiences with the skills and readiness levels for employees going to work on an off-shore rig.

Shell conducts the Center with a schedule that is a full emulation of life off-shore. Learners are there for 2 weeks, never leaving the facility, with the same workday calendars that they will experience off-shore.  The bunks are the same as the ones on the rig. Meals are exactly the same. And, the challenges and lifestyle of life on a rig are deeply reflected in the experiences at the Center. Most of the learning is done in experiential lab mode, giving learners rigor, challenges and the ability to “fail their way to success” in the simulations.

This reinforced my belief that we should add a deeper set of immersive experiences to all of our learning models - both face-to-face and online. Here is a link to the Shell Robert Training Center: http://tinyurl.com/offshorerig  And, thanks to the team at Shell for hosting us on this eye-opening visit.

2. New Roles: Curators & MeetUp Connectors: We have created two new roles at Learning 2015 for participants wanting deeper curation and connection to new colleagues:

* Curators: Every session at Learning 2015 will have a volunteer curator. This role will be to take notes and observations about the dialogues and discussions in the 60 minute breakouts. These notes, along with any materials from facilitators, will be shared with the larger community of participants at Learning 2015.  The curators will be visually highlighted so that other participants can share links or ideas with them to be included in the curators’ notes. We will be soliciting curators from the Learning 2015 community in a few weeks. But, if you are planning on attending and would like to curate a session, send a note to emily@masie.com

* MeetUp Connectors: How do people meet folks with the same background, industry focus, learning interests or other factors? Participants will be able to use our online Engage App and there is always the wonderfully random process of meeting someone at a coffee break. We are adding another role this year: the MeetUp Connector. There will be MeetUp Connectors for various industries, such as healthcare or airlines, and they will be very present at the different large gatherings of Learning 2015.  The MeetUp Connectors will help to make “connections” and also organize short MeetUps. For example, a MeetUp could happen at lunch or as an after-session drink. If you are planning on attending and would like to be a MeetUp Connector for an industry, please send a note to emily@masie.com

As you can tell we are in deep planning mode for Learning 2015. Our registrations are running higher than previous years and we have been adding additional hotels (with transportation) to accommodate the over 1,800 colleagues coming to Learning 2015. Please register soon at http://www.learning2015.com

3. Your PitCrew Car is Designed! We just got the design for the NASCAR-like race car that will be in place at Learning 2015.  You and your colleagues will compete as you learn how to speedily change the tires and collaborate in this fun, immersive experience. Check out the pictures at: http://tinyurl.com/masiepitcrew 

4. Asia Visit Next Week: I am honored to be giving one of the keynotes at the ATD Conference to be held in Taiwan next week. So, on Saturday I will journey to Tokyo for 2 days, spend 4 days in Taiwan and 1 day in Seoul.  If any Learning TRENDS readers are in Japan, Korea or Taiwan and would like to say hi, please send me a note to emasie@masie.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2015
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
- Learning 2015 - Nov 1-4 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

889 - Program Guide for Learning 2015 Published

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - September 16, 2015.
#889 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,032 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 1,237 Colleagues Now Registered!

Special Note:

The complete Learning 2015 Program Guide is now online for viewing, printing or downloading.

There are over 200 learning activities, sessions and conversations described in the 120 page Program Guide.

Learning 2015 Program Guide:
http://www.learning2015.com/guide  .

Learning 2015 will take place from Nov 1 to 4 in Orlando, Florida - with Steve Wozniak and Sal Khan as Featured Keynoters.

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2015
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
- Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4th - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

888 - Letter to Your Boss; Curate Webinars, Moonshine Cate Runs

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - September 8, 2015.
#888 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,025 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 1,097 Colleagues Now Registered!

1. Letter to Your Boss - From Elliott Masie.
2. Curating Clips from Webinars.
3. Moonshine Cate - A First Race Experience.

1. Letter to Your Boss - From Elliott Masie: I just finished writing my annual Letter to Your Boss, asking your manager for support to have you and your colleagues attend Learning 2015 (Nov 1st to 4th, Orlando).

Gaining approval for attending a conference often involves educating your management about your need as a learning professional to be a learner, too! 

The letter, which was downloaded last year by over 1,400 colleagues, is meant to spur a conversation about our development as learning colleagues. Access the note at: http://tinyurl.com/lettertonboss

2. Curating Clips from Webinars: One of the great hopes (and often disappointments) is that learners will go back and stream a stored webinar. Many times, our schedules make it impossible to attend an hour-long session or class. The the ease of recording, storing and streaming these sessions raises great hope for re-use.

But, the numbers are startling. Very few learners, even with the best of intentions, actually access and view an entire session. One hour (the default length of most webinars) is too long for many and there is often a lack of desire to view the entire session.

Part of the answer is to Curate smaller clips from a webinar - often as short as 3 to 5 minutes - on a specific issue or topic. Offer the learners options:

* The ability to view individual clips - indicating the content (in detail) and time length. Give them the ability to view them in sequence or jump around.
* The ability to watch the entire webinar in sequence.
* Add chapter tabs to the captured video - marking each segment accordingly.

These choices will take some time and skill in video curation, but will be much appreciated by your learners.  And, watch the consumption pattern of the clips, which can help you refine and reshape future production.  I would even suggest adding a rating for the clips, based on their frequency of use.  Finally, add a second or two between topics or questions to make the curation process easier.

3. Moonshine Cate - A First Race Experience: MASIE Stable had a horse with her first race on Labor Day, the last day of the Saratoga Meet. Her name is Moonshine Cate and she was bred from our mare Miss Matzo. Moonshine Cate is 2 years old and, as with any new learner, experience and practice is key. After many months of daily exercise, running and practice, her first race was Monday.

It was a delight to watch her race 6 1/2 furlongs - halfway around the grass track. For the first 1/2 of the race, she was in last place. According to the jockey, she was having a great time. “She was running on grass, which was new. She was loving the nice air and the feel of running behind some cool horses.”

But, as she turned the corner for the last half, the jockey said she figured out the game was to get to the front. She suddenly raced faster, passing horse 6 horses, and came in 4th (almost 3rd). The track timer said she ran the fastest of all the horses for the last half, and she came out happy and proud. The vet said she was sound, healthy and ready to race again (at a longer pace) soon in Belmont.

As an owner and designer, it is fascinating to watch the developmental cycle of the horse. If you want to see a video, Moonshine Cate is horse #2 with the jockey wearing The MASIE Stable colors - in pink with the outline of a house. Enjoy it at: http://tinyurl.com/moonshinecate2

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2015
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
- Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4th - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

887 - Back to School Time? Maestro and Orchestra in the Audience

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - September 1, 2015.
#887 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,010 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 1,009 Colleagues Now Registered!

1. Back to School Thoughts on Sept. 1?
2. Maestro & Orchestra in Audience - Dynamics and Leadership.
3. 1,000th Learning Colleague Registers for Learning 2015.

1. Back to School Thoughts on Sept. 1?  I get a familiar feeling every year as September 1 approaches. My brain kicks into “Back to School” mode. Confession: as a kid, I was one of the students that LOVED to go back to school. While summer vacation was great, the upcoming start of school was marked with several key rituals, some of which I find myself still doing around this date:

* New School Supplies: My mom would take me to buy a few new school supplies. I still find myself going to the store and buying one or two new notebooks and even thinking about getting a brightly colored pencil holder.
* Reinforcements for Loose Leaf Paper: OK, I will date myself here. I would spend several hours sticking round plastic reinforcements around the holes on my loose leaf paper. (For my younger colleagues, here is a picture of one: http://tinyurl.com/oqp5ws5)
* Read Ahead to Be Ready: I would find out the name of one of the books that we would be reading in school and check it out at the library. I still do that when I take a new course.
* Practice Day 1 Show and Tell: I got my start as a public speaker with Show and Tell at school. On the first day, we would be asked to stand up and share 2 minutes on “What I Did on My Summer Vacation”. I would practice and come in with a few artifacts to share. I even organized a few of my friends to practice our Day 1 talks at home the night before.
* Questions Galore: I would keep a list of questions that I had about everything and I would bring them to school, much to the delight or horror of that year’s teacher.

In a nutshell, my year started on September 1st. I still love to get wall calendars that go from September to September. And, I find that many of my learning colleagues view the true and personal start of the year as aligning with the Start of School. More classes and learning programs are rolled out after September 1st and we often say, “let’s get back to that after Labor Day”.  There is a refreshing sense of starting anew this time of year and, as I write this, I am planning my trip to the store to get some “reinforcements”. Would love to hear from others that are in Back to School mode: emasie@masie.com

2. Maestro & Orchestra in Audience - Dynamics and Leadership: Imagine a symphony orchestra embedded in the audience and playing their instruments.  Imagine sitting around the musicians and the conductor, seeing the dynamics of the music and orchestra in action.

We are honored to announce that Maestro Roger Nierenberg will host the Music Paradigm experience at Learning 2015.  On Monday afternoon’s Learning 2015 General Session, you will have a very unique, powerful experience, focusing on organizational dynamics, leadership and the role of “performance”.

We are honored to present Maestro Roger Nierenberg’s Music Paradigm.  The Learning 2015 participants will be seated within a live professional orchestra where they can observe highly trained musicians as they perform. The participants’ attention will be drawn to fascinating and unexpected organizational dynamics within the orchestra. Maestro will be our teacher, conductor, coach and facilitator as the room fills with music and learnings about the dynamics of organizations and leadership. Details at: http://www.learning2015.com/index.php/item/maestro-roger-neir.html

3. 1,000th Learning Colleague Registers for Learning 2015: We just took the 1,000th registration for Learning 2015 (Nov 1 to 4, Orlando, FL, USA).  We are delighted that Bee Ng, Vice President, Tech L&D with Visa, Inc from California is participant #1,000 this year. I look forward to greeting Bee with a special surprise gift when she arrives in Orlando this fall!

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2015

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
- Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4th - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com - twitter: emasie

886 - Susan Cain on Quiet, Cursive Skills, Producer Shivers

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - August 17, 2015.
#886 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
56,993 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 957 Colleagues Now Registered!

1. Susan Cain on Quiet and Introverts in Workplace.
2. Cursive Skills Feedback Galore.
3. Producer Shivers: Allegiance Begins

1. Susan Cain on Quiet and Introverts in Workplace: We are honored to feature Susan Cain, author of “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” for a live, interactive video interview with the participants of Learning 2015 at our closing General Session on November 4th. Susan’s work on the reality and myths of introversion and the impacts in the workplace are so important. As we move into an ever more social and collaborative culture of the workplace, how do we honor and engage all of our workers - respecting their styles? Details at: http://www.learning2015.com/index.php/item/susan-cain.html

2. Cursive Skills Feedback Galore: When I asked TRENDS readers to take a few minutes and write 3 lines in “cursive/script” I got what I was asking for. Almost 1,000 responses from learning colleagues around the world have come in and it was intriguing to read and reflect on those comments.

Almost 90% of folks reported that their cursive writing skills are mildly to significantly lowered. About 10% still have strong cursive skills. Most of them had regular habits to keep cursive alive in their skill box, including taking notes in cursive or writing greeting notes on a frequent basis.

A large number of responders talked about their own personalized Blended Cursive. They mix Cursive with Print, Cursive with Upper Case, and even mix Cursive with LOL/OMG internet terms.

Several reported that their children not only don’t have any cursive writing skills, they’re not able to read notes in cursive from their grandparents.

Clearly, our skills will flow with the shifts in the cultural utilization and technology adaptions.

3. Producer Shivers - Allegiance Begins: Yesterday was a very emotional day for MASIE Productions. We are producers of a new Broadway show called Allegiance, which will start previews in just about 6 weeks.

It is a show about the time in U.S. History, during World War II, where American citizens of Japanese descent, who lived on the West Coast, were put into detention centers for many years. The beautiful music is focused on the personal story of our star, George Takei (of Star Trek fame).

Yesterday was the first day of “school” for Allegiance. The cast, crew and key producers gathered in a rehearsal studio on 42nd Street in Manhattan and launched this last stage of development. It was so powerful to hear the words of the lead producer, the director and George Takei as they framed the emotional and historical relevance of this work.

Tears flowed from all of our eyes as we realized the power of telling a story that has been told very rarely - and to see the implications for everyone. George Takei recounted his own experience as a young boy being relocated to one of the “camps”.

Producers, whether we work in corporate learning or on Broadway, are always striving to make deep connections with content, context, powerful stories and individual response. Producing is enabling powerful moments of learning and impact for people in ways that move them! It creates shivers as stories and lessons come together in these powerful ways.

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2015

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
- Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4th - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com - twitter: emasie

885 - Press a Button, Cursive Writing Skills Evaporating, 2 CLOs Featured

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - August 17, 2015.
#885 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
56,989 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 859 Colleagues Now Registered!

1. Press a Button - Buy a Product - Access Learning?
2. Hilton Worldwide & American Express CLOs.
3. Cursive Skills Evaporate?

1. Press a Button - Buy a Product - Access Learning? Amazon has been experimenting with small, wireless buttons that can be hung or pasted in your home. Each button has the brand label of a company - for example Tide or Gillette - and is mapped to your Amazon account and a specific product that you use on a regular basis. For example, I can press the Gillette button and in about 5 seconds I have ordered my next shipment of razor blades. So, rather than go on a phone or computer to access Amazon, these one-press buttons encourage regularized ordering. These are one variety in the “Internet of Things” evolution. Amazon calls these Dash Buttons and you can check out their offering at: http://www.amazon.com/b/?node=10667898011&lo=digital-text

We have been experimenting with these buttons in our LAB and are brainstorming how the button technology could be applied to Learning, Support and Knowledge in the workplace.

Imagine that they could be applied throughout a factory or technical environment where a button push sent key content or video segments to a screen nearby or directly to your phone. Imagine if they were part of an Onboarding or Orientation tour and were used to trigger engagement or add to a Gamification element.

Buttons like this are new and, based on our own staff conversations, mildly controversial. We will be exploring the wide range of Push to Learn technologies in the months ahead.

2. Hilton Worldwide & American Express CLOs: I am totally honored to be featuring two of the most innovative Chief Learning Officers at Learning 2015 (Nov 1 to 4, Orlando):

- Kimo Kippen, Hilton Worldwide CLO: http://www.learning2015.com/index.php/item/kimo-kippen.html
- David Clark, American Express CLO: http://www.learning2015.com/index.php/item/david-clark.html

Kimo and David are amazing learning leaders and have deep experience in corporate workplace settings as well as Government and Social Services. We will feature each of them at one of our Learning 2015 General Sessions as we explore the opportunities and challenges of scaling learning in a global organization. Learning 2015 information at: http://www.learning2015.com

3. Cursive Skills Evaporate? A personal confession - my ability to write in Cursive is almost gone. Several times a month, I have to write a greeting card or note, and the look and feel of my Cursive writing is embarrassing. I even occasionally try to put the greeting card into the printer so I can use a Cursive Script Font to pretend.

I would like to ask each of my Learning TRENDS readers to take a personal quick test. Write three lines of text in Cursive. And, send me a quick note (via email to emasie@masie.com) with an update on your own Cursive writing skills. What’s happened, why and what is it telling us about shifting skills in the age of technology and texting?

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2015

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
- Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com - twitter: emasie

884 - Sway - PowerPoint Alternative; Data Analysis; Allegiance is Coming

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - August 7, 2015.
#884 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
56,973 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 817 Colleagues Now Registered!

1. Sway, Microsoft’s Beyond PowerPoint Alternative.
2. Skills for Learning Teams - Data Analytics.
3. Allegiance - Our Show Comes to Broadway.
4. Global MeetUps at Learning 2015.

1. Sway, Microsoft’s Beyond PowerPoint Alternative: There is a new product from Microsoft that we have been experimenting with: Sway.  It is designed as an alternative and future model for building content, presentations and document sharing with face to face and distributed audiences.

Check it out at: http://www.fastcompany.com/3049484/app-economy/microsoft-sway

We have been impressed in our experiments in the MASIE Center Learning LAB at the flexibility and agility in merging presentations, documents, media and more.  Microsoft has made special efforts to engage educators - in both schools and work settings - to help shape Sway.  Personally, I love the title - as one would never say that PowerPoint Embraced Swaying :)

2. Skills for Learning Teams - Data Analytics: If there was one skill that I would add to your Learning Time - it would be Data Analytics. This would include these abilities and competencies:

* Structure Big and Personal Data Collection Models for Learning.
* Leverage the Data Collection of Learning Management Systems.
* Integrate Data Analytics with Design and Assessment.
* Interface with Corporate Data Groups to Represent and Connect Learning Efforts.
* Bridge the Data Collection Efforts to Workplace and Performance Settings.

Ideally, our Higher Education programs in Learning & Development would add Data Analytics as both a skillset and certification for new graduates. The field needs them!

3. Allegiance - Our Show Comes to Broadway: MASIE Productions is proud to be a Producer for the upcoming Broadway show Allegiance, which stars George Takei, Lea Selonga and Telly Leung.  We have been involved with this show for many years - and we are so excited to announce it will start Previews on October 6th and open on November 8th. We are starting our rehearsals in 3 weeks on August 24th.

I wanted to share several elements of our significant involvement in Allegiance:

* Catch a Video of George Takei & Allegiance: http://tinyurl.com/nqak5ja
* Tickets to Allegiance: http://allegiancemusical.com/

In addition, if any colleagues are interested in becoming more involved in Broadway Production of shows like Allegiance, send a note to MASIE Productions at elliott@masie.com

I will share some of our learnings as we bring this very powerful and cool show to life on Broadway.

4. Global MeetUps at Learning 2015: We are honored that we have many colleagues attending Learning 2015 (Nov 1 to 4, Orlando, FL) from international locations. We are creating a series of Global MeetUps for learning colleagues from global locations to connect - and for organizations that are building global learning efforts to discuss shared challenges and approaches. If you are interesting in helping to organize some of the Global MeetUps, please send a note to emily@masie.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2015

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
- Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4th - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com - twitter: emasie

883 - Learning Pursuits Announced; Daily Readiness Checks; Coloring Ad

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - August 3, 2015.
#883 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
56,968 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 789 Colleagues Now Registered!

1. Learning Pursuits: Challenges, Engagement & Gamification Experiment.
2. Daily Readiness Check?
3. 155 Learning Stories & Coloring Ad!

1. Learning Pursuits: Challenges, Engagement & Gamification Experiment! We are very excited to announce the development of our Learning Pursuits experiment - a mixture of engagement technology, game elements and colleague to colleague networking. We will launch Learning Pursuits for every participant at our upcoming Learning 2015 event in Orlando (Nov 1 to 4).

Imagine 1,600 colleagues - occasionally using their mobile devices to take part in challenges that will include:
 
* Digital Beacon technology to locate learning resources & subject matter experts.
* User micro-video production.
* Fun augmented reality images.
* QR Codes to unlock key challenges.
* Learning-Related Trivia Questions.
* Time based challenges, engagement strategies and competitive elements.

Learning Pursuits will blend learning targeted activities, along with high fun elements, to experiment with the role of Gamification as a strategy to assist with engagement and colleague collaboration. In addition, Learning Pursuits will be live and engaging as we all head to EPCOT for our 25th Anniversary  Celebration. While at EPCOT, participants will be invited to use a combination of photo, geo-location, video and trivia challenges for some cool prizes.  As this is an experiment, we will also explore the opportunities, challenges and design aha’s for blending Gamification and Learning.

See our Learning Pursuits announcement: http://www.learning2015.com/pursuits

2. Daily Readiness Check? What if there was a simple, quick “Readiness” check that many employees might do every day.

I had a colleague who was a surgeon and he played an XBox game each day before surgery to give himself feedback on his eye/hand coordination that morning.

What if we had quick “readiness” checks that would give us feedback on our alertness, sharpness, physical or even emotional readiness to do key or hard tasks that day?  Ah, let’s do that check before I do a difficult employee review or evaluation. It might trigger a self-awareness that I need to focus before taking on a task.

Love to hear about some dream “Daily Readiness Checks” that you wish were out there. Send a note to emasie@masie.com

3. 155 Learning Stories & Coloring Ad: As our design process for Learning 2015 proceeds, here are some new resources:

* 155 Learning Stories & Activities Slotted: Check out the current (and expanding) list of 155 learning stories, discussions and activities at Learning 2015 - http://www.learning2015.com/sessions
* Color Our Learning World Ad: In the theme of Coloring and Learning, we have created a color-ready ad that will appear in the T&D magazine in a few weeks - http://www.learning2015.com/index.php/item/color-our-learning-world.html

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2015

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
- Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com - twitter: emasie