425 - A Santa Learning Wish List

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Dec 22, 2006.
#425 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,298 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

1. Elliott's Santa Learning Wish List.
2. 2006 Dollars Left? Forward Spending Options.
3. A Personal Note.

1. Elliott's Santa Wish List: Even a Jewish guy can visit Santa with a wish list. So, I made up my Learning Wish List and have sent it as an XML file to Santa, via his secure Web Site. I thought I would share a few of the items on my Learning Wish List:

* Open Source Learning Content: Let's stop reinventing the wheel each time we create new content. Santa, please bring us a collaborative way for organizations to share content and extend it in an Open Source fashion.
In fact, Santa, if you bring it, our Learning CONSORTIUM will provide the leadership for this cool project!

* Easy Meta Tagging: Every time we create a piece of content, from this note to presentations, give us an easy way to add information (metadata) like keywords, source and more.

* Video Conference Acceptance: Santa, while I know you do a lot of travel on December 24th, most of the year, I would assume you want to keep in touch with your community without the reindeer's labor. If only we could get wider acceptance of Video Conference as a tool for communication and learning. Throw in a bit of high-definition if you can.

* Hype Buster Spray: Look in your bag and see if there is a can of Hype Buster that we could apply to our field. I'd love to spray it on most of the press releases and reports that come across my desk. Protect me from phrases like "The World's Leading Provider of..." or "World Class LMS". Just one can, Santa: just one can of Hype Buster!

* My 1958 Chemistry Set: This one is pretty personal, Santa. Could you find me a replica of my Global Hobby Chemistry Set from 1958? It was so cool and included test tubes, chemicals that changed color and sometimes gave off smoke and wierd odors. It had a burner to heat up stuff and a Microscope and more. I've looked in the stores, but I guess we are being safer with our kids. But, I'd love to do a few more experiments that I didn't get to when I was 8. (Also, if you have an Erector Set from 1957, I'll take one of those, too).

I'd love to hear your Learning Wish Lists for Santa. I'll send them off to the North Pole for possible action. Send them to emasie@masie.com

2. 2006 Dollars Left? Forward Spending Options: We've heard from several TRENDS readers who have the nice situation of wanting to spend some 2006 Budget figures before the end of the year. We can process your registrations or memberships for:

* Learning 2007 - Oct 21 to 24, Orlando, Florida.
* LMS 2007 - Learning Systems User Group - April 12 and 13, Las Vegas.
* Learning CONSORTIUM Membership - $5,000 per Organization for 2007.
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar - January 17-19, Saratoga Springs.

Just go to http://www.masie.com for information and registrations. If you have special End of the Year Spending Requirements, send us a note to emasie@masie.com

3. A Personal Note: Thanks to the hundreds of folks who wrote Holiday Greetings to me after my note about the first night of Hanukkah. It was touching to connect with colleagues of all faiths about faith.

As we approach the season of Christmas, my wife's Holiday, we are looking forward to gathering with family and celebrating the spirit and magic of Christmas. Hug your loved ones and let us learn together for Peace on this Earth.

Elliott and Cathy Masie.

424 - Patents by Google, YOU Publishing and Learning Implications

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Dec 18, 2006.
#424 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,295 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

1. Patent Search Activity - Check Out Google!
2. Time's Person of the Year - YOU - Content Implications.
3. Extreme Learning LAB - 12 Spaces Left.

1. Patent Search Activity - Check Out Google! I've been quite concerned about some "iffy" patents in the learning area. A new tool from Google has made it much easier (and cheaper) to explore the strange world of granted
patents: Google Patents Online.

Check out this service at http://www.google.com/patents

Then, add phrases like learning, e-Learning, instructional design, curriculum and learning management

You'll see a host of interesting and, at times, "defensive" patents.

Time's Person of the Year - YOU - Content Implications: Time Magazine has designated "YOU Publishing" as the Person of the Year. The growth of MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Blogs and Wikis are at the center of this focus. As content is more easily created and disseminated by YOU, we will see increasing opportunities and challenges in the learning world:

* Learning Systems (LMS, LCMS and Content Management) will need to deal with a much larger and more informal range of content - rapidly and widely published.
* Dynamic Content continues the shift from Read-Only to Read/Write/Change/Improve/Comment. Instructional designers will need to adapt their models to cope with content that will evolve beyond their control.
* Social Networks & Learning: We are just beginning to explore the impacts of social networks on how learners will contextualize and internalize information and knowledge.
* YOU Content and Compliance Lawyers: How will legal folks who live in the land of Compliance cope with content published by YOU?

3. Extreme Learning LAB - 12 Spaces Left: Start the New Year with a 3-day, very intensive Lab and Seminar that I teach a few times a year. Our Extreme Learning LAB will take place in Saratoga Springs on January 17-19. We only have a dozen seats left in this learning experience that addresses Mobile Learning, Rapid Development, Informal Learning, PodCasting, Gaming and Simulations. Info at http://www.masie.com

Upcoming MASIE Events & Services:
* LMS 2007 - Learning Systems User Group: April 12-13 Las Vegas, NV.
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar: Jan 17-19, Saratoga Springs, NY.
* Learning 2007 - Oct 21-24, Orlando, FL.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM - Join 244 Global Organizations!
Information at http://www.masie.com

423 - Hanukkah Greetings

In a few hours, as sundown approaches, the celebration of Hanukkah begins.

Growing up in a Jewish household, Hanukkah was a holiday filled with learning and lights. Each year, we would gather as a family and light an additional candle each night for 8 days. The children would get a very small gift each night and we'd tell and retell stories of freedom, struggle, miracles and faith. Our family would extend the Hanukkah focus to reflect on current-day struggles for freedom and reflect on the strength of faith and community, often inviting friends from other faiths and nations into our living room for enlightening conversations.

I would like to extend a warm Hanukkah greeting to all of our learning colleagues around the globe. May we all become better learners and find the strength to create new approaches to the significant challenges that face our world now and in the coming years.

Peace and Shalom,

Elliott Masie.
The MASIE Center.
The Learning ThinkTank.
http://www.masie.com/

422 - Learning Architecture, Web-Based Office, Very Early Registration for Learning 2007

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Dec 13, 2006.
#422 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,289 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

1. The Web Based "Offices" Trend - Implications for Collaboration.
2. Learning Architecture: Focus for 2007.
3. RSS for Trends? Easy!
4. Learning 2007 Very Early Registration Open.

1. The Web-Based "Offices" Trend - Implications for Collaboration: There is a dual track race on for the next generation of your desktop office suite. Microsoft is releasing the next edition of "Office", complete with new interfaces and collaborative technology. At the same time, several on-line suites of word processing, spreadsheet and presentation programs are also coming to market. This week, the MASIE Learning Lab has been testing a new program called:

ThinkFree - On-Line Office Beta.
http://www.thinkfree.com

This free Beta (with a few Google-like ads) is a breakthrough program that provides fast, web-based office functionality. You can also easily share documents with colleagues and publish for broader distribution in a web library. There is a major rumor that Microsoft is trying to buy Asia-based ThinkFree to compete with the rapidly improving Google Documents product.

We are excited about the implications for collaboration and feature improvement in these on-line products. We may see interesting links to both LCMS and Document Management as well as mobile-based versions of Office. I used Google Spreadsheet as my shared document for the planning and tracking of Learning 2006. Check out ThinkFree and send us your early impressions to emasie@masie.com

2. Learning Architecture - Focus for 2007: We will be focusing on the concept of Learning Architecture in the next year. Learning Architecture involves the weaving together of:

* Instructional Design.
* Content Management.
* Learning Standards.
* Learning Systems (LMS, LCMS, Collaboration, Community).
* Social Networking and Informal Learning.
* Assessment, Accountability and Competencies.

In other words, how do we TIE TOGETHER and LEVERAGE the rapidly changing technologies, models and business requirements in our "flatter" world? Our Learning CONSORTIUM will be exploring Learning Architecture to look at how we get significantly higher impact from the innovations that have been occurring in our field. Stay tuned for more on Learning Architecture.

3. RSS for TRENDS? A reader asked if there was a way to get an RSS feed from Learning TRENDS? Yes! Just point your RSS Reader to http://trends.masie.com

4. Learning 2007 Very Early Registration Open: A number of our colleagues have asked for a way to register for Learning 2007 before the end of this calendar year (to use 2006 funds). The dates for Learning 2007 are October 21 to 24 in Orlando, Florida. Special Very Early Registration Rates are available at http://www.learning2007.com

Upcoming MASIE Events & Services:
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar: Jan 17-19, Saratoga Springs, NY.
* LMS 2007 - Learning Systems User Group: April 12-13 Las Vegas, NV.
* Learning 2007 - Oct 21-24, Orlando, FL.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM - Join 244 Global Organizations!
Information at http://www.masie.com

421 - Cell Phone Presentations? LMS 2007 and Learning Content On-Line.

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Dec 7, 2006.
#421 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,275 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

1. Presentations from Your Cell Phone?
2. LMS 2007 Launched: Annual Learning Systems User Group.
3. Learning Content On-Line - 30 Free Hours of Content Posted!

1. Project from Your Cell Phone - Presentations Go Mobile: I just received word of a new technology that will allow you to project Presentations, Videos and other Images from hand-held devices. Microvision will unveil a new technology that turns a cell phone into a projector. Imagine a sales person using this to do an on-the-fly "pitch" or a colleague using this to enable a just-in-time demonstration, right on the shop floor.
Thanks to TRENDS reader Donald Harrison for the tip. Check it out at:
http://www.technologyreview.com/BizTech/17860/

2. LMS 2007 Launched - Annual Learning Systems User Group: Join Malcolm Gladwell (author of Tipping Point and Blink), Cushing Anderson (IDC), CEOs of the major LMS companies and 600 of your colleagues at our annual Learning Systems User Group:

LMS 2007: Learning Systems User Group
April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas

This is the only non-vendor event totally focused on LMS/LCMS and Learning Systems. Once you have deployed your LMS, what are the best practices for creating high value learning for the workforce? We sold out last year and encourage you to register early. The event is held at the new Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas. Reserve a space: http://www.lms2007.com

3. Learning 2006 Content On-Line - 30 Free Hours of Content Posted: I am pleased to announce that we have posted over 30 hours of video and audio content from Thought Leaders and Keynote Sessions from Learning 2006:
Video "Objects" from Ken Blanchard, interviews with Stephen M.R. Covey, Jim Louderback, sessions on NextGen, LMS Futures and much more. We have also included transcripts of most of these session. All are FREE at http://www.learningwiki.com/library

Upcoming MASIE Center Events and Services:
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar: At The MASIE Center - Saratoga Springs - January 17-19.
* LMS 2007: Learning Systems User Group: Las Vegas - April 12 & 13.
* Save the Dates: Learning 2007 - Orlando - October 21-24.
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com