882 - Sitzprobe?, Learning Design Video, Badges for Interests

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - July 29, 2015.
#882 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
56,962 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 789 Colleagues Now Registered!

1. Sitzprobe - Putting it Together.
2. Elliott Video on Learning Design.
3. Badges for Learning Interest, Too.

1. Sitzprobe - Putting it Together: The other day I went to Williamstown, MA for a Sitzprobe.

Ok, you are probably thinking that it is a medical exam.  But, it is a theatrical event that is key in the production of a new musical.

MASIE Productions is supporting the development of a new musical, Unknown Solider, which is being produced at the Williamstown Theater Festival.  The Sitzprobe is the day when the orchestra musicians and the singer/actors come together for the first time.  Each group has been rehearsing independently, but on the day of the Sitzprobe, they came together in a rehearsal hall and the fullness of the show started to come together.

As we do theatrical productions, I am continually reminded of the relationships between that world and the learning production world.  Instructional design and delivery has much preparation, diagnosis and material polishing, but we often skip the key moments in the production process - where it all fits together. 

As the Sitzprobe progressed, there were perhaps a hundred small or even medium changes to the music, pacing and dramatic delivery.  Imagine if we were to apply the same rigor as we add content, context, slides, learner activity, assessment and engagement to a class or eLearning module. 

A Wikipedia Definition: Sitzprobe is a German term used in opera and musical theatre to describe a seated rehearsal—the literal translation of Sitzprobe—where the singers sing with the orchestra, focusing attention on integrating the two groups. It is often the first rehearsal where the orchestra and singers rehearse together.

2. Elliott Video on Learning Design: Here is a 10 minute video about our Learning Design Process for Learning 2015. We get many questions from folks about how the content, context and engagement come together, so I thought it would be helpful to put together a video on our process: http://www.learning2015.com/index.php/item/learning-2015-design-video.html

3. Badges for Learning Interest, Too: Badges are often discussed as indicators of skills, accomplishments or experience. We can also include “Learning Interests” as a possible badge. Imagine if you were learning a new language or working on a certification, such as Project Management. It would be cool to have a badge that would tell your colleagues about your learning interests and goals. I would guess that many would have some helpful perspectives or even ask you if you wanted to practice Spanish over lunch. Let’s expand our Badging Models.

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2015

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 - twitter: emasie

881 - Coloring Books for Adults & Learning; Remote Steerable Tablets

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - July 21, 2015.
#881 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
56,954 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 734 Colleagues Now Registered!

1. Coloring Books for Adults & Learning.
2. Steerable Tablets from Afar.
3. Last Weeks for 30 Under 30 Applications.

1. Coloring Books for Adults & Learning: Adults are coloring in books - and it is a fascinating trend to observe and consider for our work in learning. Over the past few years, I have been observing the growth of Coloring for Grownups, Coloring Books for Adults and Meditative or Context Focused coloring tasks aimed at adults. A recent article in the New Yorker Magazine explored why adults are buying and using coloring books for themselves: http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/why-adults-are-buying-coloring-books-for-themselves

Coloring books for adults are seen as having several benefits and applications:

* Relaxation: It can be very meditative and relaxing to color in a structured coloring book.
* Disconnecting from Tech: For many, it is a rare time to pick up a pencil or crayon and put away the always-connected mobile device.
* Reflective: The format of the coloring book can help someone reflect or consider the context of a diagram or situation (e.g. Same person, color one as a hipster and one as homeless).

We are quite interested in exploring Coloring for Adults & Learners, so it will be a fun experiment at Learning 2015.

We are building coloring diagrams into our Learning 2015 Notebook and each participant will receive a collection of coloring pens. Some of our diagrams will be related to a topic of the conference, such as “Personalization of Learning”, and others will be more meditative. We will even add Coloring Books into one of our Gamification Challenges. Check out the article on our planning at: http://www.learning2015.com/index.php/item/coloring.html

2. Steerable Tablets from Afar: On the other end of the “tech scale”, I’d like to share a cool new technology that we have been experimenting with at The MASIE Center. 

It is called Kubi: a small, steerable holder for a tablet like an iPad or Android version that can be controlled from a browser anywhere in the world. The person that is remote can move the tablet in a 360 fashion, tilt it up or down, and even shake or nod with a tablet motion. It sits on a table and can support a two-way video chat.

We have experimented with the Kubi in our LAB, simulating attendance at a meeting or adding a remote person as an expertise source. There are also intriguing implications for Customer Service, Coaching or Health Care utilization. Check it out at: https://www.revolverobotics.com/

3. Last Weeks for 30 Under 30 Applications: We are nearing the deadline for our 30 Under 30 program for rising learning leaders. If you are (or know someone who is) under the age of 30 and would like to participate in a unique engagement and development program at Learning 2015, please visit: http://www.learning2015.com/index.php/item/30-under-30-launched.html

Hope everyone is having a great summer!

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

880 - Reflection and Learning; Summer Reading; 90 Sessions in Development

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - July 7, 2015.
#880 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
56,948 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 636 Colleagues Now Registered!

1. Reflection and Learning: A Short Video.
2. Summer Reading List - Your Suggestions, Please!
3. 90 Sessions in Development: A Sampler

1. Reflection and Learning - A Short Video: In the age of faster, shorter and agile - what is the role of reflection and consideration? We want content instantly at our fingertips on a mobile phone, but when do we want to quietly reflect on or consider what we are learning? 

Here is an 11 minute video on Reflection & Learning by Elliott Masie:
http://www.masie.com/reflectlearn

2. Summer Reading List - Your Suggestions, Please! Talking about “Reflection and Learning”, it is interesting to see what is on people’s Summer Reading Lists. What are the books that you plan (or at least hope) to read this summer - on a vacation or a lazy day on the porch? I’d love to collect your lists and share a sample with our 50,000 learning colleagues globally.

Here are a few on my list to read (or even to re-read):

- “A Bone to Pick” by Mark Bittman - Food Editor for New York Times (and a high school buddy).
- “Dune” By Frank Herbert - One of the classic Science Fiction books and a re-read every 5 years for me.
- “Splendid Cities: Color Your Way to Calm” by Rossie Goodwin - Yes, a coloring book about cities and calmness.
- “Triggers” by Marshall Goldsmith - I recently read this book from the leading management coach about changing adult behavior.

So, what are a few of the books on your Summer Reading List? Send me a note to emasie@masie.com

3. 90 Sessions in Development: In addition to keynotes by Steve Wozniak, Sal Khan, Beverly Kaye, Jennifer Golbeck, Karl Kapp and more, there will be over 150 learning sessions and activities at Learning 2015 (Nov 1 to 4). Our design process is underway and over the coming weeks we will publish summaries of the content and conversations for the 1,600 learning colleagues coming to Learning 2015.

Here is a small sample of the sessions under development and design for Learning 2015:

- Enterprise-Wide Badging in Action!
- Leadership Development: New Approaches.
- Blended Learning at its Best: Video, Workshop & Gamified Assessment.
- Fully Developed Performance Support Solutions: From Inception to Support.
- Modernizing the Learning Organization: A Transformation Blueprint.
- What Makes Good Gamification Great.
- Designing Learning for All Screens.
- Challenges for a New CLO: What Does it Take to be Successful?
- Engaging the Executive Learner.
- Aligning Learning Strategy to the Modern Workplace.
- Flipped Classroom for the Enterprise.
- Career Development for Millennials.
- MOOC Update.
- Learning Strategy & Video in 2015.
- And Many, Many More….

A list of the 90+ sessions is located at: http://www.learning2015.com/sessions

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