546 - Urgent: Economic Anxiety in the Workplace Survey

TO: Learning & Training Colleagues
FROM: Elliott Masie, The MASIE Center’s Learning CONSORTIUM
DATE: September 26, 2008

As a Learning Professional, would you please take 2 minutes to complete this instant, confidential survey:

Economic Anxiety in the Workplace

http://www.masieweb.com/anxiety

We are taking the pulse of how workers and workplaces are reacting to the current Economic Crisis in the U.S. (and beyond).

The results will be published with perspectives on Monday!

Thanks,

Elliott Masie

Contact: emasie@masie.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Services & Events:
* Learning 2008: Oct 26-29 - Orlando
* 0ver 6,009 Learning Colleagues on LearningTown.
Information and Registration at http://www.masie.com

545 - NASA eClips, Diaroogle for Toilets, Cafe & Green Learning

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Sept 17, 2008.
#545 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,416 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host, Learning ‘08 - Oct. 26-29 - Over 1,402 Colleagues Registered!

1. e-Learning from NASA
2. Diaroogle - Public Toilet Search Engine
3. Green Learning Tools and Event Supplies
4. Cafe Learning Ideas Wanted!

1. e-Learning from NASA: The Space Agency is making available a free Web-based educational product to learners of all ages across the country. NASA eClips consists of more than 55 short, 5-10 minute video segments, which are available on-demand via the Internet.  NASA eClips features many of the agency’s missions and engages learners in the excitement of science and engineering. Check it out at: http://www.nasa.gov/education/nasaeclips

2. Diaroogle - Public Toilet Search Engine: This is one of those interesting sites with a very no-comment name. Starting in NYC, Diaroogle is building a peer rated and Google Map referenced search engine to locate and evaluate public access toilets. It is an intriguing example of a mash-up of content, context, peer rating and mapping. Next time you are in NYC and really need to go, check out: http://www.diaroogle.com/

3. Green Learning Tools and Event Supplies: Once we decided to push ourselves to make Learning 2008 as “Green and Sustainable” as possible, we immediately turned our attention to the plastic nametag holders and lanyards. My great staff located a source that we are using that distributes name tag holders made entirely form bio-poly, eco-friendly and recyclable material. Our lanyards are being manufactured with recycled polyester. The supplier is: http://www.pcnametag.com/searchgreenmeetings.aspx  We would love to hear about other Green Learning supplies. Send me an email to emasie@masie.com

4. Cafe Learning Ideas Wanted! Talking about Learning 2008, we are having a blast creating LearningTown Cafe Sessions - informal discussions, stories or pleas for support. People have been “rolling” their own sessions including: “Increasing our Salaries as Trainers”, “Leveraging YouTube for Rapid Learning Design”, and “Help Me Reframe our Leadership Training Program”. If you would like to add your ideas to the design bucket, please take our design survey at: http://www.masieweb.com/input2

Please make your plans to attend our annual event! Registration is now over 1,400 participants and we have a limited number of hotel rooms available. Save $100 on the Advanced Registration Rate. Go to http://www.learning2008.com for online registration and details.

Yours in learning,
Elliott
Contact: emasie@masie.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Services & Events:
* Learning 2008: Oct 26-29 - Orlando
* 0ver 6,009 Learning Colleagues on LearningTown.
Information and Registration at http://www.masie.com

544 - The Dumbest Generation; DreamCorp - Alternate Reality

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Sept 14, 2008.
#544 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,408 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host, Learning ‘08 - Oct. 26-29 - Over 1,308 Colleagues Registered!

1. “The Dumbest Generation” - Provocative Book on Stupefied Young Americans.
2. DreamCorp - Alternate Reality and Game for Learning.

1. “The Dumbest Generation” - Provocative Book on Stupefied Young Americans. Mark Bauerlein pulls NO punches in his book on the impact of the digital age on the young American mind. His analysis is that:

* Compared to Previous Generations, American Youth Have:
- More schooling, more money, more leisure time and more news and information

* What Do They Do With All That Time and Money?
- Download, Upload, IM, Post, Chat, Network
- Watch TV and Play Videogames (2 to 4 hours per day)

* And, Here is What They Don’t Do:
- Read, Even Online
- Follow Politics
- Maintain a Brisk Work Ethic
- Vote Regularly

There is much to disagree with about the premises of this book, yet it will create a provocative conversation about the impact and character of the digital age on the education process. I would urge TRENDS readers to check out The Dumbest Generation and send me some of your thoughts/reactions

2. DreamCorp - Alternate Reality and Game for Learning: We are building a new corporation - an alternate reality - that will hire every one of the several thousand attendees at Learning 2008. Yes, they will all have a second job for several days, as employees of DreamCorp. We are building an Alternate Reality and Alternate Reality Game to use as a learning and community device. Based on the emerging world of Alternate Reality Games - DreamCorp will touch, engage and stimulate our participants with digital and live clues and competitions. You may receive a SMS text message with an assignment from the CEO of DreamCorp or meet an attendee who is actually an actor playing the HR Manager of DreamCorp. Here is the Wikipedia definition of Alternate Reality:

“An alternate reality game (ARG) is an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform, often involving multiple media and game elements, to tell a story that may be affected by participants’ ideas or actions. The form is defined by intense player involvement with a story that takes place in real-time and evolves according to participants’ responses, and characters that are actively controlled by the game’s designers, as opposed to being controlled by artificial intelligence as in a computer or console video game. Players interact directly with characters in the game, solve plot-based challenges and puzzles, and often work together with a community to analyze the story and coordinate real-life and online activities. ARGs generally use multimedia, such as telephones, email and mail but rely on the Internet as the central binding medium.”

We are working with the faculty and students at the Institute for Simulation and Training at the University of Central Florida, facilitated by David Metcalf, to build and launch DreamCorp. The rules, clues and projects will evolve during Learning 2008. This will be an exciting experiment to explore Alternate Reality for organizational learning and engagement.

The Advanced Registration Rate for Learning 2008 (Oct 26 to 29) will save you $100 on tuition. Sign up today at http://www.learning2008.com and get ready for that second job with DreamCorp.  We promise not to tell your boss, but we bet you will!

Yours in learning,
Elliott
Contact: emasie@masie.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Services & Events:
* Learning 2008: Oct 26-29 - Orlando
* 0ver 6,009 Learning Colleagues on LearningTown.
Join us today: http://www.learningtown.com
Information and Registration at http://www.masie.com

543 - Second City: Comedy, Improvisation & Learning

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Sept 10, 2008.
#543 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,393 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host, Learning ‘08 - Oct. 26-29 - Over 1,308 Colleagues Registered!

Comedy, Improvisation & Learning: The Second City Visit

I am writing this from the home of The Second City in Chicago - the famous comedy improvisational troupe and training company.

The Second City’s famous alumni include John Belushi, Mike Myers, Gilda Radner and John Candy. Oh, and Catherine O’Hara, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert and countless other stars of stage and screen.

We have been meeting today to plan a new and very exciting segment of Learning 2008.  The Second City is designing a high impact set of activities and segments to drill down on the role of humor, comedy and improvisation in the learning field.

You will experience some very funny and meaningful elements - and explore how we can add improvisational approaches to our design and business activities.  They will be a fundamental part of several of our keynote sessions as well as deliver a workshop on improvisation for learning. 

In addition, Farmers Insurance has worked with The Second City to integrate comedy into a radically different e-Learning program. They will detail the research and evidence behind the decision to design their customer service learning programs with this content. It is one of the most comprehensive models that I have ever seen for impacting change in that domain.

As always, Learning 2008 is all about Learning Connections! We look forward to using the energy and creativity of The Second City Communications and the laughter of our participants to explore the ever changing world of learning.

To join the over 1,300 global colleagues who are already registered for Learning 2008 (Oct. 26-29 in Orlando), go to http://www.learning2008.com

Yours in learning,
Elliott
Contact: emasie@masie.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Services & Events:
* Learning 2008: Oct 26-29 - Orlando
* 0ver 6,009 Learning Colleagues on LearningTown.
Join us today: http://www.learningtown.com
Information and Registration at http://www.masie.com

542: New Performance Metrics?; Chome; Hoof Wins!

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Sept 7, 2008.
#542 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,384 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host, Learning ‘08 - Oct. 26-29 - Over 1,308 Colleagues Registered!
Save Money: Early Registration Still Available

1. New Performance Metrics for Workforce?
2. Chrome - Google’s Browser - Potential & Experiments
3. Yeah! Head Heart Hoof Wins First Race!

1. New Performance Metrics for Workforce? There is a fascinating article in Business Week about a new book: The Numerati, by Stephen Baker. I would urge you to read the excerpt of this book at:

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/aug2008/tc20080827_387069.htm

The book and article explores the growing use of new performance metrics and modeling of workplace behavior. As more of our work is done online, the ability to gather data on individual workers, workgroups and the entire workforce related to metrics includes:

* pattern of social networking use
* email handling (eg. speed of response or personal to work ratios)
* time spent on the phone
* daily time and pattern of surfing the web
* number of meetings per week
* most productive time

This will trigger an interesting discussion about the growing use of data mining of work actions to model and manage performance. We will be hosting a Book Club on The Numerati and the Implications for Learning & OD, at Learning 2008. I would be interested in hearing from TRENDS readers about reactions to these approaches. Send me an email to emasie@masie.com

2. Chrome - Google’s Browser - Potential & Experiments: Google has entered the Internet Browser field with a beta called Chrome. At first glance, this browser is fast and has more integration of browsing and search. It is worth a few minutes to download this and give it a try at home or work: http://www.google.com/chrome

I am pleased to see additional competition in the browser field and a shift to a more media-centric profile of how people are using the web. The front page of Chrome is a visual representation of most recent and frequent sites visited by the user. Watch for additional functionality that will make this (and other browsers) more customizable for knowledge and learning purposes.

3. Yeah! Head Heart Hoof Wins First Race! Congratulations to our 2 year old horse, Head Heart Hoof. This Saturday, he won his second race at Belmont - by over 6 lengths.  It was a rainy day and the hard work by him and his trainer, Seth Benzel, paid off as he won his “maiden” race. He will now head towards bigger and better races. If you would like to send Head Heart Hoof an email, he checks daily from his barn stall at hoof@masie.com

Learning 2008 Update: We now have over 1,308 learning professionals registered for Learning 2008. Save $100 with Early Registration. We are starting to fill up at our main hotel. Check it out at http://www.learning2008.com

Yours in learning,
Elliott
Contact: emasie@masie.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Services & Events:
* Learning 2008: Oct 26-29 - Orlando
* 0ver 5,700 Learning Colleagues on LearningTown.
Join us today: http://www.learningtown.com
Information and Registration at http://www.masie.com
 

541 - Ode to Dial-Up Bandwidth

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Sept 3, 2008.
#541 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,378 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host, Learning ‘08 - Oct. 26-29 - Over 1,308 Colleagues Registered!
Save Money: Early Registration Still Available

Ode to Dial-Up Bandwidth

Funny how things change and we quickly forget. This edition of TRENDS comes to you via a 24K dial-up connection. We’re up at our cabin in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State — far away from an internet connection or iPhone access.

I must say that I started to twitch a little when I realized that the week would pass without access. It passed, and I am enjoying the quiet and reflective times - looking at the lake in the day and seeing stars with incredible clarity at night.

Yet, there is a bit of work to do and I wanted to send out a TRENDS.  I could drive to the library 5 miles away and sit in the parking lot with my laptop.  However, I decided to recall the humble roots of my internet history and return to dial-up for a few days.

With distance and static, I am sending this note at a humble 24K. And, it costs about 10 cents a minute for the long distance line. But, it works…1995 style.

Bandwidth that is always on truly spoils us. As we watched a movie on satellite (yes, we do have some modern devices in our 100-year-old cabin), it was way too much of a slug to dial in to look up an actor’s resume. And, when my office wanted to me to look at the mock up for our Learning 2008 staff shirts, I asked them to include it in the overnight package that is coming every day.

Actually, my roots with dial-up go way back. My first Radio Shack Model 100 laptop had a pair of rubber cup modems and we communicated at 12 KPS.  Then, I went on a 2-year rampage to add plug-in cords to hotel telephone wall connections, serving as a digital Johnny Appleseed.  My worst memory was trying to download a 2 meg file that took 8 hours and dropped 5 minutes before completion.

But, these reminders are helpful and refreshing. Think of our past and of our future. Think of the danger of allowing a digital divide between connected and non-connected to grow. And, remember to turn off the connection every now and then to relax, refresh and connect with the people in your life - live and in person, without IM or email interruption.

So, I welcome the twice-a-day sound that wafts from my cabin as the modem struggles to connect.  It is a sound that makes me smile.

Regards to you,
Elliott

Contact Elliott Masie: emasie@masie.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Services & Events:
* Learning 2008: Oct 26-29 - Orlando
* 0ver 5,700 Learning Colleagues on LearningTown. Join us today: http://www.learningtown.com
Information and Registration at http://www.masie.com