446 - The Future of Meetings; Zero Gravity for Elliott; Conference Phones in Classrooms

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - May 14, 2007.
#446 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,514 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2007 - Oct 21-24 - Orlando, Florida, USA

1. The Future of Meetings??
2. A Cool Birthday Gift: ZeroG Flight for Elliott.
3. Trainer's Tip: Conference Phone in Classrooms!

1. The Future of Meetings?? While we spend some time in classrooms and with on-line learning programs, almost every employee spends way more time in meetings. And, it is time for us to look at the future of meeting design.

I am excited to announce that Bruce MacMillan, the CEO and President of Meeting Planners International, will be a keynoter and Thought Leader at Learning 2007. Bruce and I are working together to help envision how "meetings" will evolve in the age of technology and changing collaboration expectations. Both learning professionals and meeting professionals have key roles to play in helping to evolve the design, format and productivity of a wide range of corporate meetings held by our organizations. For information and early registration go to http://www.learning2007.com

2. A Cool Birthday Gift: ZeroG Flight for Elliott: Yesterday was my 57th birthday. My wife, Cathy, gave me a way cool gift. In a few weeks, I will board a plane for the ZeroG Experience. Here is the description that Cathy gave me on my birthday morning:

"Weightless Flight is achieved aboard a special Boeing 727 aircraft named G-FORCE ONE. Weightlessness is achieved by flying G-FORCE ONE through a parabolic flight maneuver. Specially trained pilots fly these maneuvers between approximately 24,000 and 34,000 feet altitude.

The maneuver is somewhat like a roller coaster in that the plane is initially pulled up to approximately 45 degrees 'nose high'. Next the plane is 'pushed over' the top to reach the zero-gravity segment of the parabolas. For the next 25 - 30 seconds everything in the plane is weightless. The maneuver is then repeated over and over again.

The weightlessness experienced by everyone inside the airplane is actually equivalent to the type of "free fall" you experience when sky diving. In this case however, the body of the aircraft surrounds you and protects you from the on-rushing wind. At the end of the free fall period, the aircraft also scoops you up and carries you back up to the top of the arc to begin the free fall process again." Info at http://www.gozerog.com

I will send video and notes from the closest thing to space flight that I will probably get in my lifetime. Thanks, Cathy!

3. Trainer's Tip: Conference Phone in Classrooms! It is interesting how few classrooms have a good quality conference phone. I am always wanting to bring in guest speakers for a few minutes. Yet, most organizations haven't wired their classrooms to be able to integrate the phone into the sound system and to pick up audio from around the room. In addition to having guest speakers, it is always a good idea to add the option of some learners attending remotely. Next budget cycle, add a good conference phone system into your classrooms.

To Email Elliott Masie: emasie@masie.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Events:
* Learning 2007: Oct 21 to 24 - Orlando, Florida
* Learning Leaders Academy: July 22 to 25 - Saratoga Springs
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM
Information at http://www.masie.com

445 - Diary of a Keynote Speech

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - May 9, 2007.
#445 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,505 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2007 - Oct 21-24 - Orlando, Florida, USA

1. Diary of a Keynote Speech.
2. Learning Leaders Academy - Filling Fast.

1. Diary of a Keynote Speech: A number of TRENDS readers have asked me to write a short diary about how I go about giving a Keynote speech. I thought the one that I delivered yesterday to the senior leadership of the Coast Guard would be a good case study.

* The Background: About six months ago, my office was contacted by the U.S. Coast Guard to see if I was available to present to the very senior leadership of their organization. They were having a Leadership Retreat that would include Admiral Thad W. Allen, Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, their top 56 Admirals and a few dozen spouses. The Coast Guard is embarking on a major reorganization and one of the key challenges is generational change as well as continuous learning.

* Needs Analysis: Planning a speech like this is a combination of traditional needs analysis and expectation negotiating. It starts with the key question of how they heard about Elliott and why I was wanted.

One of their top leaders (and his wife) had heard me deliver a keynote at a Joint Education event for the Pentagon and they wanted me to bring the same message and energy to this leadership activity.

Next, my team and I engage in a series of discussions to determine the audience, the expectations and the "degrees of freedom" that I have as a speaker. It became clear that my speech was going to be a departure from more Coast Guard specific content and needed to be relevant for the leaders as well as their spouses.

Just One Slide? One item that came up here and in other presentations is how many slides would I use. Luckily, the Admiral who had seen my speech before remembered that I used just one slide. I made up a one page mindmap slide - with six bullet points in a circle around the title "Learning in a Flatter World". This gives me the chance to make the keynote more about telling relevant stories and less trapped by successive PowerPoint slides.

On-Site: Once I get onsite, there is a another wave of needs assessment.
Immediately upom arriving, I started to have conversations with my contacts and others about the issues that they are facing and other dialogues that are ongoing at the meeting. I spent time in the elevator and at the bar with random participants gathering "texture".

Final Prep: I woke up at 5 AM to finalize my planning. Some would hate to do this last minute design, but it is where it all comes together for me.
I create a "flow chart" for myself of key points, stories and even audience engagement activities. I have them timed out but there are several "Plan B" options. At 7 AM I meet with the AV Tech to give him my
1 slide and at 7:45, I meet with an Admiral to get a final context briefing. This last conversation adds lots of threads for my stories. In fact, I try out one or two themes and see his reaction.

The Introduction: I walk into the ballroom and mingle with the participants for the few minutes before the session begins at 8 AM. I get a chance to meet and talk with Admiral Thad Allen, the Commandant, and get a sense of his style and process. I immediately remember him from CNN, where he was finally sent into New Orleans after Katrina to pull together the rescue efforts. So, I add a story about a CEO in New Orleans during Katrina. I also see how easily he is relating to his core staff and the tone adds to my sense of "freedom" to push the group.

The Speech: The first 180 seconds are key. In that 180 seconds the audience is evaluating me and making a decision how engaged they will be for the coming 90 minutes. So, I start with a few polls and rapidly have them talking to each other at their tables. In other words, it immediately shifts from a speech to an interactive session.

I take a risk and talk about how most PowerPoint presentations should be regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. And, I rapidly pushed into a discussion about how they, as parents, were viewing their children's generation.

For me, a keynote is a blend of pre-planned content, stories and activities ... along with improvisational elements that come from the participants and the "moment". When I ask them to all stand up, walk to another table and talk to each other for 3 minutes, it is all about engagement and dialogue.

Timing: Throughout the keynote, I am monitoring both my design and watch.
I ended up shifting two pieces of the speech, based on their reactions and gathered responses on a key topic. I left myself the last five minutes to pull it all together and to end up a keynote (no pun intended). My final point was that true Leaders must be Learners. I told the story about a newly appointed Commanding Officer of a ship who quietly placed four books on the mess table when he assumed command. He showed the crew that he was an active reader and learner, traits which were key to his style. I repeated the phrase Leaders as Learners and ended the speech.

Feedback: Getting feedback is an interesting process. I got heart-warming applause at the end and thanks for the leadership. But, the real feedback comes from hanging out at the coffee pot a few minutes later. People came up to thank me for speaking or said they liked the speech. My response is always to ask: "What were some of the provocative things about the speech?" It rapidly changes into a discussion about their experiences.

Personal: It is a real "high" to talk to a senior group like this. For 90 minutes, you have an opportunity to share and learn with the leadership of a key organization like the U.S. Coast Guard. It is physically and emotionally exciting. And, my model of continuous design turns it into a personal learning experience for myself. Each speech that I give adds to my knowledge base as a learning professional and helps prepare for the next speech.

Exiting: In some ways, the hardest thing to do is to leave for the
airport. I actually want to stay around, listen to other speeches and
dive deep into conversations with the participants. But, as a keynote, my role is to hit the right "key" and to move on. I can tell they have been coming to our website and have invitations to visit Coast Guard commands in a few parts of the United States, so the conversations will continue.

Nervous?: Finally, people ask me if I get nervous before giving a speech?
Not nervous, but fully engaged and aware. There is that sense that the unknowns will be all clear in a few minutes. My focus is not to have them like me or laugh at my jokes. But, rather I want to connect with them and add content or context to their important realities. This is awesome and can be even overwhelming at times. And, as I said, a good keynote connection can be a "rush" to me as a trainer and learning professional.

2. Learning Leaders Academy: We have opened registration for our Learning Leaders Academy to be held in Saratoga Springs from July 22 to 25th. This is for senior learning executives and is taught by Nigel Paine and myself.
We have already had over a dozen applications. Please register soon.
http://www.masieweb.com/leaders

Upcoming MASIE Center Events:
* Learning 2007: Oct 21 to 24 - Orlando, Florida
* Learning Leaders Academy: July 22 to 25 - Saratoga Springs
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM
Information at http://www.masie.com

Learning Leaders Academy Invitation

TO: Learning & Training Colleagues
FROM: Elliott Masie, The MASIE Center
RE: Invitation: Learning Leaders Academy

I would like to extend a special invitation to a new, small executive seminar that we are launching this summer:

Learning Leaders Academy.
For: Current and Future Learning Leaders & Executives.
Deans: Nigel Paine and Elliott Masie.
Dates: July 22 to 25, 2007.
Location: The MASIE Center Learning LAB - Saratoga Springs, NY USA.

This new seminar will address these key dimensions of Learning Leadership:

* Learning Leaders: Business Perspectives & Skills
* Learning Leaders: Learning Vision & Strategies
* Learning Leaders: Personal Competencies for Leadership
* Learning Leaders: Organizational Change Leadership

For complete content and registration information:

http://www.masieweb.com/leaders

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
The MASIE Center

444 - Learning CEO to the Peace Corps; Games Researcher Keynoter; Laminate in Classrooms

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - May 3, 2007.
#444 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,505 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2007 - Oct 21-24 - Orlando, Florida, USA

1. Learning CEO Off to the Peace Corp in Senegal.
2. Jane McGonigal, Games Researcher to Keynote at Learning 2007.
3. Tip for Trainers: Laminate Your Own Job Aide.

1. Learning CEO Off to the Peace Corp in Senegal. Today, I had lunch with the CEO and President of Intrepid, Chris Hedrick. He had a surprise announcement - he is retiring from Intrepid and will become the Peace Corps Country Director in Senegal, West Africa. Chris is a young man with a great reputation in both the world of learning and public service. (He and his wife served as Peace Corp volunteers in Senegal). He founded and grew Intrepid into a major provider of learning services. I am really impressed with his return to global service. It is an act of courage and inspiration for all of us in this field. Way to go!

2. Jane McGonigal, Games Researcher to Keynote at Learning 2007: We are pleased to announce that Jane McGonigal, a researcher at the Institute for the Future, will be a keynoter at Learning 2007. She has a Ph.D. in performance studies at the University of California at Berkeley where she also was a member of UC Berkeley's Alpha Lab. She has taught at UC Berkeley and the San Francisco Art Institute. Jane will be a keynoter for our event in Orlando (Oct 21 to 24th). Registration at http://www.learning2007.com

3. Tip for Trainers - Laminate Your Own Job Aide: Purchase a small "laminating machine" for your classrooms! You can have your learners create their own job aides - a one-page personal Performance Support page - and then laminate it in plastic, right in the classroom. The trainer can provide them with a core template with information that the learners can customize and contextualize, as well as print and laminate. You would be amazed at how long and well these plastic learning tools will be used!

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* Learning 2007: Oct 21-24 - Orlando, FL.
* Learning Leaders Academy: July - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com

443 - Podcasting for Learning; Dan Pink Learning 2007 Keynote

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - April 30, 2007.
#443 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,493 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2007 - Oct 21-24 - Orlando, Florida, USA

1. PodCast on PodCasting for Learning.
2. Dan Pink To Keynote at Learning 2007.
3. Seattle to Chicago AMTRAK Train Trip.

1. PodCast on PodCasting for Learning: Here is a free PodCast that we did last week for our Learning CONSORTIUM on how to "Podcast for Learning".
This is a 55 minute dialogue with Russ White from Apple and a dozen learning executives from our Learning CONSORTIUM. I share a few different models for PodCast design and we explore the challenges and approaches to creation. Normally, these monthly calls are for the exclusive use of our CONSORTIUM, but we wanted to share this very timely content with TRENDS readers this month. Go to this URL to stream, download or read this
segment:

http://www.masieweb.com/pod4learning

2. Dan Pink To Keynote at Learning 2007: Every few days, we are adding another Keynoter or Dean to our Learning 2007 agenda. I am proud to announce that Dan Pink, the author of the very impressive book "A Whole New Mind," will be one of my keynoters at Learning 2007 (October 21 to 24, Orlando). We are also pleased to announce several additional DEANS for the event, including CLOs and Learning Leaders from Disney, Xerox and Liberty Mutual. There are over 520 colleagues already registered, including a dozen Corporate Retreats. Register at http://www.learning2007.com

3. Seattle to Chicago AMTRAK Train Trip: Elliott is on the Train again. On Thursday afternoon, after a trip to Microsoft and a meeting with our CONSORTIUM members in Seattle, I will be boarding Amtrak's Empire Builder train that gets to Chicago in a 3-day timespan. I am going to be writing several chapters for the books that each participant of Learning 2007 will receive, including "Impatient and Distracted Learners!" If you live along the route, send me a note to emasie@masie.com Maybe we can talk by phone as the train rolls by.

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* Learning 2007: Oct 21-24 - Orlando, FL.
* Learning Leaders Academy: July - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com

Don Tapscott - Wikinomics and Jenny Zhu - ChinesePod Keynoters

TO: Learning & Training Professionals
FROM: Elliott Masie, Host - Learning 2007

Dear Colleagues,

Come join Don Tapscott, author of "Wikinomics", Jim Louderback, Editor of PC Magazine, Jenny Zhu, PodCaster from ChinesePod and a host of other resource leaders - along with 2,500 global learning colleagues at Learning
2007 (October 21-24 - Orlando). Information at:

http://www.learning2007.com

There are 2 anniversaries at Learning 2007. This is the 20th year that I have hosted an international conference/event in the learning and training field. And, we are going to have a 10th Year Birthday Cake for "e-Learning" - it's been a decade since that term has come into popular use.

Learning 2007 is about the broadest spectrum of learning. You can focus
on:

* The Changing Classroom - Revisiting Classroom & Blended Learning.
* Gaming4Learning - Use of Games, Simulations & Virtual Worlds for Learning.
* Performance Support - Learning at the Moment of Need.
* Learning Leaders Academy - Nigel Paine will lead a current and future CLO learning retreat.
* Role Specific Learning - How to map learning more directly to roles and competencies.

And, there is a Learning Systems segment, where we will focus on the LMS, LCMS and other enterprise systems. You can attend a seminar or meet in a User Group with your peers to deal with key issues about your systems.

Learning 2007 is led by our Learning CONSORTIUM. There will be two dozen "Deans", senior Chief Learning Officers from global organizations, driving the content and facilitating vendor-neutral discussions.

There are over 540 participants already registered for Learning 2007. We encourage you to register early to save over $200. And, we want to involve you in the design of this event. Key topic selection and "burning issues" will come from the collective intelligence of the participants.

Information and Early Registration Discounts at:
http://www.learning2007.com

I look forward to working, designing and learning with you at Learning 2007.

Elliott

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2007
The MASIE Center

441 - Get Their Cell Numbers for Crisis - Lesson Learned!

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - April 17, 2007.
#441 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,474 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2007 - Oct 21-24 - Orlando, Florida, USA.

Lesson Learned: Cell Phone Blasts for Crisis!

Does your company have the ability, in a few minutes, to send a text message or voice message to the cell phone of every employee?

The killings on the Virgina campus yesterday highlight the need and opportunity to harness mobile connectivity to our employees and community in a crisis.

Just three months ago, I wrote a column for Greentree Gazette, a higher education magazine, urging colleges to think about embracing the mobile/cell phone capabilities. I urged them to consider leaving the wired land line phones in dorm rooms that students aren't using and instead to hand each student a mobile phone that would allow the college to contact subsets or the entire campus with news or emergency updates. Or at least to register each phone in a campus database system.

Same for a corporation! Your organization should gather the mobile phone numbers of every employee and place them in a system (LMS or HR) that could be used to send an emergency text message or phone message instantly. What if there is a fire in the building and the email and phone systems go down? We could still reach 90% of the employees through the device that is on their belt or in their purse.

The United States is quite slow in leveraging the power of mobile devices and even lower in adult usage of TXT messages. But, as part of our crisis planning, we have a responsibility to make this a reality rapidly.

After Katrina, a CEO of a Gas Company in New Orleans that I know well regretted that they didn't even have a list of cell phone numbers to connect with current and alumni employees. He now carries that information on a USB stick in his pocket to allow for crisis communication.

Talk to your CIO and Corporate Communications coordinator about this today.

Send me your comments and thoughts to emasie@masie.com

Elliott Masie
The MASIE Center, Learning CONSORTIUM

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* Performance Support LAB & Seminar: April 25-27 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
( Note - 4 Spaces Available Next Week!)
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar: May 9-11 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* Learning 2007: Oct 21-24 - Orlando, FL.
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com

440 - Why I Declined a Learning Award; Your LMS Challenges Please!

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - April 10, 2007.
#440 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,426 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2007 - Oct 21 - 24 - Orlando, Florida, USA

1. Your LMS Challenges, Please! Input into Conversations.
2. Why I Declined a Learning "Award"

1. Your LMS Challenges, Please! Input into Conversations: I would like to enlist the 50,000+ TRENDS readers in a vibrant conversation about Learning Systems (LMS and LCMS). As I write, 450 executives from companies are arriving in Las Vegas for our LMS 2007 User Group. Can you take a few minutes to send me a quick email with your thoughts about Learning Management and Content Systems. I will inject them into our discussions over the next two days and send a summary to TRENDS readers. Please send me an email as soon as possible at: emasie@masie.com

2. Why I Declined a Learning "Award": Recently, someone called our office to tell us that I had won an award as one of the influential people in the training industry. We told them that I would decline the award. It seems that they had posted a poll on the web and people were voting for names of folks online. Why did I decline?

While I have great respect for my colleagues and friends who are featured in the list that was just published, it felt like time to take a stand against the flurry of "awards" and "honors". When I look at a list of most influential folks in learning, I am surprised to not see many of the key Chief Learning Officers who make a difference and leaders who have been working on Learning Standards like SCORM, AICC and IEEE. Where are the learning leaders in the U.S. military and colleagues who are pushing the envelope in Asia, Africa and the NGO community? I also missed seeing leaders like Tony Bingham, the highly influential global leader of ASTD.

We have way too many "awards" and "beauty shows" in our field. In fact, there is a small "industry" that has sprung up to charge people for entering their companies in Best of Learning/Training/e-Learning and then making awards without a great deal of deep investigation. There are now even consultants to help get you more awards. One CLO was called on the carpet when his company dropped 10 slots in a "Best" competition. Same great company, same great learning innovation, but more players so he was dropped. He actually got a smaller annual bonus! Yuk!

While I actually enjoy American Idol and have voted on Dancing With the Stars, that's not how we should go about creating recognition for innovation and influence in the learning field. I know that I might get lots of on-line votes, since I have a "brand" and send out hundreds of thousands of emails a year as well as high visibility conferences.

The MASIE Center has given 12 pioneering awards over ten years to learning leaders at McDonalds, US Dept of Defense, Wal-Mart, Verizon, Cathay Pacific and Emirates Airlines, yet we never charged for it and you can't even apply. But, as a field, it is time to rethink this award flurry. I love the idea of competition and of recognizing excellence and innovation, but many of these awards are not really helping us get to deep excellence.

So, at Learning 2007 this year, we aren't giving any awards. Rather, we will be starting a contest for the "L Prize". Like the X Prize, we'll give a significant cash award (no entry fee) for a key learning innovation that is placed in the public domain.

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* Performance Support LAB & Seminar: April 25-27 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar: May 9-11 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* Learning 2007: Oct 21-24 - Orlando, FL.
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com Notes to Elliott: emasie@masie.com

Learning 2007 Invitation

TO: Learning & Training Colleagues
FROM: Elliott Masie, Learning 2007
RE: Learning 2007 Invitation

You and your colleagues are cordially invited to attend our 20th annual
global event:

Learning 2007.
October 21 to 24 - Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida, USA.
http://www.learning2007.com

We have just opened our new website and are offering a special Early
Registration discount (save more than $200 per person).

We are pleased to announce the first of several design and content
elements for Learning 2007:

* Learning Excellence and Learning Experimentation: These are our two
major themes for Learning 2007. How do we improve the learning we
currently deliver and how do we experiment and research new models?
* Gaming 4 Learning Festival: A 3 day event, integrated with Learning
2007, exploring the learning and collaboration potential for Gaming,
Simulation and Virtual Worlds.
* Leadership Training Revisited: A working group exploring alternatives to
our current models of Leadership Training, Development and Selection.
* Learning Gallery: 100 Plasma Screens around the walls of our Lunch and
Reception Hall - with demonstrations and self-service views of content,
systems and learning solutions.
* Learning Retreats - Teams from corporations attend Learning 2007 as a
Learning Retreat, with special meeting facilities, content, resources and
discounts.
* Learning & Sustainability - How do our organizations reach for ways to
reduce environmental impacts of travel?
* Redesigning Meetings - Models for changing the culture and design of
meetings.
* Write A Book Together: The participants of Learning 2007 will
collectively create the Learning Yearbook - 2007. Each participant will
receive a bound (and digital copy) of this book upon arrival in Orlando.
The Wisdom of the Crowds will have close to 2,000 key colleagues writing
this book about our changing field.
* Fun, Fun, Fun. Over the past two decades, we have brought music, arts,
fun and excitement to our MASIE events. Watch for surprise announcements
in the weeks ahead.
* Second Life Island: We are building a Virtual Learning 2007 Island for a
virtual immersion of all participants. This will open this summer and
will provide an "out of the world" hands-on way to start interacting with
colleagues coming to Learning 2007 and experimenting with new models of
information sharing.
* Four Generations - One Workplace - One Profession: Special sessions and
focus for CLOs, Senior Executives and Next Generation Learning
Professionals.
* And much more. Go to http://www.learning2007.com for evolving details.

Our design involves you as a learning designer. As you register, we will
involve you deeply in the design and content creation for Learning 2007.
Learning 2007 is produced by our Learning CONSORTIUM, a collaborative of
250 global companies. The event is co-hosted by ASTD and other key
educational associations.

Register now and save over $200. Rates go up on June 15th. Go to
http://www.learning2007.com

See you in Orlando!

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie,
Learning 2007
Learning CONSORTIUM

439 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - April 1, 2007.
#439 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,426 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

1. Learning Taxes! e-Learning Modules Targeted.
2. Bubble Gum and Retention of Content.
3. Magic Marker World Wide Shortage.
4. Top 400,000 Training Department Awards Launched.

1. Learning Tax! e-Learning Modules Targeted: Recent proposals have surfaced in both the United States and Europe to introduce a broad based learning tax. As individuals use the internet for learning and training, governments see this as a ripe target for taxation.

The "e-Learning Taxation Bill of 2007" actually proposes a sliding scale tax, to be paid by either the corporate sponsor or the learner, based on the number of modules and type of learning outcomes. The legislation would exempt PDF files from this taxation but would include the growing use of PodCasts and Learning Games.

2. Bubble Gum and Retention of Content: A recent study on the effect of flavor and learning retention was released by the University of New Mexico. Building on the work done with Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), the research indicates a relationship between the chewing of bubble gum and short term content retention. The greatest impact seemed to be found in learners between ages 17 - 34, in content areas such as math and IT.

3. Magic Marker World Wide Shortage: The the age of LCD projectors and displays, there has been a dramatic reduction in the rate of manufacturing for Magic Markers for use with flipcharts. Members of our Learning CONSORTIUM have reported acute difficulty in purchasing black and red Magic Markers, including the scented type. A "black market" in markers has been reported in several countries and a 12 Pack of Markers is bringing almost $39 on e-Bay. Anyone with spare Magic Markers can donate to other trainers by sending them to: Markers for Others, PO Box 397, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 USA. (Please do NOT send purple markers!)

4. Top 400,000 Training Department Awards Launched: In an attempt to expand the ever growing number of "awards" programs in our field, The MASIE Center is launching a new "Top 400,000 Training Department Awards".
Almost any training department is eligible to enter and almost every entrant will win an award. While there is no entry fee, Award Statues will be available for only $200. Criteria is based on the ability to complete the entry form without any typppograpphical errors.

(Note: The above four items are part of our annual April Fools Learning TRENDS edition, following a tradition in the United States. While they are written with a smile ... you never know what strange things could happen in
the learning field. Warm regards, Elliott Masie)

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* LMS 2007: April 12-13 - Las Vegas, NV. (Spaces Still Available!)
* Performance Support LAB & Seminar: April 25-27 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar: May 9-11 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* Learning 2007: Oct 21-24 - Orlando, FL.
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com

438 - Your Comments on Gaming for Learning

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 30, 2007.
#438 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,418 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

Afternoon Update - Game Stop - Gaming in Learning Gathering.

Dear TRENDS Readers,

You are an incredible part of the Gaming and Learning conversation we are having here in Toronto. I have received several hundred great emails with questions, thoughts, hopes and concerns about Gaming in Learning. Every 10 minutes, I have been reading one of your emails to the group.

We will post the proceedings' summary on our website in a week. In the meantime, here are a few samples of the conversations here and some of your
emails:

- High interest in Gaming for Learning - driven by both generational changes and shifts in people's acceptance of video/computer games.
- Opportunity to use Gaming for repetition, transfer, social networking, multiple layers of practice and virtualization of business process.
- Need to alter our language about gaming. There is a lack of vocabulary about gaming in learning to help us effectively promote them internally as well as describe our emerging practices.
- Fuzziness about the distinction between Gaming, Simulations and Virtual Worlds - and it is going to get fuzzier.
- Generational attitudes about gaming are quite different. Interesting to see an article in the New York Times about Seniors and Gaming:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/30/arts/30seni.html?ref=arts

Additional comments came in on the Cost, Technology Hurdles, Regulatory Concerns and Social Issues in Virtual Worlds.

Keep sending your comments and questions to me, as the meeting will continue through tomorrow, including a visit to the First Robotics challenge in Toronto. Send your notes to emasie@masie.com

I really appreciate your comments and participating in this blended model of raising issues. Watch your email for a summary of your comments and the proceedings here at Game Stop. Thanks to John Abele for supporting this important discussion.

Elliott Masie

P.S. Mark Your Calendar - At Learning 2007 we will have two key "events in the event" - "Gaming for Learning" and "Virtual Worlds for Learning".

October 21 to 24 - Orlando, Florida - http://www.masie.com

437 - Game Change: Real Time Input

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 30, 2007.
#437 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,416 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

Attend a Gathering With Me -- Today!

The first session of a very small and focused meeting has just begun in Toronto, Canada. Game Change is a gathering with 60 diverse folks from corporate, high education and gaming design - "chewing" the issues of how games will (or will not) be a key element in learning.

Convened by John Abele (and co-facilited by me) the group includes folks from KPMG, IBM, Autodesk, Champlain College, GM and thinkers like Tom Malone from MIT's Center for Collective Intelligence.

We have just opened the meeting and we are starting the conversation with talking about the language of "gaming". I'd love your real time input.

Could you send me a message to emasie@masie.com with your thoughts on:

* What are your key questions, thoughts, hopes or worries about "Gaming for Learning?"

* What words or phrases can we use to talk about gaming for learning?
Should we even use the phrase "gaming"?

* How would your organization react to the use of gaming for learning a key skill or competency?

I will input your thoughts into this meeting and send you one more note in the early afternoon.

Yours in learning,
Elliott Masie

PS: There are just a few spaces and rooms available for the LMS 2007 - Learning Systems User Group - April 12 & 13 in Las Vegas. Information and registration at www.lms2007.com

436 - American Idol Perspectives?; LMS Futures - CEO Interviews

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 22, 2007.
#436 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,404 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

1. American Idol Perspectives on Media
2. Podcasts with LMS CEOs On-Line.

1. American Idol Perspectives on Media: Some people love it! Some people hate it! But either way, American Idol is an interesting topic and phenomenon for learning colleagues to examine. Each week in the U.S., tens of millions of households are gathering together to watch, interact and "game" the performances of a these 'vocal stars of the future'. I will admit that I called in a vote for Melinda, but that is not the purpose of this note.

What is provocative is the popular shift to a highly interactive, multi-player, pervasive "game". Just as documents are moving from a .doc file to a wiki or blog format for interaction, so is our television watching. People are interacting through voting by phone (30 to 50 million calls per week). The viewership is highly multi-generational. It is also interesting to watch how some are "gaming" the show.

I'd be fascinated to hear your thoughts and comments about American Idol as a case study of changing media viewing/interaction. What are the implications for us in the learning field? Send me a note to emasie@masie.com

2. Podcasts with LMS CEOs On-Line: We now have podcasts with 17 CEOs of LMS and LCMS companies - focusing on the changing world of Learning Systems and the future of our field. Each interview is 10 minutes long:
Cornerstone, EEDO, Flying Fish, Giunti Labs, Intrepid, KnowledgePlanet, Learn.com, Meridian, NetDimensions, OutStart, Plateau, RWD, Saba, SumTotal, TrainingPartner, Vertex Solutions and Xerceo.

You can listen to or download each of these PodCasts at:

http://www.lms2007.com/library

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* LMS 2007: April 12-13 - Las Vegas, NV.
* Performance Support LAB & Seminar: April 25-27 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar: May 9-11 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* Learning 2007: Oct 21-24 - Orlando, FL.
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com

Marketplace Alert: Webex Bought by Cisco!

TO: Learning TRENDS Readers
FROM: Elliott Masie
RE: MARKETPLACE ALERT

Cisco Buys Webex!

This press release just came across the wire:

"Cisco and WebEx today announced a definitive agreement for Cisco to
acquire WebEx. WebEx is a market leader in on-demand collaboration
applications, and its network-based solution for delivering
business-to-business collaboration extends Cisco's vision for Unified
Communications, particularly within the Small to Medium Business (SMB)
segment."

"Under the terms of the agreement, Cisco will commence a cash tender offer
to purchase all of the outstanding shares of WebEx for $57 per share and
will assume outstanding share-based awards, for an aggregate purchase
price of approximately $3.2 billion, or approximately $2.9 billion net of
WebEx's existing cash balance."

"As collaboration in the workplace becomes increasingly important,
companies are looking for rich communications tools to help them work more
effectively and efficiently," said Charles H. Giancarlo, Chief Development
Officer at Cisco. "The combination of Cisco and WebEx will deliver
compelling solutions accelerating this next wave of business
communications."

"Cisco and WebEx share a vision of web collaboration as a key to
accelerating business processes and critical to durable competitive
advantage," said Subrah S. Iyar, CEO of WebEx. "Cisco's global reach and
customer focus will help us extend our core web collaboration applications
and continue to broaden the services we offer through the WebEx Connect
platform."

Information at: http://www.webex.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* LMS 2007: April 12-13 - Las Vegas, NV.
* Performance Support LAB & Seminar: April 25-27 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar: May 9-11 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* Learning 2007: Oct 21-24 - Orlando, FL.
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com

435 - ChinesePod - Mandarin at 56; Open Source Learning Project Launched

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 14, 2007.
#435 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,396 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

1. ChinesePod - A Radical Approach to Learning Mandarin!
2. Open Source Learning Project Launched.
3. LMS 2007 - Web 2.0 and Learning Systems.

1. ChinesePod - A Radical Approach to Learning Mandarin! Yes, a 56-year-old-guy CAN learn Mandarin. As a learning researcher, I am embarking on an exciting experiment to learn Chinese. Using a variety of tools, from coaching to residential immersion, learning Mandarin is my personal objective in 2007. I wanted to point to a very cool web site that my colleagues in the U.S. government found me: Chinese Pod!

This unique site includes audio pod/segments, news from China and live one-to-one coaching services from Shanghai. Upbeat, well structured and highly interactive content and assistance flows from this site. There is a fee for on-going content and personal coaching. Check it out at http://www.chinesepod.com

2. Open Source Learning Project Launched: We are launching a new project in our Learning CONSORTIUM on Thursday, focused on Open Source Learning.
Volunteers from dozens of our corporate members are working together to create free, reusable learning content on two topics: Working Virtually with Teams and Better On-Line Search Techniques. There are two provocative elements to this project:

* All content will be developed by teams from multiple Fortune 1000 companies.
* All content and modules will be placed in the Public Domain for any organization to use, modify or extend.

We are very excited about the start of this project. It will extend to dozens of modules this year and beyond. If you are interested in joining our Learning CONSORTIUM, go to our website at http://www.masie.com

3. LMS 2007 - Web 2.0 and Learning Systems: A key conversation at the upcoming LMS 2007 event will be about the intersection of Web 2.0 and Learning Systems. Many corporations are shifting to a wider use of Web 2.0 features in their technology deployments:

* Web Services Models.
* Social Networking.
* User Defined and Modified Content Display.
* Deeper Integration with Desktop and Web Applications.

We will explore a wide range of Web 2.0 and LMS/LCMS futures. You are invited to join us at LMS 2007 - April 12 and 13 in Las Vegas - http://www.lms2007.com Space is limited, so please register soon.

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* Performance Support LAB & Seminar: April 25-27 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* LMS 2007: April 12-13 - Las Vegas, NV.
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar: May 9-11 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* Learning 2007: Oct 21-24 - Orlando, FL.
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com