Trainers Talk Tech

8:15 :: Jim (committee chair) takes the stage. Tells a great joke about limiting his speech to 140 characters. Gets a laugh at the show, but not as big. Only the geeks like me were laughing. Three key elements of the conference: Connect...Apply...Transform

8:20 :: Jim thanks the sponsors - the usual suspects

8:22 :: Jim thanks the committee and the committee stands up and takes a bow! Ah...I remember my four years on the committee.

8:24 :: Jim talks about the impact of social media - Hudson crash - Haiti aftermath - texts, tweets and social media is emerging as a viable communication method! Yay!

Social Media for Learning

8:26 :: Tony Bingham introduced as opening presenter - talking about social media for learning

8:27 :: Jokes about the Apple announcement spilled my the CEO of a "major communication group" - either unintentionally or intentionally

8:30 :: "What keeps you up at night?" - Generating revenue is not the biggest concern keeping CEOs up at night

8:31 :: "How does your future workforce value learning?" - video on future adult learners.

8:35 :: How does the majority of learning occur today? Informal or formal? Mostly informal! ASTD and i4P researched the impact of "Informal Learning" :: Asks audience to include informal learning to the budget line. Why aren't company's funding it? Loss of control? Fear? Hmm...

8:40 :: Growing up Digital book - talking about Net Gens and their stereotypes - "You baby boomers screwed up the world, and its our job to fix it?"

8:41 :: "Would you rather be smart or beautiful?" - 70% said smart. They "view technology as they view 'air'". Yeppers!

8:42 :: Another video - Don Tapscott interview - "The worse thing they do is 'ban Facebook'..."

8:48 :: Boundaries between work and play is blurry...people are used to massive customization...want to be managed as individuals, not as a part of a group...see right through "the BS"...want to collaborate, not necessarily want to "climb the corporate ladder"

8:50 :: "If you understand the Net generation, you will understand the future. You will understand how our institutions and society needs to change today."

8:51 :: Introduce the book Groundswell.

8:52 :: Reasons for Adopting Web 2.0 - ASTD Study

8:53 :: How do you assure 2.0 is effective - Use blogs, use search engines, integrate it into the culture, assign "wiki gardeners" to review posts, have well document policies and guidelines.

8:54 :: AIIM found that a lack of understanding was considered the number-one impediment to implementing Web 2.0 technologies cited by 59% of the participants

8:55 :: Another video. A great one on the impact and "fad" of social media. It's not a fad, its a fundamental SHIFT in the way we communicate. "Social media has overtaken porn as the number one activity on the web!"

9:00 :: Push to get on the ASTD LinkedIn group. "Virtual water-coolers"

9:00 :: Jay Cross :: Getting started :: support all the learning, start slowly, engage an executive sponsor, encourage facilitate and partner, identify opportunities to support formal learning, save tag search, hold on loosely but don't let go

9:05 :: The Dark Side of social media - privacy - protect your personal information online! "Leaving a trail of digital crumbs" - protect it! "Facebook has fabulous privacy controls...you just need to go and use them!"

9:10 :: Web 2.0 and NetGens are gifts to drive informal learning...Now is the time to connect the pieces...if you are new, you are not alone...if you are a veteran, please share...

9:11 :: Resources in the store :: Nice three pack of books at the ASTD bookstore! Tony's got a new book on social learning! Yay! Great job Tony!

9:13 :: Questions

9:13 :: Is there one department that's better to start with than another? SALES - start in sales

9:14 :: How can you get buy-in from the senior leadership team? Use research, case studies and best practices from other organization. Make it a competitive edge by comparing to other companies using them.

9:15 :: Should I do it as a skunk works project? Don't try to sneak it in. Legal and HR should be involved at the front end, supporting you as you launch it. They don't like surprises!

9:16 :: What are some lessons learned from companies using social media? Start small, learn from other companies, share data (CIA uses social media to share data! If the CIA can use it, why not your company)

9:18 :: What's going on with Web 3.0 - the symantic web. People and products will FIND US! Data will store what's important to you, and then deliver it. One challenge - symantic web might miss the things you are only partially interested in or don't even know you are interested in. Web 3.0 will deliver what you want, but how will it know what you want when you don't know what you want?

9:18 :: How do you deal with legacy data in your social media? Companies are popping up to specifically clear your "social media breadcrumbs." A whole new service!

9:26 :: Is social media the life or death of SCORM? SCORM isn't going to go away, it has its place. SCORM will continue to be used, but in tangent with social media.

9:28 :: What if folks are limited by the technology itself? What about people who don't use computers, can't afford computers or companies (like restaurants) who don't have access to computers? How does this impact social media? The phone now is a primary way to connect to the web. Most people have phones, and with the awesome tech inside phones, people do have access even though they don't have a computer.

9:31 :: Are laptops and other computing devices going away in favor of the iPhones, Droids and other smart phones? How will this impact learning? It's going there!

Great opening session! Thanks ASTD!

If this is your first time reading a web page, then let me introduce you to the upcoming generation that is causing everyone, everywhere to pause a moment and reflect. The generation is called Gen Y, or Millennials, and anyone born between 1981 and 2000 falls into that category.

Gen Y have been described as:

• Eager
• Impatient
• Type A stress machines
• They cannot make decisions on their own - they rely on their network of friends for input
• They are not loyal to any firm - the view themselves as perpetual independent contractors
• They have unrealistic expectations from the workplace - they adapt their work to fit their lifestyle
• Have an "everyone wins" mentality - they want a ribbon for 14th place
• They have an intimate relationship with technology

Read more »

Let me just start by saying that I am a bit fearful for the next phase of eLearning. I'm fearful because I think we are facing what I will call a "design regression". I've been excited about integrating Web 2.0 technologies into my eLearning, and am excited that the tech bar is lower and more people can take advantage of it, however, I don't think that we are going to see the explosion of Web 2.0 in eLearning in 2009 or even 2010. In fact, I think that "page turners" may return with a passion.

Here is my logic...let me know if my thinking is sound.

Read more »

Ok...I'm beginning to see a pattern here - everyone is talking about Web 2.0 and how we must, must, must start implementing this technology into our eLearning. Here are a couple observations about Web 2.0 and the feedback I've been receiving from people I am meeting at the conference:

1. Majority of folks I'm talking with have loved learning about Web 2.0 because they didn't know about it until now. What? This was very surprising to me..but then again...this ASTD show tends to attract the newer developers, managers and people just getting started in eLearning.
2. Some of this will not be used, no matter how cool. OK, I'm talking specifically about Second Life. I wanted to love it. I wanted to get my brain around how to use it. Unfortunately, I experienced it first hand and it was an epic fail. Not because it didn't work, but because what I saw made me want to scream. I spoke with a Second Life facilitator (someone who uses it to teach classes) and she said that "People want to play when they are in Second Life. If we schedule a three hour Second Life class, we know we will only be able to cover 90 minutes." What? What a waste of time. I wanted to root for it, but I predict it will be dead in 2 years.
3. Podcasting rocks! I have been speaking with people who have been raving about Jonathan Halls and Sharon Halls podcasting session. They took 90 minutes and explained every aspect of a good podcast and people are excited. Podcasting is easy to do, easy to produce, has a huge impact on your learners and is a way to present content in a unique way. Shameless, unasked for plug: Jonathan and Sharon's company is Talkshow Communication, Ltd. I've never met them, but they took the mystery out of good podcasts and many people have raved about them to me.

I've been a fan of incorporating Web 2.0 for a long time (earlier posts here talk about it), but am impressed with how ASTD has embraced this stuff, are featuring this stuff and really pushing the envelope at this conference. I've been involved with TK since 2001, and a large share of the sessions have always been presented by Theorists. I'm a "Do-er-ist". I am very proud of the conference ASTD put together this year - the sessions are timely, well received and people are walking away with a good set of skills they can go back to the office and use.

I have one more session I am presenting tomorrow - I am talking about the Adobe CS4 Web Suite and demoing how all the software works together to build elearning. It will be great fun.