Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - September 24, 2015.#890 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.57,032 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 1,581 Colleagues Now Registered! 1. Oil Rig Learning - Onshore?2. New Roles: Curators & MeetUp Connectors.3. Your PitCrew Car is Designed!4. Asia Visit Next Week 1. Oil Rig Learning - Onshore? We had an incredible day of being at an oil rig, except it was onshore. This is a highly immersive learning facility in Louisana, The Shell Robert Training Center, which I visited last week to experience how a worker is trained for the skills and safety of working on an off-shore oil drilling or exploration facility. It was amazing! From a simulation of how to pilot a lifeboat, to surviving a smoke filled helicopter, to a water-based immersion experience, to a full engineering simulation, we had hands-on experiences with the skills and readiness levels for employees going to work on an off-shore rig. Shell conducts the Center with a schedule that is a full emulation of life off-shore. Learners are there for 2 weeks, never leaving the facility, with the same workday calendars that they will experience off-shore.  The bunks are the same as the ones on the rig. Meals are exactly the same. And, the challenges and lifestyle of life on a rig are deeply reflected in the experiences at the Center. Most of the learning is done in experiential lab mode, giving learners rigor, challenges and the ability to "fail their way to success" in the simulations. This reinforced my belief that we should add a deeper set of immersive experiences to all of our learning models - both face-to-face and online. Here is a link to the Shell Robert Training Center: http://tinyurl.com/offshorerig  And, thanks to the team at Shell for hosting us on this eye-opening visit. 2. New Roles: Curators & MeetUp Connectors: We have created two new roles at Learning 2015 for participants wanting deeper curation and connection to new colleagues: * Curators: Every session at Learning 2015 will have a volunteer curator. This role will be to take notes and observations about the dialogues and discussions in the 60 minute breakouts. These notes, along with any materials from facilitators, will be shared with the larger community of participants at Learning 2015.  The curators will be visually highlighted so that other participants can share links or ideas with them to be included in the curators’ notes. We will be soliciting curators from the Learning 2015 community in a few weeks. But, if you are planning on attending and would like to curate a session, send a note to emily@masie.com * MeetUp Connectors: How do people meet folks with the same background, industry focus, learning interests or other factors? Participants will be able to use our online Engage App and there is always the wonderfully random process of meeting someone at a coffee break. We are adding another role this year: the MeetUp Connector. There will be MeetUp Connectors for various industries, such as healthcare or airlines, and they will be very present at the different large gatherings of Learning 2015.  The MeetUp Connectors will help to make "connections" and also organize short MeetUps. For example, a MeetUp could happen at lunch or as an after-session drink. If you are planning on attending and would like to be a MeetUp Connector for an industry, please send a note to emily@masie.com As you can tell we are in deep planning mode for Learning 2015. Our registrations are running higher than previous years and we have been adding additional hotels (with transportation) to accommodate the over 1,800 colleagues coming to Learning 2015. Please register soon at http://www.learning2015.com 3. Your PitCrew Car is Designed! We just got the design for the NASCAR-like race car that will be in place at Learning 2015.  You and your colleagues will compete as you learn how to speedily change the tires and collaborate in this fun, immersive experience. Check out the pictures at: http://tinyurl.com/masiepitcrew  4. Asia Visit Next Week: I am honored to be giving one of the keynotes at the ATD Conference to be held in Taiwan next week. So, on Saturday I will journey to Tokyo for 2 days, spend 4 days in Taiwan and 1 day in Seoul.  If any Learning TRENDS readers are in Japan, Korea or Taiwan and would like to say hi, please send me a note to emasie@masie.com Yours in learning, Elliott MasieHost, Learning 2015Email: emasie@masie.comTwitter: emasie 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  

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - October 6, 2015.#890 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.57,041 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 1,734 Colleagues Now Registered! 1. Just in Time Learning!2. Japan, Taiwan & Korea Learning.3. Allegiance Begins - Join us in New York City! 1. Just in Time Learning! We live in a time of Just in Time Learning. Our learners and their managers often focus or switch their focus Just in Time. And, as producers of events, we have all adjusted to last minute decisions and timelines. Learning 2015 is a perfect example. We are honored to now have 1,734 global learning colleagues registered for Learning 2015 - from November 1st to 4th in Orlando.  This is amazing and significantly higher than last year.  So, what is a learning producer to do in terms of planning hotels, meals, supplies and experiences? Well, that is the shift to Just in Time Learning Planning. In the coming month, we know that hundreds more colleagues may be registering for Learning 2015 and we have added these Just in Time Learning expansions: - Early Registration Discount Extended until October 24th.- Two More Nearby Hotels Added - With Free Shuttle Transportation.- New MeetUp Connections Added for Real-Time Conversations.- New Beta: Digital Beacon Scanning Help to Find New Colleagues.- Curation Volunteers in Every Session for Content/Context Sharing. If you or your colleagues are planning on attending, we are ready! Just check out the Program Guide and complete schedule at http://www.learning2015.com Just in Time Learning means you are delighted with 1,734 awesome participants and you are prepared for several hundred more. Welcome to the world of continuous and agile change. 2. Japan, Taiwan & Korea Learning: I have just returned from a 7 day trip to 3 countries, to deliver a keynote address at the ATD event in Taiwan and to meet with learning and theater colleagues in Japan and Korea.  Learning in Asia is booming. There is a deep shift happening with the rise of more local/regional learning approaches, reflecting the rising use of technology and blending learning more tightly with local culture. Here are just a few impressions from my visits with Asian colleagues: - WebChat Apps Dominating Learning Collaboration: A shift towards WeChat, WebChat and other apps for corporate and cross-community collaboration.- Blended Learning Mix Rising: Deep shifts towards "flipped classroom" and desire to make classroom engagement more engaging.- Hero Teachers/Tutors: Mirroring the rise of Hero Teachers for augmenting K to 12 learning. The rise of workplace Hero Teaching.- Scout Badging to Lifelong Badging: Fascination with extending the Scout Badge model to a lifelong and credentialed for workplace badging system.- Working Globally Isn’t Easy: Desire to explore HOW to work and collaborate across borders and cultures.- When You Can’t Fire Someone: Interesting conversations with Tokyo colleagues about the challenge of a non-firing society. How to deal with mis-matches.- Beyond the MBA: Lowered interest in the MBA as the key business certification. Design, Innovation and User Experience are rising in degree ladder. I came away from my visits with a desire to make Global Learning one of the major MASIE Center focuses in the coming years. I will be going to Manila in the middle of November to work with corporations and government leaders on these issues and plan to travel more extensively in 2016 working on learning globally. Stay tuned! 3. Allegiance Begins - Join us in New York City! Tonight is a very powerful time for MASIE Productions.  We have been involved as producers of Allegiance, a new musical starring Lea Selonga, George Takei, Telly Leung and dozens of other incredible actors. It is the story of the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II and the choices that family members made in those times. It is an inspiring, historical, romantic and amazing production with music and storylines that will move you deeply. Many of you will remember Lea Selonga from her role as the first Kim in Miss Saigon, George Takei from Star Trek and Telly Leung from Glee. They are unforgettable. I am offering a special MASIE Friends and Colleagues discount for Allegiance, which is starting performances tonight. If you are in NYC or can come here in the coming months, please access this special discount code at: http://allegiance.show/elliott To watch some video segments about Allegiance: http://allegiancemusical.com/explore/trek-to-broadway/#OGmE7L3p8ZPZ5gyQ.97 And, please send a note to us wishing for us all to "Break a Leg…" Yours in learning, Elliott MasieHost, Learning 2015Email: emasie@masie.comTwitter: emasie MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM- Learning 2015 - Nov 1st to 4th - Orlando, Florida. Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - October 16, 2015.#892 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.57,076 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 1,917 Colleagues Now Registered!1. MEMEs in Learning? Lessons from George Takei.2. Diversity in Learning Universe - Honor the Range!3. Music Added to Learning 2015 - Over 1,917 Participating.1. MEMEs in Learning? Lessons from George Takei: Yesterday, I had the honor of delivering a Keynote Address for several hundred media professionals who work in the world of US Intelligence (CIA, DOD, Army, etc).  My opening slide had a photograph of George Takei, the star of our musical Allegiance that is now in previews on Broadway.  Interestingly, once people saw that slide before I began my address, dozens came up to start talking about George Takei and his Social Media Presence.  So, I did a just in time adjustment and reframed much of the talk about him and how he has used MEMEs - illustrations with striking comments - as his primary vehicle for building and communicating with over 10 Million likes, followers and contacts on Facebook and Twitter.Our conversation evolved to how we might use the Meme, taking a key still (or now we are starting to see VEMEs, which use 6 second videos) to communicate a key learning lesson or provocative statement.I am fascinated about this conversation and will explore it at The MASIE Center.  If you want to respond about MEMEs, send me a note to emasie@masie.com and let’s explore this.2. Diversity in Learning Universe - Honor the Range! We must be careful not to innovate around a non-diverse sense of the audience of learners.  I hear people say things like "our workers are all mobile" or "no one wants to go to class anymore".  In fact, some of those may be true, but there is also a huge diversity of learning styles, histories, preferences and even managerial permissions.  Let’s keep open our learning choices, aiming to touch and support a much wider range of learning modes. At the end of the day, our goal is to support the workforce in learning for performance, regardless of the learning method chosen.3. Music Added to Learning 2015 - Over 1,917 Participating:  As we close in on 2,000 registered learning leaders at our upcoming Learning 2015 event (Nov 1 to 4, Orlando), I am adding the last minute musical and artistic elements to sweeten the settings at our General Sessions.  We are pleased to announce:- Learning 2015 Musical Director: Marco Paguia, who will be providing music throughout the event.  Marco is an accomplished Broadway Musical Director, having led shows like If/Then, Peter & The Starcatcher, The Adams Family and our new show Unknown Solider. - Anna María Pérez de Tagle, a powerful actress and singer, will add a fun and engaging musical welcome for both Steve Wozniak and Sal Khan.  Anna María starred in Godspell on Broadway and was featured on Hanna Montana, Fame, Camp Rock and other shows.- A Surprise Opening Number - can’t give it all away.  It will weave music, history and learning together. There are still Just in Time registration discounts available and 2 more hotels with free transportation.  Info and online registration at http://www.learning2015.comYours in learning,Elliott MasieHost, Learning 2015Email: emasie@masie.comTwitter: emasieMASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM- Learning 2015 - Nov 1st to 4th - Orlando, Florida.Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - October 23, 2015.#893 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.57,093 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 2,003 Colleagues Now Registered! 1. Taking the TRAIN & TESLA to Learning.2. Video to Forward?3. Just in Time Learning - 9 Days! 1. Taking the TRAIN & TESLA to Learning: One of my traditions is to take an Amtrak train from New York to Orlando each year for the start of our annual Learning event. While I love flying, it is powerful for me to take an overnight train as a way of reflecting, planning and relaxing before hosting 2,000 colleagues. This year, my trip will have an extra element. I’m taking my all-electric TESLA, which was just upgraded to Auto-Steering, on the train. I will be driving the TESLA from Manhattan to Lorton, VA on Tuesday and then loading it on the AutoTrain, which will take me and the car on an overnight trip to Orlando. I will relax in a small bedroom with my wireless and books. At Learning 2015, we will explore the impact of innovations like Auto-Steering and Self-Driving as we look at the larger issue of robotics, machine learning and more. Steve Wozniak owns 2 TESLAs, my colleague Nick Howe is coming with his TESLA, and several learning designers from the TESLA factory are registered. We will have the TESLA on display next to our NASCAR tire changing contest. Here are some pictures and my blog about the "Train-to-Learning" habit of mine:  http://www.learning2015.com/index.php/item/countdown.html I would love to chat by phone with you if you are along the route from VA to Orlando on Tuesday afternoon and evening. Send me an email to emasie@masie.com and a good time to call. 2. Video to Forward? We are hearing from many learning coordinators that they are moving much of their video content collections to alternative hosting sites in order to allow learners to securely forward key video segments to other learners (usually behind the firewall). The viral nature of great video, where peer-to-peer sharing occurs, is an intriguing trend to follow. Check it out! 3. Just in Time Learning - 9 Days! In just 9 days, we will have the honor of opening Learning 2015 to over 2,000 participants. Last night, at 1:14 am, we took our 2,000th registration (this one is from Singapore). There is still time for you and your colleagues to come to Orlando for Learning 2015, which kicks off on Sunday, November 1st. We have added extra hotels and extra cool innovations focused on learning! Check out website at http://www.learning2015.com   Hope to see you in Orlando! All Aboard the Train to Learning :) Yours in learning, Elliott MasieHost, Learning 2015Email: emasie@masie.comTwitter: emasie MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM- Learning 2015 - Nov 1st to 4th - Orlando, Florida. Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - October 30, 2015.#894 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.57,097 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 2,062 Colleagues Now Registered! Dear Learning TRENDS Colleagues, This is a Thank You note for your support, connections and history over the past 25 years! I am now in Orlando, Florida at Walt Disney World with our Learning 2015 Production Team - and we are doing the assembly work to greet 2,062 learning colleagues from around the world starting on Sunday. This year is a special honor and treat for me.  It marks the 25th year that I have hosted and curated an annual Learning event in Orlando, Florida.  Over the years, the name of the event has evolved from Computer Training & Support to TechLearn and now to Learning 2015. The focus has always been workplace learning - and we have added eLearning, Computer Training, Social and Mobile Methodology, and Learning Personalization along the way.  Over 25 years, we have hosted tens of thousands of new, experienced and even about-to-retire learning colleagues. Our keynotes have ranged from Apolo Ohno, Robin Roberts, General Colin Powell, The Midtown Men, Malcolm Gladwell, Dan Pink, Susan Cain, President Bill Clinton, Jack Welch, 50 Chief Learning Officers and even ABC’s Brit Hume coming by video from the White House explaining how the first presidential user of WordPerfect learned to use a word processor. I look forward to the fun, excitement and learnings ahead in the next few days.  As always, we will curate a large amount of the content from the event and post it online in the coming weeks.  And, you can follow our twitter accounts - @learning2015 and @emasie - for real time blasts. To each of our Learning 2015 readers and colleagues, thanks for your ongoing support and idea generation.  I hope we have an opportunity to meet at Learning 2016, Learning 2020 or continue to connect with shared ideas and innovation virtually.  Finally, if you would like to send a note as we celebrate 25 years of Learning Events, send it to me at emasie@masie.com   We will have a "toast" to our 25th Anniversary on Monday night and I would love to share a few of your thoughts with the group. Learning Really Matters! It is the powerful way we as humans develop new skills, awareness, job readiness and evolving knowledge.  What we do in learning is cool and important.  Thanks! Yours in learning, Elliott MasieHost, Learning 2015Email: emasie@masie.comTwitter: emasie MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM- Learning 2015 - Nov 1st to 4th - Orlando, Florida. Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - November 11, 2015.#895 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.57,109 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.Host: Learning 2016 - Oct 23 to 26, Orlando, Florida. 1. Jay Cross, Innovator and Informal Learning Remembered.2. Google Open Source Machine Learning Code: TensorFlow.3. Learning 2015 Curated Content and Flow. 1. Jay Cross, Innovator and Informal Learning Remembered: Whenever I received an email from learning innovator and colleague Jay Cross, I smiled. Jay’s emails would push me, disrupt some of my thinking and make me smile. Yet, the email that came the other day made me cry. Jay Cross died at his home in California on Nov. 6, 2015.  Very appropriately, Jay was working on his latest project, "Real Learning", advocating for a strong slice of DIY in learning. Jay leaves us with great work, strong thinking, rich dialogue and learning disruption. One cannot change a field without disruption - and Jay brought that, with a smile. I have known Jay for decades, spanning our mutual work in IT, Learning and Innovation. His passing leaves a gap in our field and his contributions have moved our field forward. Here is a great collection of tributes to Jay Cross and samples of his work, compiled by David Kelly: http://davidkelly.me/2015/11/an-industry-remembers-jay-cross/ Goodbye and Farewell, Jay! 2. Google Open Source Machine Learning Code: TensorFlow. Google made an exciting announcement about the open sourcing of their new Machine Learning Framework, TensorFlow. Machine learning is the science of getting computers to act without being explicitly programmed. In the past decade, machine learning has given us self-driving cars, practical speech recognition, effective web search, and a vastly improved understanding of the human genome. Check out TensorFlow and follow the exploration of how we engineer a construct of "learning" into machines and programming. It may have intriguing implications for workplace learning and the performance support field. TensorFlow info at: http://tensorflow.org/ 3. Learning 2015 Curated Content and Flow: We were honored to have 2,066 global learning professionals participate in Learning 2015 last week. It was an amazing 3 1/2 days of content, context and collaboration. We are now starting the curation of the sessions and conversations from Learning 2015 and will post waves of links in the weeks ahead. Get started by looking at the cool graphic illustrations of our six keynote sessions - including interviews with WOZ (Steve Wozniak), Sal Khan, Karl Kapp and Susan Cain: Check these out at: https://emasie.smugmug.com/Learning-2015/Graphic-Illustrations/ Watch for more content and video clips to be curated and published. Yours in learning, Elliott MasieHost, Learning 2016Email: emasie@masie.comTwitter: emasie MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida. Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - November 16, 2015.#896 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.57,119 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.Host: Learning 2016 - Oct 23 to 26, Orlando, Florida. 1. Learning Innovations LAB Announced!2. Gamification, Engagement & Learning Announced! It is with great pleasure that we are announcing two new programs that I will be hosting and curating in Saratoga Springs, New York in January 2016: 1. Learning Innovations LAB Announced! (January 12 to 14 - Saratoga Springs, NY) Imagine spending 2 1/2 days in a 10,000 foot Learning Innovation LAB, working with emerging technology and methodology, exploring: - Learning "Apps"- Learning Personalization- Hyper "Search" & Learning- Mobile Learning Models - Mobility & Performance- Big Data & Metrics for Innovation- Gamification in Design- Video: Fast, Short, Targeted, User-Created, Open, Digital Studios - LMS, LCMS & Learning Systems Refreshed- Emerging Virtual Reality - Oculus, Cardboard & Simulation You will have hands-on experiences and experiments in a wide range of new and emerging learning innovations. LAB size is limited so please register soon. Details at http://www.masie.com 2. Gamification, Engagement & Learning Announced! (January 26 to 28, Saratoga Springs, NY) Join me for a high-energy and hands-on event, focusing on Gamification, Engagement & Learning. We will explore every aspect of: - Gamification- Games vs. Gamification- Impacts on Learners and Learning- Engagement: Social and Beyond- Links Between Gamification and Engagement- Simulation and Gamification- The Role of Failure- Badging and Ratings- The Upsides and Downsides of Gamification or Engagement This is a deeply hands-on and research-based experience. Complete details at http://www.masie.com Yours in learning, Elliott MasieHost, Learning 2016Email: emasie@masie.comTwitter: emasie MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:- Learning Innovations LAB - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.- Gamification, Engagement & Learning - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida. Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com  

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - December 1, 2015.#897 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.57,122 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.Host: Learning 2016 - Oct 23 to 26, Orlando, Florida. 1. Learn-A-Thon Model.2. Short Video Mentoring Explored.3. COIN - 1 Card for Many Credit Cards. 1. Learn-A-Thon Model: As many TRENDS readers know, I am a fan of and experimenter with the Hackathon model: a creative way to pull together a group of people - many with computer coding skills - to create a working prototype of a new app or program, in a few days of working intensely. I helped create a Broadway Hackathon model last year with the NY Public Library at Lincoln Center that created very cool new apps in 2 days with the only expense being pizza for lunch. But, as we applied this model to the world of learning, the challenge was that the hackathon was most appreciated and engaging for people who write code. So, we developed a new model called: Learn-A-Thon. The difference is that the Learn-A-Thon will imagine a new method, learning process or even a technology system/app, but it is brainstormed by subject matter peers regardless of their coding skill.  They will dream, stretch and even sketch out what a process or an app might look like, but not actually build the app in real time.  The IT process of creating the actual code can be put down later - or even overnight remotely - but the emphasis is on the User Experience and the Learning Process. We have experimented with the Learn-A-Thon model in several of our classes and are now rolling it out as a major function at The MASIE Center. The first public implementation of the Learn-A-Thon will be at the upcoming Learning Innovations LAB to be held in Saratoga Springs from January 12th to 14th. We invite you and your colleagues to take a stimulating, start-of-the-year retreat and participate in this high energy program, which includes the Learn-A-Thon. Details and online registration at http://www.masie.com 2. Short Video Mentoring Explored: Sometimes all one needs as a learner is a few minutes of conversation or feedback from a peer. That is the core of On-The-Job learning. And, as we add video and more distributed workers, we need to stretch the process. We have been tracking increased use of short Video Mentoring sessions - sometimes using Skype or corporate video desktop systems - to connect a learner to a mentoring peer in another location. The fun part is that the duration can be very short. For example, someone who is learning a new sales process might have the option of dialoging for 3 to 5 minutes - a few times each day for a week - with an experienced sales person located in another part of the world. Their mentoring is not meant to be behavioral coaching; rather, it is focused on what the learner is about to do - or what they just did. In the sales example, pre-brief a sales call or do an autopsy after a failed sale.  This process does not take much infrastructure and can be amazingly engaging for both the learner and the mentor! Try it! 3. COIN - 1 Card for Many Credit Cards: We have been experimenting with a new application called "Coin". It is a high tech single card onto which I securely load the data from a range of my credit cards. It synchronizes with my mobile phone and is only authorized when I use a code on the card or turn it on by the nearby mobile phone. It allows me to go from many to 1 credit card - and to get ready for a smaller wallet. The synchronizing of data to a digital format is intriguing and may lead to other applications for corporate access and security. Here is the link: http://onlycoin.com Yours in learning, Elliott MasieHost, Learning 2016Email: emasie@masie.comTwitter: emasie MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:- Learning Innovations LAB - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.- Gamification, Engagement & Learning - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida. Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com  

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - December 1, 2015.#897 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.57,122 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.Host: Learning 2016 - Oct 23 to 26, Orlando, Florida. 1. Learn-A-Thon Model.2. Short Video Mentoring Explored.3. COIN - 1 Card for Many Credit Cards. 1. Learn-A-Thon Model: As many TRENDS readers know, I am a fan of and experimenter with the Hackathon model: a creative way to pull together a group of people - many with computer coding skills - to create a working prototype of a new app or program, in a few days of working intensely. I helped create a Broadway Hackathon model last year with the NY Public Library at Lincoln Center that created very cool new apps in 2 days with the only expense being pizza for lunch. But, as we applied this model to the world of learning, the challenge was that the hackathon was most appreciated and engaging for people who write code. So, we developed a new model called: Learn-A-Thon. The difference is that the Learn-A-Thon will imagine a new method, learning process or even a technology system/app, but it is brainstormed by subject matter peers regardless of their coding skill.  They will dream, stretch and even sketch out what a process or an app might look like, but not actually build the app in real time.  The IT process of creating the actual code can be put down later - or even overnight remotely - but the emphasis is on the User Experience and the Learning Process. We have experimented with the Learn-A-Thon model in several of our classes and are now rolling it out as a major function at The MASIE Center. The first public implementation of the Learn-A-Thon will be at the upcoming Learning Innovations LAB to be held in Saratoga Springs from January 12th to 14th. We invite you and your colleagues to take a stimulating, start-of-the-year retreat and participate in this high energy program, which includes the Learn-A-Thon. Details and online registration at http://www.masie.com 2. Short Video Mentoring Explored: Sometimes all one needs as a learner is a few minutes of conversation or feedback from a peer. That is the core of On-The-Job learning. And, as we add video and more distributed workers, we need to stretch the process. We have been tracking increased use of short Video Mentoring sessions - sometimes using Skype or corporate video desktop systems - to connect a learner to a mentoring peer in another location. The fun part is that the duration can be very short. For example, someone who is learning a new sales process might have the option of dialoging for 3 to 5 minutes - a few times each day for a week - with an experienced sales person located in another part of the world. Their mentoring is not meant to be behavioral coaching; rather, it is focused on what the learner is about to do - or what they just did. In the sales example, pre-brief a sales call or do an autopsy after a failed sale.  This process does not take much infrastructure and can be amazingly engaging for both the learner and the mentor! Try it! 3. COIN - 1 Card for Many Credit Cards: We have been experimenting with a new application called "Coin". It is a high tech single card onto which I securely load the data from a range of my credit cards. It synchronizes with my mobile phone and is only authorized when I use a code on the card or turn it on by the nearby mobile phone. It allows me to go from many to 1 credit card - and to get ready for a smaller wallet. The synchronizing of data to a digital format is intriguing and may lead to other applications for corporate access and security. Here is the link: http://onlycoin.com Yours in learning, Elliott MasieHost, Learning 2016Email: emasie@masie.comTwitter: emasie MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:- Learning Innovations LAB - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.- Gamification, Engagement & Learning - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida. Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com  

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - December 4, 2015.#898 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.57,136 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.Host: Learning Innovations LAB - January in Saratoga Springs, NY. 1. I’m Taking 2 Online Classes from Usher and Dustin Hoffman.2. Analysis of Our Search - An Intriguing Metric.3. Gamification & Engagement - Cousins for Impact. 1. I’m Taking 2 Online Classes from Usher and Dustin Hoffman: When I woke up this morning, I took an Acting Performance Class from Dustin Hoffman.  And, this afternoon a Singing Performance Class from Usher.  Now, while I am a Broadway Producer, I don’t aspire to sing or act on a theater stage.  But, I am intrigued by leveraging the celebrity and experience of "hero" level subject matter experts for an online class. This is a venture called MasterClass and offers courses with a dozen asynchronous classes featuring the teacher, including activities and office hours.  These courses cost about $50. While it is just the beginning of my experience, I decided to do some research - and have enrolled a few Broadway actors and non-actors in the sessions - that will expand to include Kevin Spacey, Serena Williams and others as the teachers. Do "hero" teachers add to the learning cycle beyond enrollment interest? Intriguing! I will share more feedback as we experiment.  MasterClass is at http://www.masterclass.com 2. Analysis of Our Search - An Intriguing Metric: I wish for a personal and simple metric that I can look at every week or month, which is an analysis of all of my searches from both Mobile and Desktop devices. It would be a fascinating mind-map of my searches.  And, it gets really interesting if we could roll up the searches of a group of people - for instance, all new employees in a group. It would be cool to have that feedback loop. 3. Gamification & Engagement - Cousins for Impact: A few TRENDS readers have asked me why I combined the topics of Gamification and Engagement in our January LAB.  My experience with experiments and projects in the Gamification field led me to add Engagement into the mix. The sustainability of a gaming element - especially aimed at learning or performance - seems to rotate around the level of Engagement that the employee has and grows. We can build fun or cute games, but what we are looking for is deeper Engagement and mixing in some elements of social or collaborative Engagement.  As we blend Gamification and Engagement, including elements of collaboration that are not explicit game elements, we have a higher chance for Impact and Sustainability. Gamification, Engagement and Learning LAB - January 26 to 28, 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.  Info and registration: http://www.masie.com Yours in learning, Elliott MasieHost, Learning 2016Email: emasie@masie.comTwitter: emasie MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:- Learning Innovations LAB - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.- Gamification, Engagement & Learning - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida. Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

The Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program is an opportunity for students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines to receive a full scholarship and be gainfully employed upon degree completion.  "The program is excellent because it pays for everything," said JoAnn Wright "It's a great opportunity for students, and a motivator for educating the scientists, technicians and engineers our Army needs."The DoD pays all expenses, including internships, until the student graduates and starts work with the target organization.Students pursuing a degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics may be eligible for the program. Besides the free tuition and other educational benefits, cash awards are anywhere from $25,000 to $41,000 a year depending on an applicants' situation. "There is even a health insurance allowance," Wright said.Check it out:  http://smart.asee.org/

From Learning Solutions Magazine:  Beta Testing is a key step in creating insanely great e-Learning applications. Often overlooked or omitted out of concern for budget and schedule, it is actually simple and cheap to do, and when planned with care, it takes little time to execute. Done before development is 100% complete, it ensures faultless releases. Here’s a step-by-step guide from an experienced developer.Check it out:  http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/299/beta-testing-an-online-course

An in-depth look at the Whistler Sliding Center, where bobsled, luge and skeleton athletes are expected to set speed records. Check it out: http://tiny.cc/1dHtH

Hating oil companies isn't a solution: John Hofmeister wants to change the way Americans look at energy - 2010-May-24 - CultureMap HoustonPosted using ShareThis

Thursday, March 24, 201110:00 AM PST | 11:00 AM MST | 12:00 PM CST | 1:00 PM EST Both mobile devices and social media are having a profound effect on how sales training takes place. Traditional methods of sales training include classroom instruction and role playing, supervised calling of prospects, and practice selling with more experienced sales staff. With the rapid growth of social media, buyers are now much more able to communicate with each other and exchange opinions and stories about you as a salesperson, and about the good and bad aspects of your product. This exchange is not happening from a fixed place, but from any location where a consumer is texting or blogging and is inspired to offer an opinion of what or how you are selling. These comments can be amplified by others offering additional comments or passing the information on to others. At the same time, a mobile salesperson is better equipped to answer questions as they are asked, with instant information available anytime, anywhere. Learning to sell requires a new set of competencies that includes blogging, tweeting, and attracting lots of "friends" or "followers." As well, new technology is being developed that allows live mentoring in the field and the ability to educate potential customers with mobile video presentations in the process of closing a sale. In this one-hour presentation by Dr. Gary Woodill, learn how mobile learning and social media are transforming the world of selling and sales training.Sign up for webinar

You might notbe able to teach a snake to fetch your paper, but people do keep them as pets.People keep other reptiles, too, like turtles - as well as frogs and otheramphibians. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says reptilesand amphibians can carry Salmonella bacteria - and thousands of people a yearget infected from them.Check it out:  http://www.cdc.gov/Features/SalmonellaFrogTurtle/

Speaker:   Judy Brown, Mobile Learning Strategic Analyst,   Advanced Distributed LearningDate: Thursday, July 28, 2011Time: 10:00AM Pacific / 1:00PM Eastern (60 Minute Session)The ADL Mobile Learning Team recently released a mobile version of their mLearning Guide on the web and in various mobile platform stores. Join the webinar for discussion on the single development for deployment on multiple devices and choices made in development. Lessons learned will be shared.... moreThe ADL Mobile Learning Team recently released a mobile version of their mLearning Guide on the web and in various mobile platform stores. Join the webinar for discussion on the single development for deployment on multiple devices and choices made in development. Lessons learned will be shared.Check it out:  http://www.trainingmagnetwork.com/welcome/judybrown_july28

Heard the term Augmented Reality and wondered how it could be used in learning?  Attend this free webinar hosted by Rapid Intake and featuring Craig Weiss, author of the E-Learning 24/7 blog Date: Tuesday, August 16th, 2011ime: 1:00pm-2:00pm ETRegister at:  http://www.rapidintake.com/augmented-reality-webinar/?utm_source=rapidintake&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=110816 Augmented Reality can take any situation, location, environment, and experience to a new level of edutainment. In this day and age, people want to be informed, engaged, and entertained in an immediate, pro-active and social way.  In this webinar, you will learn how this emerging technology is changing the way people engage and learn. It will present you with possibilities and mobile devices best suited for this new technology. How Augmented Reality Works: http://www.commoncraft.com/video/augmented-reality Cool example: http://ge.ecomagination.com/smartgrid/

Tom Peters has distilled down thousands of slides from over 2,500 presentations that he has done on organizational and personal excellence into 23 separate presentations that you can download. Peters say, "Use this material as you wish and please 'steal' all you want." Includes both a PDF and PPT - he is releasing one a week so you'll want to bookmark the site and go back! Check it out: http://excellencenow.com/

Karl Kapp’s new book "The Gamification of Learning and Instruction" launched this week - I was able to preview the book. It’s available on the ASTDBook store and Amazon. Make sure to use your Chapter Code when ordering the book to support your local ASTD Chapter - the Houston ASTD Code is CH7032.From the book - The engagement achieved through games means that gamification is a concept that needs to be a part of every learning professional's tool box. Games provide meaning and context to learners, they provide a set of boundaries within a "safe" environment to explore, think and "try things out".The four themes in the book are:1. Describe and define the concept of gamification, dissect games to determine the elements that provide the most impact for the players and why these elements are critical to the success of the game.2. Research and theoretical basis for the use of games and game-based thinking.3. Matching game results with game design.4. Actual design and development of the gamification of learning and instruction.Full disclosure - I'm still working my way through the book.  What I’m appreciating through the book is the depth of the material, examples, and key takeways. I came into the book with my own ideas about gamification and what it means.  I’m getting a clear picture of the true power of game-based thinking including engagement, storytelling, visualization of characters and problem solving.  We’ve been using these elements in learning for a long time.  I don’t think we’ve considered them gamification.  One example given is "The Binary Game"  from Cisco (http://forums.cisco.com/CertCom/game/binary_game_page.htm).  This is a arcade game.  The idea is to teach people the basis of binary numbers.  The player leans the concepts while playing.  The patterns and strategies in game provide the ability to think in binary.  I think this book will help anyone who wants to understand how to bring "gamification" into their toolbox -finding methods to improve learning, retention and application of knowledge.  I’ll circle back with more thoughts once I complete the book! Karl presented to the Houston ASTD chapter yesterday on this topic - his slides can be found at http://www.slideshare.net/kkapp/what-research-tells-us-about-games-gamification-and-learning.

The eLearning Atlas is a comprehensize free list of elearning and LMS providers - brought to you by  Rustici Software, LLC.  One interesting feature is the ability to select a product type and then narrow down the choices to those who have specific specification support - such as authoring tools that support the Tin Can API.  The list is being updated on a regular basis.Check it out:  http://www.elearningatlas.com/

A Facebook friend shared an excellent link today to an article in The Economist on a new study about the most effective ways to serve the homeless: Broadway tried a brave and novel approach: giving each homeless person hundreds of pounds to be spent as they wished. According to a new report on the project by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, a think-tank, it worked—a success that might offer broader lessons for public-service reform and efficiency. The charity targeted the longest-term rough sleepers in the City, who had been on the streets for between four and 45 years (no mean achievement when average life expectancy for the long-term homeless is 42). Instead of the usual offers of hostel places, they were simply asked what they needed to change their lives. One asked for a new pair of trainers and a television; another for a caravan on a travellers’ site in Suffolk, which was duly bought for him. Of the 13 people who engaged with the scheme, 11 have moved off the streets. The outlay averaged £794 ($1,277) per person (on top of the project’s staff costs). None wanted their money spent on drink, drugs or bets. Several said they co-operated because they were offered control over their lives rather than being "bullied" into hostels. Howard Sinclair of Broadway explains: "We just said, ‘It’s your life and up to you to do what you want with it, but we are here to help if you want.’" It occurs to me that asking people what they need to change their lives is a powerful question to be asked in many contexts. It's powerful because it implies that people have the self-efficacy to know what they need. And by supporting that self-efficacy, we can help them feel a sense of control over their own lives, the first step in supporting change. I wonder what would happen if we asked this question in other situations, such as at work or school? We often think we know what's good for others and spend a great deal of time providing it. But would we get better results if we asked people, "What do you need to change your life?" What if we asked that question of ourselves?

"Frames are mental structures.  As a result, they shape the goals we seek, the plans we make, the way we act, and what counts as a good or bad outcome of our actions. Reframing is changing the way the public sees the world. . . . Because language activates frames, new language is required for new frames. Thinking differently requires speaking differently."                                                                 --George Lakoff, Don't Think of an Elephant I first encountered the idea of "frames" when I was reading George Lakoff's Don't Think of an Elephant. I've thought about them more since I've spent time with appreciative inquiry and its premise that "words create worlds," and was reminded again while reading Monoculture: How One Story is Changing Everything by F.S. Michaels over the holidays.  Frames are our mental constructs--the ways we view the world. They often act on us subconsciously, which makes their power all the more insidious.  One simple frame I've written about before is the idea of training and development as either a cost or an investment.  If we see development as a "cost," then when it's time to "cut costs," training will be on the chopping block. If it's an "investment," then we need to consider what our return is and whether or not we need to make a greater investment at certain times.  Another potential career frame that can be controlling our stories is thinking of our current job as either a prison or a home base.  When it is a prison, then we are powerless and have no control--other people are controlling what we do and how we do it. We have no choices and can't get out. But if it's a "home base," then it can be a space from which we explore other options. It's something that provides a level of stability while we seek change.  You see, then, that if we change the frame, we change how we see the situation. We also change the options that are available to us.  One of the things that I think is helpful when we think about our careers is trying to find the underlying "frame" for our story and seeing if there's another frame that could be more useful to consider. How could playing with different metaphors open up new possibilities? What happens, for example, if I think of my career as a garden, in which I plant seeds and nurture plants to maturity, a garden where the crops are rotated in order to keep the soil healthy and rich?  How does this change how I approach my career? Or what if I think of conversations at work as being relational, rather than transactional? In other words, what if I approach my conversations as a way to build up a rich network of relationships, rather than as simply a way to get things done? How does that change what I do?  What if "failures" are "learning opportunities"? What if "problems" are "possibilities"? What if "I'm stuck," is "I'm resting" or "I'm lost" is "I'm on an adventure"?  Writing a new career story means finding new frames and new language to describe our journey. One of the most powerful things we can do is to identify and change those frames that are no longer working for us. When we feel stuck or confused or disheartened, we need to find the new frames that will let us write a better story.  What career frames help or hinder you? How could you change your frames to help you create something new?  ______________________________________________________________ If you'd like a chance to look at your current career story and create a new one, sign up for the Career Clarity Camp, starting Monday, January 9. You can join a great group of people from all over the world who will be working on co-creating their own new stories. Information and sign-up is here. 

Change is hard--or so we believe. But what if it isn't? What if we just make it that way because that's what we believe?  Yesterday I was reading this post by Megan Thom who writes about how burnt out she was in her work. Until she had an epiphany that for change to happen she must make it joyful and bring to it her authentic self: In my burnt-out, disappointed and thoughtful state, I resolved that henceforth all activism I engaged in would involve at least one of my favourite activities: growing food, cooking food, eating food, bicycling and singing. All of these activities are inherently change-making in that they all have positive effects on our ecological, social and emotional environments. All of these activities are also fun. I figured that if I focused on these fun activities I would be both an effective agent of change and also a happy person. In fact, I would argue that one cannot be the former without also being the latter. One of the things I tell people when they are exploring their next career moves is to "follow the energy." By this I mean to stay alert to those activities and interactions that feel inspiring, engaging, joyful and fun. Identifying these moments and then intentionally bringing more of them into your work is one of the basic activities of career exploration and change.  What I'm finding, though, is that we have a hard time with this. Somehow if it doesn't feel like "work"--that is, if it doesn't feel like a struggle and a challenge and something we have to make ourselves do--then we dismiss it.  And asking someone to purposely bring more joy and fun to what they do? Let's just say I spend a lot of time trying to talk people into believing that this isn't "frivolous" or "impossible."  I understand this because by nature, I am not playful. I am more serious than I'd like to be and have a tendency to see the struggle, not the joy. But I'm realizing more and more that for change to happen and for work to have real meaning to me, I need to find the joy--to find how I can bring fun and play and my best self to what I do. I need to do this not only for me, but also for the people I work with. If I think that change is hard and act accordingly, then how will they be able to see it another way themselves?  So lately I'm asking myself, what would happen if I saw change as easy and joyful? How would changing this frame change for me what is possible? How would it change the tools I use and the ways that I interact with people? How could I build joy and play and fun into what I do and how can I help others find that joy and play in themselves? Right now these are questions for me. The answers are still hidden. But they feel like worthwhile questions to explore. While change can be hard in the sense that we are transforming habits and ingained behaviors, one thing I've learned is that I cannot beat myself up in order to transform. Real change only happens when we act from inspiration, not desperation, when we use joy and fun to motivate ourselves to move in a different direction.  How can you change joyfully? How can you tap into what most deeply engages and interests you to transform your life and career? I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments on this.