"The Learning eXPLOSION"

"The Learning eXPLOSION" by Matthew Murdoch and Treion Muller will help you with moving corporate training to the virtual classroom. It’s packed with lots of great tips, tips and links. If you are thinking about a blended learning approach or have been tasked with creating virtual classroom events, you will find this book a valuable resource. If you are already using virtual classrooms, I am sure you will still find good information including checklists to make your classrooms run smoother and make training interesting and interactive.


As I read "The Learning eXPLOSION", I found myself highlighting parts, using sticky notes to mark pages and mentally agreeing with the information in the book. My favorite chapters are "The Rule of Overcoming Bias" - how to address and overcome prejudice against virtual classrooms - with really life examples and what to say to leaders and "The Rule of Personal Practice" - especially the list of common technical watch-outs. The website (http://www.franklincovey.com/tc/solutions/books-and-audio/learning-explosion/) has all the action plans from the book for download. This book is worth adding to your library.

ASTD Houston will host a webinar on May 18th with Matt and Treion - http://www.astdhouston.org/en/cev/539. Register and attend for your chance to win a copy of "The Learning eXPLOSION".

MinyanLand - have fun, play games, learn about money

Most virtual worlds have to do with fun and games. MinyanLand, brought to you by the Council for Economic Education,is a virtual community designed to engage students in games and other interactions that are both entertaining and educational. Choosing your own character, you can explore the world for yourself. In this world, students are safe and free to learn and be entertained by the concept of a market. They also learn the basics of economics and finance on a real world level, as the economics system mimics the real-life pricing of general goods and services. Everything you do can be practice for real life. Every action you take will effect the economy as MinyanLand as a whole.

Players must do tasks like staying healthy by eating on a regular basis. They will also get rewarded for behavior such as charitable giving. There is also a journal where you can see what is new in the town.  Families can explore this world together, no matter the economic status or other social factors. It is a great way for them to learn about the operations of our economic system.

Check it out:  http://www.minyanland.com/

Me and My Avatar: Exploring Users’ Comfort with Avatars for Workplace Communication.

Do business users want to be represented by avatars when engaging in enterprise-style conferencing?

“The results from this survey demonstrate that people are open to the idea of using avatars for workplace communication; however, the choice of avatar can significantly impact people’s comfort. In general, the respondents in our survey were open to interacting with a wide variety of avatars, from cartoonish to realistic and casual to formal, as long as the representation wasn’t too eerie or creepy. In contrast, users’ preferences for avatars they are willing to use to represent themselves were much more stringent. People primarily wanted more formal, realistic avatars.”


Check it out:  http://research.microsoft.com/pubs/143831/nt454-inkpen.pdf?tag=mantle_skin;content

A Strategic Approach for selecting an LMS for a SMB (Small and Medium Sized Business)

This free webinar provides practical information and strategies  to be considered by small and medium sized organizations to get the best Return on Investment (ROI) when choosing a LMS.  Items included will be LMS selection, LMS administration, eLearning creation and eLearning deployment. This webinar will include valuable information on how to introduce eLearning to you organization and produce success.  If you are looking at adding in eLearning and a LMS, or are considering changing to a new LMS you will definitely want to join this webinar.   If there are others in your organization that are interested in eLearning and LMS's please forward this to them.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011 - 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST

Check it out:  https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/701940610

Visual CV - A review

A friend showed me her resume today on Visual CV.  Nice product - your should check it out.  Link articles, presentations, video etc. that directly highly your skills and abilities.  Here's Kathleen's resume - http://www.visualcv.com/kathleenkelley.  Notice how items that relate specifically to her position show side-by-side.  There's a reference to her work for the City of Houston directly next to her position information. 

The CV can be downloaded as a  nicely formatted PDF file.  Oh and the service is free!  You can get a premium account with your own URL for $60/yr.

Check it out:  http://www.visualcv.com/www/indexc.html