Do you have more than three things to do today? If so, it helps to make a list. There are many great ways to make lists. Paper is fine for a day or two, but it doesn’t take long before I have to rewrite the list. I’m not fond of that. Mostly, I like electronic… Continue Reading
In conversations about important life skills, it’s not unusual to consider useful additions to a school’s curriculum. Mendocino Spring In a TED talk by a young student named Logan LaPlante, he shared an interesting list of topics that he is studying. They are called Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLCs), and they come from a psychologist named… Continue Reading
Just the other day I was reading about someone’s “digital sabbatical.” My thought about this was, “Good for her, but I’m not all that excited to take one myself.” Maybe someday, but not yet. At least, not so far. Mendocino Coast I’m spending a long weekend in northern California with professional colleagues. Before deciding to… Continue Reading
For some of you, with the big storms in so much of the U.S., the florists will have trouble making their deliveries. So here are some magnolia blossoms, just to wish you a lovely day. Valentine’s Day is a great time to pause and think of all those whom we love: that special someone, sure,… Continue Reading
You’ll likely get more done, if it’s the right music. You can improve motivation, reduce distractions, and improve productivity with music… both at work and at home. Improve Motivation Feeling blue? Having a bad day? Music can lift your spirits. With music and better spirits, you’ll have the extra added benefit of improved motivation (and… Continue Reading
For doing many things, there’s one particular fix. It’s kind of a secret, but here it is: Invest Effort Let’s say you have a huge goal or two. Write a book. Get a degree. Write your dissertation. Lose 30 pounds. Walk 600 miles. Deep clean the whole house. Complete Project X. Whether it’s hard or… Continue Reading
Good question. Some say it takes 40 hours of development time, from assignment to delivery, for 1 hour of instructor-led training. More for web-based or other mediated delivery. Here’s the thing, though: It Depends Winter Magnolia Even if you track your hours carefully, the level of effort and the time involved for this or that… Continue Reading
7 Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching By Susan A. Ambrose, Michael W. Bridges, Michele DiPietro, Marsha C. Lovett, and Marie K. Norman We (that’s the collective “we”) know a lot about two areas that can make teaching and learning so much better: How people learn (the science of learning) How to help people learn (the… Continue Reading
It’s not unusual for someone to ask me about the pros and cons of delivering training via the classroom or through some form of e-learning. Here’s the thing: one isn’t inherently better or worse than the other for learning. We can teach most things either way. It’s not the delivery system (classroom, say, or via… Continue Reading
When I was studying instructional design in graduate school, nobody mentioned this: People Don’t Like to Read …at least, not so much for training. Here’s what I’ve noticed since then: People Like to Read (Endlessly) The Internet Novels Stuff about their hobbies People Want These to Be Quick Prework for training Training materials Manuals January… Continue Reading
