tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42900635370788021502012-02-03T06:24:57.183-05:00Thoughts on ID,Social Learning, Androgogy,and elearningMark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.comBlogger381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-32374324786031972442012-01-25T14:27:00.000-05:002012-01-25T14:27:11.483-05:00

I was asked recently to help build the case for Social Media use in our organization (social business). Of course I have been making the case by living it personally and for some time with the use of collaborative tools for new hires and various projects. But alas this has been quite a skunks-works effort, so rather than flying under the radar I have a unique opportunity to make social media use

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-81642676353039671522011-12-29T15:07:00.000-05:002011-12-29T15:07:06.247-05:00

Are you struggling to get Social Media for learning started in your organization?  You might just be going about it all in the wrong order. In the effort to establish a social media empowered workforce, just remember as in the alphabet “L before M” as in “Learning” before "Media". As my friend and colleague Jane Bozarth has said numerous times – we’ve been learning well before social media for

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-27654813569950990342011-12-27T12:26:00.000-05:002011-12-27T12:26:20.591-05:00

Recently I attended a Gronstedt Group’s Virtual Worlds workshop which was held over 2 days (3 hour sessions each day). I “beamed” into Avaya’s Web.alive virtual world where about 18 of us appeared. I must say, since the last time I used Virtual Worlds (VW) in 2009 (Second Life) this however seemed much easier; easy to create an Avatar and intuitive keyboard short-cuts to animate my vehicle. So

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-60306980044973979952011-12-02T06:00:00.000-05:002011-12-02T06:13:54.950-05:00

“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro' narrow chinks of his cavern.” - William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and HellIf you’re like me you see the future of learning as being social in a connected world, and the mindset of “empowering” people and not one of “allowing” them should be

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-10633985635357999202011-09-18T14:00:00.002-04:002011-09-19T11:44:44.548-04:00

The 1993 movie Jurassic Park was an amazing film. However it was not the CGI that captured my imagination or even the exciting story line. It was always the man vs. nature / man's efforts to control nature plot line.The most impactful scene for me was when the main character, Dr. Ian Malcolm, discovers an improbable dinosaur egg.You see, in the film (if I recall correctly) the greatest scientific

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-87465672196254190682011-08-31T10:00:00.001-04:002011-08-31T10:09:00.575-04:00

Recently Patti Shank wrote a great response post on the heals of a post by Cathy Moore - Are Instructional Designers Doormats? ...on an area that I have been pondering for some time. Julie Dirksen's comment in Patti's post really resonated with me. Specifically when she stated "There’s something about instructional design that people think is self-apparent, or easy." I think, like I believe

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-43288466219902610692011-08-03T12:00:00.002-04:002011-08-04T08:41:53.146-04:00

Dave Kelly @LnDDave wrote an interesting post comparing Blockbuster's demise to the changes facing Learning Professionals due to technology advancements. I think he’s right, there are learning professionals resistant to change …but the lack of change is not always due to internal denial as it can be a result of ...girth. So, in the case of Blockbuster Video I’m think girth more than denial was

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-33239122151921032982011-06-22T17:00:00.001-04:002011-06-22T17:07:24.762-04:00

Recently I received a promotion and my title of ISD has been changed to Manager of Learning Solutions. Prior to approval, one senior person stated – “that sounds pretty progressive.” And although the tone of the response was initially that of reluctance based on confusion over its meaning - the name was affirmed and is now official.Yes, I am excited to officially take on the responsibility and

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-12330597828483378442011-03-14T06:45:00.002-04:002011-03-14T15:07:08.455-04:00

The oven is the cornerstone of the kitchen, been around forever. Sure it’s changed its look and fuel over the centuries but the bottom line is the oven is big; it’s designed to cook large amounts, and over a longer period time. Think holiday dinners. It’s really an event kind of appliance.Me, I’m a free standing microwave guy.Microwaves aren’t ideal for me to cook say a pot roast but for smaller

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-26572066621044371182011-02-19T13:55:00.011-05:002011-02-19T14:48:18.864-05:00

We're kicking off a new LrnBook on Hootcourse! A very excited group of learning professionals and I have chosen Clive Shepherd's The New Learning Architect for this round.Following in the footsteps of @JaneBozarth and the Lrnbook The Power of Pull, questions will be posted on the lrnbk blog starting the Week of March 7th. Check out the blog to get an idea of the type and frequency of questions

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-16502028328921315882011-01-28T01:22:00.005-05:002011-01-28T13:25:46.739-05:00

As a former HS History teacher, the Age of Reason (17th-18th Cent.) was one of my favorite areas to teach.I was always in awe of some of the great minds in human history that seemed to all live within about a 200 year period. Locke, Rousseau, Voltaire, Franklin, Hume, Kant just to name a few. These folks and their peers in science and technology all lived at an incredible time in history when an

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-64615460324773176482011-01-24T11:00:00.000-05:002011-01-24T14:02:47.155-05:00

I've been thinking more and more about the words we choose and the connotations they drive. A few years ago Cognitive Linguist George Lakoff wrote a book called Don't Think of an Elephant which speaks of how politicians leverage language to control the debate. He uses examples like "Tax Relief" where support of lower taxes (on the wealthy) can be more easily justified if we place the connotation

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-36605097592109994292010-12-22T07:30:00.000-05:002010-12-22T09:38:26.435-05:00

Last Friday I attended my wife's staff holiday party for the Everson Museum of Art. At one point there was a brief lull in the conversation and a staff member I hardly knew asked me casually for some advice on buying a Christmas present for a family member. She is perplexed and the pressure is mounting since Christmas is one week away. She asked me for an idea...she asked if I knew of an "it"

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-11027003797139309662010-12-10T13:00:00.001-05:002010-12-13T11:57:53.820-05:00

One of the biggest barriers to bringing collaborative technology into the workplace is organizational culture. Not all resistant organizational cultures are due to extreme command & control issues, resistance to anything perceived to be "time wasting" or a security risk. In fact I’d bet most barriers are not rock solid and are actually more like Andy Dufresne’s cell wall in Shawshank Redemption..

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-10200321550626711812010-11-01T12:07:00.028-04:002010-12-10T08:43:05.407-05:00

Take a pen and a piece of paper out. Look around your desk and identify an item; a stapler, your phone, maybe your monitor. Now begin drawing it.If you’re like me, you immediately focused on the item you chose; its shape, depth, and size. This is known as the Positive Space and is pretty much what a non-artist focuses on; the object.What we typically don’t do, that the artist can, is look at the

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-68002306023851212632010-10-18T14:26:00.002-04:002010-10-18T14:31:08.877-04:00

Don’t you despise debrief meetings or plus deltas on the heels of program completion? I do. However its not so much the debriefing or plus delta-ing that’s bad, it’s typically the inability of facilitators or the group to stay focused and provide valuable insights in a timely fashion that help with designing or executing future initiatives. Of course observers during an event can be asked to

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-8960617758231089392010-09-13T14:35:00.036-04:002010-09-16T16:05:54.096-04:00

Last Friday I met with a colleague (a trainer) who had, several weeks ago, asked me to observe her training and help her improve its effectiveness. Prior to the observation I asked her what the goal was, I asked: “What is it the participant should be able to do after your training?” After observing and taking detailed notes of her session with the participants, we met for an hour to discuss the

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-48412445524726248232010-08-25T08:13:00.004-04:002010-08-26T11:34:59.500-04:00

I have begun a venture into podcasting.... well, the design of it anyway. Although we have not implemented a thing yet I have fleshed out a “program” strategy based on the needs in the org. One thing is for certain, we need to leverage the “wisdom of the crowds” (cliché, I know…but it fits). I have maintained for some time that our top down approach to organizational learning has its limitations

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-75383800442819819552010-07-13T09:30:00.012-04:002010-07-14T11:03:10.118-04:00

I recently read Clark Quinn’s post on the Social Media cigarette break and how he points out that Social Media is being used outside of an organization’s IT infrastructure because organizations are blocking their worker’s access rather than educating them and providing guidelines. He further says that employees are finding their access via mobile means and circumventing the system to get the

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-51093014529164820372010-07-13T08:21:00.001-04:002010-07-13T08:21:05.149-04:00

Recently one of my favorite researchers/thinkers in the area of workplace learning, Jane Hart @c4lpt had a great series called The Performance Specialist: 3 case studies on her Blog. In it, she provided a performance situation, a typical training dept. solution and ultimately the hypothetical approach of a Performance Specialist.This led me to a conversation with Jane via Twitter where I asked-

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-21509260497194576612010-07-09T19:55:00.000-04:002010-07-09T20:24:08.508-04:00

Recently I was sucked into a tweet… @jenisecook reacted inquisitively to a post by @guywwallace in which he wrote “Just because a Learning Professional can determine a valid K/S need - does not in and of itself warrant meeting that need.” My tweet of “Me too” was in response to Jenise's desire for more background info ...as I thought Guy was probably talking money and priorities…and he was. Guy

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-78557749653024681472010-06-19T01:00:00.000-04:002010-06-18T21:57:04.981-04:00

Social Learning happens constantly in organizations, but the moment you recognize and work to formalize it by adopting social media, the skeptics appear.Many organizations view learning as happening by and through training only. i.e. if we're not training, they're not learning...Therefore when you present ideas that drive learning without training, bottom up solutions vs. top down control,

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-66896248356538687032010-05-16T19:37:00.000-04:002010-05-17T09:07:22.032-04:00

Has there ever been a tool more loved or hated than the company vending machine?It's simple right? Transparent box, centrally located, displaying a variety of convenience foods for those in need. Yet, it is often seen as a scourge; mocked as a tool of the devil ...leading people away from a healthy lifestyle.Regardless of ridicule, the vending machine exists and no level of management even utters

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-23149749915573056292010-03-02T06:05:00.001-05:002010-03-02T06:05:48.300-05:00

Today I was inspired to share my thoughts about mlearning due to a post from TrDev and http://bit.ly/bUb9jK. (Link through Twitter) the comments of Robert Bacal. Here's my thoughts about mlearning and the time to learn. I believe mlearning is very much "pull" learning. And like any learner, one only absorbs when motivated, and those times of motivation to learn are episodic. Thus a mobile device

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-84261555804599694422010-02-03T13:41:00.001-05:002010-02-03T14:28:56.562-05:00

Recently I held a live #lrnchat event for members of CNYASTD. About 8 of us met in a facility where each had their own computer and we could project Tweetchat on a large screen.The reason I did this live is to help people dispel myths about Twitter and social media tools being for dimwits and b-level actors. To show them that new insights and ideas can be shared through this medium, ones that

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-49286574438769606962010-01-25T11:55:00.000-05:002010-01-25T11:56:41.768-05:00

I wanted to be a Veterinarian. To my mother's chagrin - I had 'em all guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, and cats... I even worked for a Vet as a kid. I had a great deal of sympathy, didn't have a knack for biology. I had a love of history; still do. It wasn't enough for me to know who did what, when...but I needed the why? I needed to know the motivation and I absolutely loved the story! So, I became

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-76273772395556723072010-01-09T14:24:00.000-05:002010-01-09T14:52:47.234-05:00

Two thoughts hit me when I had a few minutes of silence in the house (which is really rare). 1. I haven't posted to my blog in quite some time and 2. I need to scan my igoogle RSS to see who's thinking about what...My first read was Janet Clarey's recent post Thinking about Twenty-ten. Go figure - she was commenting on ASTD's Big Questions post and there are actually 3 this round. Here they are

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-50914807450322436742009-12-17T16:02:00.000-05:002009-12-18T12:22:09.507-05:00

Recently I had a conversation with some colleagues that went something like this...Many of your employees are doing things right. This is evident in their consistent success in meeting or exceeding goals. The problem is you are unable to harvest their approaches and spread them throughout the organization as effectively as you should. Obviously the adoption of better tools to help foster

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-23916782304422923872009-11-18T15:19:00.000-05:002009-11-18T15:24:46.133-05:00

The Marketing angle on Social Media seems clearer to most than does the Learning angle I fight for. There has been more willingness for Marketing to expand social networking via Twitter, Facebook, etc.Organizations launch into SM campaigns as a necessary evil …Social Media use by our potential customers is seen as an unfortunate reality, a consequence of Web 2.0. Social Media is something

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-6814802499571195072009-11-18T10:53:00.000-05:002009-11-18T11:07:12.780-05:00

I've seen Lance Dublin present at ASTD and in several Webinars. He typically starts the same way ...telling us what we WON'T be learning today and inviting us to leave now so as to not waste time. Is this the non-objective? hmmm.... Regardless he is showing absolute respect for his participants by saying - if you have better things to do I'm not going to argue with you, go do them. No control,

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-823682289836679942009-11-04T08:47:00.000-05:002009-11-04T08:53:09.319-05:00

I just shared this with my CNY-ASTD special Interest group on the heels of an informal meeting last night on the topic. I though I'd toss it out to the world...nothing new here, mostly my ramblings on Twitter understandings...1. Twitter vs.email: The perception often is that Twitter is 1:1 communication tool and that followers need to be responded to (this comes for years of electronic

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-6943272183392665542009-08-17T20:09:00.000-04:002009-08-17T20:17:53.704-04:00

There is a spectrum of ability and fluency that will always exist in Twitter and #lrnchat.First, I never measure myself against some of the serial "Tweeps" you find here. :) Yes, its very fast paced and one of the tips on TweetChat is - don't try to read them all...you can't really do it anyway.Yes, I had thoughts to tweet during the flow ...some I popped on there ...others I felt I missed the "

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-26388947292994557152009-08-11T16:28:00.001-04:002009-08-13T20:30:31.565-04:00

Ever read Fish is Fish by Leo Lionni to your preschooler? Click here to watch the roughly 5 min You Tube video, then read on.Great book, great colors, interesting message. But not just for kids.In a past life I was a history teacher and read a book about how to teach history in the classroom (sorry the name eludes me). The first chapter used Leo Lionni’s book to illustrate the point that Facts

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-31416810845245370072009-06-27T13:56:00.000-04:002009-06-27T14:07:14.913-04:00

Recently I had the pleasure of attending an Elliott Masie learning lab/seminar in Saratoga Springs. The lab focused exclusively on the role of Social Learning (SL) in training. Although I had many eye-opening experiences over the 3 day seminar and confirmation of other ideas and practice I already engage in I was struck by the role SL plays in learning context. The way I understood Elliott

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-8426471819737828432009-06-16T09:50:00.000-04:002009-07-21T07:54:01.031-04:00

Hey, Clint Eastwood did say it best! I have accepted the fact that we can’t all be Clark Quinn, Cathy Moore, or Cammy Bean, etc. God bless 'em - they lead the pack and I follow; learning MUCH along the way. However, I’ve come to the realization of my limitations and heck, I’m (finally) OK with that. Initially prodded by my peers directly and indirectly to start Blogging, twittering etc …share,

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-7264923985509496822009-05-18T10:45:00.000-04:002009-06-07T21:22:26.109-04:00

I recently got everyone on my team to join Yammer. In an effort to test it’s viability for our group and see how we might consider piloting it sometime later to improve communication/collaboration.Naturally everyone joined then … silence. So, I used it to share some thoughts and happenings in my world, enticing others to chime in still… silence…Then on a crisp April morning (I live in New York

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-88603470362555552192009-05-12T08:42:00.000-04:002009-06-07T21:13:33.112-04:00

My printer continues to act up. this time a "Carriage error" took place (note alert above). Now, I don't consider myself an idiot but honestly I don't really know what the carriage is...sorry. Sure would be nice to see a picture (immediately) of the problem area on the printer ... but instead I see a picture of a woman gazing at me.What''s the purpose of this??1. Maybe she is there to apply

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290063537078802150.post-83584584254506932232009-05-09T20:56:00.001-04:002009-05-09T22:23:32.363-04:00

Social media and the collaborative environments it enables is still new to many in T&D and being foreign I find its often met with skepticism. How then can you convince the few that the many really have something of value to share?If no internal blog exists, send an email to the team or why not just muscle up to the water cooler?Then take a page from Twitter ...from Facebook, from Yammer ...etc.

Mark Britzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09903901686760230505noreply@blogger.com0