TK Chats: What Questions Would You Ask? #tk11 #astd

ASTD TK11 is about to begin!  I’m all a-tizzy about helping facilitate the TK Chat sessions this year – informal conversations (talk-show style) with some of the best minds in the industry.

I would love these conversations to be focused on practical information that people can use in their work.  Burning questions that real people want to know about these subjects.

SO.  What questions would you ask these people on these subjects?  What do you want to know? 

Please share your thoughts in the comments!

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Here’s the TK Chat schedule run down:

Wednesday, Feb 2 @ 11AM
Visual Design
Connie Malamed
Dave Anderson
Tom Kuhlman

Wednesday, Feb 2 @ 12PM
Virtual Classrooms
Jennifer Hofmann
Cindy Huggett

Wednesday, Feb 2 @ 2PM
SCORM
Aaron Silvers
Kris Rockwell

Thursday, Feb 3 @ 11AM
EPSS/Performance Management
Bob Mosher
Dan Hardin

Thursday, Feb 3 @ 12PM
Social Media
Terrence Wing
Coleen Carmean

Thursday, Feb 3 @ 4PM
Tools-Pros & Cons
James Anderson
Kevin Siegel

Friday, Feb 4 @ 9AM
Mobile
Clark Quinn
Kris Rockwell
Ed Prentice

Friday, Feb 4 @ 10AM
Instructional Design
Ellen Wagner
Allison Rossett

Hope to see you there!

ASTD TechKnowledge San Jose Feb 2-4 #tk11

It’s bitter cold here on the East Coast of North America today.  Which means, I’m REALLY looking forward to heading westward next week for TK11.

What is it?

ASTD TechKnowledge is ASTD’s homage to eLearning.  This year the theme is Define, Design, Deliver. 

What am I up to?

I’m really honored to be a program committee member for TK11 this year, along with some amazing people.  Ellen Wagner heads up this year’s committee, so that should tell you something.

Among other things, this means I’ll get a front row seat at all of the keynote sessions!

Concurrent Session on Scenarios

Wednesday1:30-2:45  I’m running a session on using scenarios in eLearning. 

TK Chats: Getting in touch with my inner-talk show host

What I’m most excited about: TK Chats – informal talk show style conversations with some awesome eLearning notables (Tom Kuhlmann, Dave Anderson, Connie Malamed, Bob Mosher, Ellen Wagner, Allison Rossett, Joe Ganci, Aaron Silvers…just to name a few!)

Michelle Lentz and I will be co-hosting these sessions, running  inside the expo hall (Wednesday at 11, 12, 2; Thursday at 11, 12 and 4; Friday 9 and 10).

Check out the full TK Chat session here – and be sure to join in!

Closing Sessions

Friday at 11:30-12:30 the conference comes to an end.  You’ll find me sitting on a panel with Michael Allen (yes, him) and Allison Rossett (yes, her) – talking about instructional design!

And then, after all of that, you will hopefully find me sitting in a hot tub somewhere as I’m gonna need it!

Good Ole Nextie, the Next Button

There’s been a lot of Next Button bashing in the eLearning business of late.

Such abuse!

Sometimes it’s warranted, no doubt.

But let’s not throw out the Next Button with the bathwater. She has her place – and when treated with respect and dignity, she can do wonderful things.

Read on for more about poor old Nextie….

If you have comments or thoughts on this ever controversial subject, please come back here to my blog and share your rant!

In Praise of Secret Gardens

We all need our private places.

A secret garden on a summer day for quiet meditation.

A quiet armchair to retreat to with a cozy book with the cell phone turned off.

These are the places where we refresh and reflect.

Even in the midst of social interaction, we crave private conversations. A whispered hallway conversation with a colleague away from the bustle of the water cooler. An after work cocktail with a few key friends.

I have a friend who would always disappear at a big party. Invariably, you’d find him off in the garage or up in the attic having a private party within the party.

In these days of Social Media, many of us live increasingly in the public eye. We’ve broken down the silos and torn down the walled gardens.

But now we’re all awfully exposed.

What I write here can be viewed by anyone. What I say on Twitter can be viewed by anyone. What I update on my Facebook status can be viewed by lots of people (not anyone – I have designated my FB friends and set my privacy settings, but 300 people isn’t really a private place, is it? And I don’t bother with the selective status updates, although I could.)

I love Social Media. I’ve connected and learned more through these tools than I ever dreamed of…

But…it has it’s drawbacks.

If you’re big into Social Media you may have started feeling SocialMediaFatigue (it’s a new syndrome I’ve invented, nickname SoMeFat). But there’s a cure.

Sometimes you just need to turn it OFF for awhile. But for me, that’s practically impossible. I like being connected. I like talking to my friends.

As in the real world. we need our private places within Social Media. A place to let your Social Media hair down and hide from the public eye.

So I say, go off and find your own Secret Garden. A place within the hustle and the bustle where you can have group chats with your friends who are located all around the country or the world.

Facebook has private groups (you can even make ‘em secret so nobody knows you’re there…shhh….) It’s like having a private party within the big party.

Facebook isn’t the only tool that gives us this a private room, but it sure is ubiquitous and easy to use.

Go find your own. Make it special. Make it secret. Find some relief.

(And then be sure and come back and join the rest of the party!)

Photo credit: The Secret Bower by Athena’s Pix

When clicky-clicky bling-bling goes viral

Jane Bozarth wrote a great New Year’s Resolution post in the latest Learning Solutions Magazine – Nuts and Bolts: 2011 Resolutions  – a must read for every eLearning professional. 

It’s a must read not just for the great tips, but also to catch a glimpse of the pure genius of Kevin Thorn’s ode to clicky-clicky bling-bling.

Countering Social Media Fatigue (SoMeFat)

In these days of Social Media, many of us live increasingly in the public eye.

What I write here can be viewed by anyone. What I say on Twitter can be viewed by anyone. What I update on my Facebook status can be viewed by lots of people (not anyone – I have designated my FB friends and set my privacy settings, but 300 people isn’t really a private place, is it? And I don’t bother with the selective status updates, although I could.)

I love Social Media. I’ve connected and learned more through these tools than I ever dreamed of…

But…it has its drawbacks.

If you’re big into Social Media you may have started feeling Social Media Fatigue (it’s a new syndrome I’ve invented, shortname: SoMeFat).

In December, I fell victim to SoMeFat. I wrote once in my blog – an all time low. I fell WAY back on Twitter.

Why? Work obligations, Christmas, who knows what else. I was just tired of it all. Social Media Fatigue set in. Occasionally -- mostly out of guilt (?!) -- I would attempt to stretch my Twitter legs. But they were mostly lame attempts.

Do you ever get SoMeFat? Aside from switching all devices to OFF, how do you respond to SoMeFat?

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Photocredit: Eye by helgabj on Flickr