Link: http://blogs.synapse3di.com

It's 2009! Time to lose weight, get healthy, get organized, save money, make money, mend relationships, and LEARN SOMETHING NEW!

Just last night I told my husband that I wanted to try either hang gliding or paragliding in 2009. Each year I set some sort of adventure goal whether it be to go somewhere adventurous or do something I have never tried before. I've already bungee jumped, been scuba diving, skydiving, and many other exhilerating (and yes some crazy) activities.  I also said that this was the year I would, again, learn Spanish.  I've taken a class and bought the CD', but this year, I will dive in again-learning something new.  I have several learning goals and that brings me to you!

Within classrooms-both academic and corporate-we have been seating students in seats and forcing them to listen to an instructor for thousands of years (and that's how long it seems to the students too!).  We may purchase and use, what we call, Computer Based Learning Systems, or plop the students in front of a small television in the breakroom and have them watch a learning video that was professionally created for their specific industry. After they come out of the isolation tank and recover from the coma they had been in, we check "training" off of our list. But what is retained? What knowledge has transfered back onto the job? Who is coaching and helping in that transfer? Not the managers. Not other team members.

What if we learned differently? What if we blew up the classrooms (well not literally--I don't want to be named in a law suit, stating the terrorist activity was somehow linked back to my ideas here) or the concept of the typical classroom? What if we have shared spaces to gather and discuss ideas instead? What if participants were encouraged to learn every day and from everyone in the organization--from the CEO to the Janitor?  Would it be possible to learn without a "trainer" coming in and working with a group for an entire day, or longer? Could learning be done through social networking, video-bytes, podcasts, articles, books and Group Applicaiton Sessions (hmmm we could called them GAS for short! "I can't attend the meeting today, I've got GAS! ..Okay that would never fly!) instead of single chunk learning?

My goal is to help organizations think and learn differently.  I beleive people are tired of having to GO TO a learning event. Instead they want the learning to COME TO them when they need it.  I believe learning is a social activity and we learn so much more and so much deeper when we share what we've learned with others on our teams and discuss how to apply the learning and how to tweak the application to overcome the challenges of implementing new ideas.  

We are working with a few organizations right now, experimenting with this concept.  They take assessments online to discover the learning path they will take.  They meet with a coach in Second Life to lay out their initial learning plan and are placed into small accountability groups with others that are on similar learning paths.  Eeach week an assignment or learning nugget is delivered for them to read, listen to, watch or participate in. After completion, they meet back in the Second Life campus to discuss applicaiton and receive further coaching if needed. They are given an assignment, to apply the learning, and have the opportunity to practice and role play scenarios before trying it live.  They have a few days to apply before reporting back to the group with stories of success or challenges they need help on.

We also have small, task specific, groups creating learning video-shorts, where they teach others something about what they do. This becomes an archive of knowledge that is easy to transfer to new employees and since the videos are all under 8 minutes, they are easy to digest when needed.  We are creating Social Learning Sites where learners can post discussions, share information and basically create their own WIKI for the company.  Senior employees are encouraged to post often and help mentor the newer members.  Outside experts are brought in for special events that are taped and archived here as well.  These experts might join groups in the Second Life campus to help with a task or project that relates to their area of expertise. They post articles, podcasts and videos for the groups to access with additional information and learning nuggets as well.

Another social networking tool we are experimenting with in the learning environment is Twitter.  By setting up internal Twitter accounts and allowing people to share short learning bytes and have access to the experts in a more open and shared environment, learning is brought out and encouraged, beyond the classroom!

Look at what is going on around you-how are people communicating and networking? Can you some how incorporate these concepts into your organization this year to develop a learning culture? Let me know what you are doing to stretch yourself and grow beyond the classroom.  

Gina

For free articles, podcasts and video bytes, check out http://www.synapse3di.com/media_library 

Link: http://www.synapse3di.com

I have been scouring the malls and checking out the latest and greatest geeky toys for this Holiday season.  I even sat with Santa to find out what he is hearing around town on the wish lists of good boys and girls.  So why only 9? Well it just seemed that 10 was... just so ordinary.  So here's what we found:

1. My#1 gadget that I take just about everywhere-Flip Video Camera! This amazing little video camera just keeps getting cooler.  Not only have they gotten slimmer and sleeker, but now you can grab one in HD and order one with an uber cool design that you choose from their gallery or a customized design that you upload (obviously you don't have time to do this and have it for Christmas-but maybe a certificate to allow your special someone to order it online!) Prices $130-$230 

2. Digital photo frames are still a hot item. Perhaps people have finally learned how to use them combined with the fact that the prices have remained the same as last year makes them a great buy. You can pick up a small 7 inch frame with a pen holder for around $60 at Brookstone or most office supply store, or a 15 inch frame for $300 just about anywhere.

3. Apple has the new iPod Touch that seems to be one of the hottest gadgets out.  This is the size and shape of an iPhone, includes all of the fun and useful applications MINUS the phone! The catch to this nifty gadget is most of the applicaitons need wifi to operate.  If you want to access the iTunes store or use Shazam to identify a song you hear playing, you have to be somewhere you can access the internet.  It is like having a mini laptop--lots of great things you can do without internet connection, but unlike an iPhone, you can't just hop online from the park or friends house.  You simply purchase the iPod Touch for a flat fee of $230-$400 (8G, 16G or 32G) and you have no additional monthly fee like a cell phone.  So this could be a great gift for those who, like me, are locked into their T-mobile phone contract for another 28 years and yet would love to have the newest iPod.  

4. The Apple iPod Nano is another fun gift for the Holidays.  I don't know if Apple intentionally changes the shape of the nano each year but once again it has a whole new look--fun colors like purple and bright SHREK green and a coupld of cool featrures.  One that I really like is the album cover display that you can flip across the screen (like the iPhone) and while a song is playing, you can shake the nano to change the song! Why you would want to shake your ipod is beyond me, but you can. Priced around $150

5. The charging valet is a great gift for that person on your list or family that has gadgets everywhere needing to be charged at the end of the day.  If you have an iPod, cell phone, digital camera, and PDA (does anyone still use a PDA without a phone?) you need several outlets open.  The charging valet allows you to set all of your gadgets in one spot with their charging cords feeding descretely into the back where they plug into a power strip that hides inside the valet.  Comes in wood-tone or black.  Priced around $50, you can find these at Brookstone, Target, and even TJ Max.   

6. According to Santa, the hottest gift request is of course the Wii--anything Wii!  Wii Fit; Wii Mario ; Wii Baseball, golf, sports, even Wii Baby (I have no idea what this is, but they have Wii for everyone!) Games are priced fro $30-$60 and the consoles are about $250 IF YOU CAN FIND ONE SOMEWHERE!

7. For the person who is always running late and needing directions (oh maybe that's just me), I love the fact that Garmin, and many other brands, have small GPS systems for as low as $189 and small enough to throw in your purse or laptop bag when you travel. Find them at any office supply store, Best Buy, Circuit City, Target, Walmart, and probably even Safeway stores!

8. My favorite gadget keeper is a bag, by BUILT NY!  These bags are perfect for the professional speaker or techy person on the go. They have pockets for everything-presentation remotes, flash drives, Flip Video Cameras, cell phones, and more. They come in fun colors and patterns and priced around $25. 

9. And if techno-gadgets just feel too cold and impersonal, there isn't a person out there who wouldn't love a pair of footy PJs!  If your geeky loved one is like most of us tech-heads, they are up late at night sitting at the computer with freezing footsies!  These are recommended and worn by SEO expert and blogger, Denver's KNOX, along with other celebrities like Samuel L. Jackson, Taylor Swift and even Dawn Wells, of Gilligan's Island fame! 

Well there you have it--a few of my favorite (geeky) things for a very Merry Christmas!  If you want to learn something else today, check out some of the Gettin' Geeky episodes at www.GettinGeeky.com 

Link: http://www.Synapse3di.com

Do you remember when you were very young and in school? Come on, think back. Everyday we learned something new. There was so much we still didn't know. How to add double digit numbers and then how to carry over a number when adding.  How to spell tough words like "THEIR" and "BELIEVE" - well okay, I still struggle with those, but our brains were alive and taking in (and retaining) new informaiton every day.

Sure we have tons of informaiton coming our way now, and perhaps that is why we don't hang on to much of it, but each day we have to be intentional about learning something new. Will it be a new word for the day? How about how to use a feature on that cell phone you use? Learn about new technology, a new language, how to ballroom dance, anything new.  

Being around professional speakers and trainers all the time and attending so many wonderful educational events, I find it easy to learn lots every day.  Being in the technology and education arena has me trying to learn too much every day.  Whether it is in Virtual World technology and how it is being used effectively in business and educaiton, or how to add new featrues and applicaitons on my Facebook or LinkedIn profiles.  There is lots to learn.

Each day on Twitter I encourage people to learn something new and share  WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED TODAY? (#WHYLT before the post codes the remarks so you can see what others have learned too.)

Now of course it's not only what you learn, but what learning you apply! So please share what you are learning and how you have used it.  Let's learn together!

Remember, if you check out our Media Library on Synapse you will find lots to learn every day, and I would love to connect on Twitter. 

Link: http://www.Synapse3di.com

Want to check out a great site for educators in Second Life? Take another look at Second Life with "Guest Host" of Gettin Geeky, Jianna Zerbino.

Be sure to watch other episodes of Gettin Geeky in our Media Library! 

Link: http://www.synapse3di.com

With the pace that today's technolgy is changing and pulling at us to "UPDATE, CREATE, TWITTER, BLOG-ABOUT, and LEARN" many people feel overwhelmed or worse, left behind!  Here is the tip I give anyone feeling outdated or overwhelmed: Find a mentor under the age of 25, meet with them once a month and just sit and talk nerdy with each other!

When I am at a restaurant, store or anywhere a young person is helping me (wow, even saying that makes me sound like a little old lady needing help crossing the street! YIKES) or serving me (there-that sounds better!) I ask them quesitons like, "What is the social networking site you spend the most time on?"  "What do you like most about that site?"  "What is your favorite tech gadget and why?" 

Sure they might find it weird, but I always learn something, if nothing else, I learn some new lingo that makes me sound like a really hip and tech-savvy old lady when asking for help crossing the street!

Don't forge, if you want some tech tips in short sound bytes-watch the Gettin' Geeky episodes posted in the Synapse Media Library!  Come on- What Have You Learned Today?