Going back, going back, going back to Nassau Hall

This May is my 50th reunion from Princeton.

Today I filled out a lengthy survey on what’s going on in my life. It’s a joint survey with Smith.

Reflecting on 50 years is a trip. I’m a much more positive, together, savvy person than I was in ’66. “If I knew then what I know now.” I was often lost in the woods; that’s probably why I want to be a guide now.

I have to write an essay that will end up in a glossy book about the class. Lessons. I am a persuader by nature.  I plan to write about Real Learning, depression, Berkeley, maybe Princeton.

12:30 am I should be in bed…

If I tell other people they must reflect — in writing or symbol — on their goals, their progress, what they need to know, picking and choosing the right way to get there — then I’ve got to take the same medicine, even when I’m dead tired.

Today I got a run-through of Adobe Connect. (Can I connect directly sans wireless?) Most conferencing problems are attributable to wi-fi. They are gun-shy of handing 50 attendees, for example not having video of speaker, no white board, no back and forth. May open up pirate.chat simultaneously.  Or whatever software could show my image/ screen in real time.

 

$$$$Musst sleep. LabCorp fasting at 9.

You gotta ask

Reading through the manuscript, I see that I left out what I really want out of this: partners to take this to the next level. That will become the new last page.

Learning model: macro and micro

Two theories of learning. Charles: There are many theories of learning, but I think we can boil the sum of adult learning down into four key areas:

• Experiences: learning through exposure to new and challenging experiences.
• Practice: learning through having the opportunity to practice and improve.
• Conversation: learning through our interaction with others – informal coaching and mentoring, and building social networks inside and outside work.
• Reflection: learning through having the opportunity to reflect on all of the above and plan further activities that will improve performance further.

Jos self-development

• vision
• capability
• action plan
•  workbook (online)

I have only the micro process thus far. I am off to document the macro now. Puff. Three hours later, it’s done.

 

 

workaday world

I just rewrote the emails that go to participants.

This morning I went over the manuscript and sent changes to my page designer.

I also crafted a draft press release for the project. (Bit of learning there, remembering the elements and format of a release.)

My target is organizations, not individuals. I need groups that can test Real Learning and provide constructive feedback. I have to figure out who that is and go after them. Individuals are fun to deal with but that’s not how Real Learning is likely to take off.

 

image

i haven’t thought about brand image for Real Learning and it shows. The homepage, the central station for Real Learning is a hodge podge, not what I need to establish confidence.

i could ask freelancers for a treatment, being strict about sticking with  WordPress. Also, you must have experience doing this, with samples of your work readily available. Show me what you have in mind.

Plog and Blog

I once wrote whatever came to mind in my blog. It wrote it for me first, my audience second. The blog was a running dialog of what passed through my mind. That has all changed.

People don’t read blogs so much any  more. Many express themselves on social networks and pub sites like Medium. The concept of a home, a homepage, and a blog that says what’s on your mind has been turned upside down.

People follow internettime with the expectation they’ll learn about learning and working smarter, not more informed about eating fish and fois gras. So I don’t want to clutter their thinking and that means no trivial posts. I’ve also got BerkeleyDiet.com for foodies.

What releases the pressure valve is writing here, using my Plog as my diary of unfiltered thinking, a space for reflection.

 

Real Learner

People need to know what they’re shooting for. The graduate of some self-help programs on learning can type rapidly, skim text, and memorize things for tests. The graduate of Real Learning, whom I call a Real Learner, is changed person, a go-getter with an agenda. He or she comes equipped with a can-do attitude and the radar to know when to focus on social learning, when to turn to experiential learning, and when to let things happen informally.

Who would you prefer as a colleague, a rule-following traditionalist or a go-getter Real Learner?

I described what a Real Learner is and submitted it to Elearning Industry. This will test their limits. The article is 100% promotional, focusing on the graduate of Real Learning. If they need it neuterized, I could do it but I would need to publish the core article on internet time.  I need to have this to motivate individuals. It also gives corporate a taste of what they could be getting. In fact, maybe what I need for the corporate/institutional customer is a booklet incorporating the white papers and rationale for the program.

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The first Internet Time Lab Salon took place this afternoon. My first sign-up emailed that he couldn’t make it five minutes before start time. Scott (from Jerry’s list) arrived first; then Sylvia Pauli (who has a 31 year old son in computational biology); later Timmy and Bill. It was a cordial conversation. timotheacampbell.com It was a worthwhile session. I’m going to continue the tradition. Probably focus 90 minutes on learning, leave rest free-form.

 

Feedback as of October 27 2015

Survey of Real Learning Readers
August – October 2015

Would you recommend Real Learning to a friend or colleague?

26 = Yes, 0 = No.

What did you like about Real Learning?

Clear, actionable, with links to MANY on-line resources.

Dick Webster – Columbus, OH Principal – PRM Institute, Director – Community Improvement Resources Project

The practical side of it (JDI). Even if you are an experienced online learner, you either pick up new things, or say “okay, I have ignored that option for a while, but thanks to Jay I will do it … and right now!”

Inge de Waard, digital global citizen.

Jay’s style. Really cool introduction. Informal from top to bottom.

Jos Arets, TULSER

Its practicality, examples and simpleness.

Brent Mackinnon, Social Media Tools for Work & Learning

Lots of great ideas about how to learn and be successful.

Stephanie Jessup, PhD Instructional Design Manager, U.S. Bank

Authentic, simple-to-read and to-act-upon content that gets an upgrade once in a while.

Joachim Stroh, Sceenius

 

Action tips and a modern perspective on learning. A learning organization needs self-directed learning as distinctive capabilities for people around company.

Giovanni Vittadini, L&D Consultant

The title, the concept, the author and the description of why it was written.

Paul Terlemezian President, iFive Alliances, LLC Founder, Georgia LEARNS Now, LLC

Real Learning puts the responsibility for learning where it belongs–with the learner. That shift is essential. There is a corresponding shft that also needs to occur, which is that organizations need to acknowledge and accept that shift.

Jim McGee – former CKO/CLO of Diamond Management and Technology Consultants

That can make difference in the World of Learning.

Etelberto Costa Vice President APG (www.apg.pt)

Simple language. Practical tips. Links to other interesting articles.

Khalid Joomaye

It is written in plain language. I appreciate the references to research as well as the personal flavour of the writing. Honestly, I could hear Jay’s voice as I read and felt I was getting a clear view of his passion for helping others learn in effective and meaningful ways.

Angela van Barneveld, PhD Lakehead University / IBM Canada

 

Professional goals

this is different than professional skills. Or just skills. those I suggest tracking on a single page with update and comments.

I want to create a groundswell in DIY learning by spreading the gospel of Real Learning far and wide. It’s more than learning: it’s getting along in the new culture, becoming self-sufficient, understanding how to make wise choices, pulling knowledge by social/experiential/informal learning into one’s repertoire, and building the self-confidence to take on stretch goals on the job, in the career, and for the rest of your life.

Managing the development and improvement of product will be a challenge. Fun if I do it entirely my way. Things I will have to master to take Real Learning to the next stage:

• recruiting partners
• social media marketing
• my video persona

Need to put together team of supporters to make Real Learning work. This takes selling, relationship building. While I’d thought of just running Real Learning on a shoestring, the best Jay can do with $500 sort of deal. Now I’m thinking it would be a shame not to seize the opportunity to come out with ever spiffier models. That takes cash. Then a few business developers. Customers who have you on call.

I’d rather be the mad genius than the entrepreneur. I want to start this operation, show the potential, and find someone or some foundation or start-up to give stewardship to.

I need to figure out if whether Read Learning is going to look like this, sort of Uncle Jay’s advice. Think Stewart Brand. Sharing tools. Thinking long term. Quirky. That may be stage 1.

or like this, which I haven’t read yet but seems to offer the same promise as Real Learning. I’ve looked at 25 how-to-learn books and found most of them concentrate on study skills. With some time management, speed reading, typing, and memory skills stapled on top. Not that practical if you want to tackle things at a more fundamental level, by adopting the practices of a Real Learner.

or this, which tackles things at a higher level.

Real Learners, the name I’ll use for people who have taken the Real Learning philosophy to heart, savor the essence of every new experience. They become meta-learners, equipped to learn how to learn, to work smarter, and to meet their aspirations. They tend to be go-getters, people who are always a little ahead of the crowd.