The Data Elephant on the Table

I've been working on two evaluation reports for the past two weeks. These involve examining evidence that supports goals set by the grants awarded for educational innovation. The agency does say that whether the innovation succeeds or does not succeed, that partners should capture the data because it can save others steps if they implement something similar at a future time.

What has come to my attention is the unease at questions raised as participants look at their data. The questions raised by examining their data are valuable ones and offer the opportunity for improvement of their project in process.

In thinking about the reaction, it seems to come from the usual experience of being required to submit data for compliance, for agencies who provide funding, with the concern that anything the falls short of the named goal will result in some sort of penalty.

Many Ways to Learn: 3 New Roles for Learning Professionals Driven by Web 2.0 #LCBQ

I've added this blog to my subcriptions in Google Reader. This particular post names three category of activity for Learning and Development Professionals: Personal Knowledge Manager, Content Curator, and Community Manager. The last two categories are particularly pertinent as we explore blogs and wikis in the context of social learning for the 21st Century Training Technologies Class.

social media policies - Twitter Search

Having a social-media policy is a recommended practice according to Jane Hart in the Social Learning Handbook. Click here to view the multitude of posts from a Twitter search on that very subject social media policies - Twitter Search. Yes some are retweets, but click through and you'll see there is a range of posts.

Free Music for Videos: Remember How it Started? by Dano

Saw this tweet today about Dan-O Royalty Free Music. There is a wide selection to draw from.

View it here:
Free Music for Videos: Remember How it Started? by Dano

Here's how to credit use of his files: http://www.danosongs.com/

Thanks, Dan O'Connor.

Request for L and D Learning Professionals as Guest Discussants

I am planning a grad level course to be offered this summer for Learning and Development professionals, titled 21st Century Training Technologies. The course emphases are the use of social media and social learning as complements to formal training and performance support. If you are a L and D person in the field helping companies move to such practices and would be willing to be an online or real-time discussant during the week of August 8th, would you please contact me?

There is no budget for guest discussants--thought I should share that up front. I do know there are many generous people out there...

Thanks so much,


Alice Bedard-Voorhees, PhD
The Constant Learning Organization
Twitter: ConstantLearn

The History of Jazz - a Media-Rich App on a Timeline

I've been wanting to know more about jazz and found some enthusiastic posts about the History of Jazz app on Ipad. Here it is. I bought it and as an informal learner, I'm loving it. If you were teaching a course in the history of jazz, how would you use it?



On the more analytical side, I hope these companies consider other ways to offer such wonderful resources. We are back to digital divide issues, if they don't, and that is a potential learning barrier.

TED ED Invites You to the Revolution

At a workplace in the nineties, I used to have a tagline that said "Here for the revolution." Somewhere I drifted over to the thought that change in education would be evolutionary, that people had to move along a continuum to really change the model. Well, it just has not been happening at the pace we need.

And beyond the political news, there is once again talk of the revolution with TED's creation of an educational community. So, I'm back. Watch the video and consider the opportunity to contribute to the TED ED BrainTrust: http://blog.ted.com/2011/03/01/join-the-ted-ed-brain-trust/