I am an instructional designer. I am a multimedia developer. I have my Master’s degree in Instructional Design & Technology and have been working in the field for five years. I’ve seen plenty of learning examples, from paper to CBT to rapid e-learning and everything in between. I think I have a pretty good sense of what works stylistically and from a UX point of view. I have a fairly good grasp of the technology and the theory behind instructional design. With that being said, it’s hard sometimes not to be a little smug and sit on top of my Vygotskian throne dispensing wisdom to the inept SMEs who cross my path. “You want to do THAT? Oh, well, {insert choice learning theory here} states you should do THIS…”, or “we tried that approach 4 years ago and they didn’t get it” (as if it is the exact same approach with the exact same learners, tools, time frame, etc.). [Read more…] about On being an ID: A cautionary tale
NC State Parks Gettin’ Their Tech On
I recently came across an August edition of The Steward, a paper publication of the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. I enjoy hiking and checking out state parks, so I started perusing it. To my happy surprise I found two great examples of technology implementation. The first was the addition of Quick Response (QR) codes by the state parks system on all of their park brochures. When you scan the QR code with your smartphone you are directed to the park system’s website and specific information about that particular park. How cool is that? The article also mentioned the future possibilities of including QR codes on wayside exhibits and trail markers as well.
I’m a Luke in a Han World
I recently moved to a new state and made the switch from working at the office to working from home. While unpacking I came across a rolled up poster from my childhood. Turns out it was a movie poster for The Empire Strikes Back. Yes, I am a Star Wars fan boy. Still have my action figures, ships, etc. I decided to hang the poster over my desk in the new home office.
The poster shows Luke looking off into the distance, maybe towards a better future? Maybe towards his destiny? Who knows? He was chastised by Yoda for always looking for adventure instead of keeping his mind on the present. Yoda had a good point. Luke did spend a fair amount of time fantasizing about his future rather than focusing on the task at hand. But, I would contend that he was just forward thinking. He was looking for a better life, a life where he could make a difference. [Read more…] about I’m a Luke in a Han World
WWMD: What would Macgyver do?
Innovation: Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
Simple words that have probably been the mantra of many a successful person. I ran across these words as the title of a blog post written by Tim Kastelle and tweeted by Harold Jarche. I kept going back to it and re-reading it this week. Part of it was that I liked the quote about Bob Dylan weaving the rope and climbing it at the same time as a metaphor for his innovative songwriting persona. The article references Peter Sims, author of Little Bets, who contends that you shouldn’t wait until your idea is perfect to act on it, but should act on it now, in the present with what you have and where you are. Ahhh, there is the main point I keep fixating on. How often do all of us do that with various aspects of our lives? [Read more…] about WWMD: What would Macgyver do?