Learning Changes: Learning 2007 recap

Good evening gang, (including anyone new from Learning 2007)

So, I had the privilege of attending Elliot Masie's Learning 2007 as you may have noted from the last blog post.

I neglected to say it in my previous blog but there is something fundamentally wrong about being "lectured" about the wisdom of crowds! It was veritably shameful really. At one point, I had the mic in hand to make a comment and I was verbally trampled for 5 minuets as the guy kept on lecturing. Needless to say, I had no comment after that.

Well, if you want a recap of what went on, you can browse www.learning2007.com as well as http://www.learningwiki.com to get an idea.

So the questions are:

1. What did I learn.
2. How does it apply to what we discuss

Well, I learned a lot. Some of the key notes including Don Tapscott, Dan Pink and OF COURSE Bobby Flay all had insightful things to say about learning and how the mind works etc. Dan Pink intrigued me enough to buy his book A Whole New Mind. After I read it I'll discuss again what I learned.

My purpose for going what several fold. I, of course, went to support my job function, but as a personal goal, I went to really "test drive" the idea of Learning 2.0 with some real training professionals. Here is what I found.

1. Training professionals have a great desire to capture and more so facilitate informal learning. You know that peer to peer over the cube stuff I talk about frequently.
   
2. They are VERY scared about the retirement of the baby boomers and how that will impact their talent pools.
3. Community and Knowledge Management, shockingly, are not necessarily connected. (I know they aren't quite the same but in Learning 2.0 they certainly complement one another)
4. People loved our definition of Learning 2.0
   
5. Few people are driving towards developing a full Learning 2.0 solution. Further more, those that are, are selling it poorly!

So how does does that apply to what we discuss? Well, I think it gives us the opportunity to explore a few new avenues of Learning 2.0.

I'll put it to a vote. Should the next blog post talk about:

1. The ideal learning 2.0 system.
2. Using learning 2.0 to supplement / relieve the stress of baby boomer retirement?
3. The challenges of getting people to use a learning 2.0 environment.
   
4. Q/A about the Learning 2007 conference.
   

You guys decide! We'll cover them all, you can just pick the order.

Cutting Edge from Learning 2007!

As I post this, I'm listening to John Abele from Boston Scientific speak about "The Wisdom of Crowds".

Thus far, nothing "earth shattering" has been laid out regarding Learning 2.0 or Web 2.0 at least in this session. Currently they are talking about "polling the crowd" via audience response systems.

As it turns out, our definition of Learning 2.0 is actually being received quite well! I've run it by several "learning colleagues" and they seemed both interested and intrigued in our blog project. I suspect we'll get some "inflow" of lurkers into the blog with in a few days.

I'll post a follow up to this post in short order and detail some of the learning highlights such as speakers, books, sessions etc.

Oh and just in case a few of you were wondering, Bobby Flay delivered a great speech.
I"ll post some pictures / video soon.

Blog Action Day

Gang,

Today is blog action day!

The theme? Draw attention to the environment. My little tidbit would be this spot of advice.

Check out Planet Earth (HD if you have it). It is a fantastic documentary about the earth and how amazing it is. Its about 8 hrs long but it provides an in depth look into seldom seen places on earth.

In addition to stunning shots it also drops substantive hints about what "We" are doing to the environment and to our planet.

If we don't act soon, the only way to see these natural wonders will be on DVD. So in short, do yourself a favor and and "learn" something about what you can do to help our planet.

- Matt