Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Why we're all "blogging ourselves out of a job"

I was just forwarded an article from the Online Learning News.  I couldn't find it when I googled "online learning news" so I googled DO NETWORKS TRUMP TRAINING? YEP, SOMETIMES and there it was, by Patti Shank.  Before I get to the article I will point out a blog that appeared in the same search, Living in a connected world.  They discuss this post as well, however the title of their post caught my attention:  blogging Myself out of a job?
Finally, someone else blogging my thoughts:

Where do we add value if our potential students can look up almost
anything in Wikipedia, watch a webcast from Webtorials, or gather free
information from myriad other online sources?  We've clearly
embraced blogging, podcasting and e-learning, so we're trying to change
these threats to our traditional revenue stream (top-notch instructor
led delivery) into opportunities, but there's no way they can by
themselves replace what we earn with bodies in the classroom.



Maybe I'm all washed up, but I think what we bring to the table is our
ability to synthesize the dizzying array of learning channels available
today.  We can also provide integrated solutions that help
learners take advantage of each of those channels when appropriate.
EXACTLY!  We need to start focusing more on this part of the conversation.

and now from the Patti Shank article:
Workers increasingly need ongoing, unlimited, current, and relevant streams of information and ways to find exactly what is needed and make sense of it quickly. Formal training approaches (including online learning) are still helpful -- but often, they don’t go far enough. Good resources and help that can be accessed immediately, as needed, often are more valuable than (a) no instruction and help, (b) inadequate instruction and help, and/or (c) waiting for instruction that will occur too early or late to be useful. When work is complex and information is constantly changing, there’s simply too much to know.
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Networks and the Internet are continually providing new ways of teaching and learning that expand the traditional constraints of time and place. The focus should be less about technology and more about methods that help people share, support and collaborate. Because these technologies are new and changing, it is sensible to watch them emerge, grow and consolidate, try them out to gain personal understanding of how they work and may be utilized, share these understandings with others, and consider how to help learners and other stakeholders live with the continual changes in information and skills needed to do their jobs.
The 2 examples in the article are excellent examples. I've thrown up a few on my blog as well in the past, but I love seeing more.  Maybe THIS experience is an example as well...hhhmmm.

I recently introduced a friend to RSS feeds and concept/tools for RSS aggregation, and THAT is what made the light go on for her. It seems to be different with everyone I talk too, however RSS is the link pin for most. Get people to understand RSS and we all WIN!
I'm very happy to be discussing RSS: The New Learning Pipeline at DevLearn2006 in Oct.

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