Friday, October 09, 2009

Preparing for DevLearn - Part 2 - Get Social

In Part 1 of this little series we learned how important it is to get registered for the entire week of activities in order to get the most bang for your corporate buck:  Adobe Learning Summit on Monday, Certificate Programs on Tuesday, and DevLearn09 Wed-Fri.  In case you are just now realizing that you forgot to register, here is the link again. REGISTER NOW!

Step 2: Join the Scene - Get Social
The PEOPLE are the BEST thing about DevLearn...ALL the people.  Not just the keynotes, and other speakers, but YOU, the attendee, and over 1000 of your eLearning colleagues.  Instead of waiting until you get to San Jose to start meeting people you can start meeting them right now. 

DevLearn09 LIVE! is the social official social networking site for DevLearn09. Sign up NOW! This is a great place to get a running start at DevLearn.

So, what do I mean by a running start? I mean ask questions, answer questions, meeting new people, decide what sessions to attend, and so much more. Yes, DevLearn is fun and filled with great activities, but the bottom line is that you've got business problems to solve, 2010 eLearning strategies to craft, and skillsets to boost. You are not alone in your quest. You may think you're situation is unique, but its not. There are countless other eLearning professionals working through similar, if not the exact same, issues.

After you sign up be sure to complete your profile. Don't forget a picture of yourself. Then click on the Participants tab and find people you want to connect with. Or post a question in forum (Forums tab). You may be feeling bold and start your own group (Groups tab). Groups are a GREAT way to gather "birds of a feather". Perhaps your specific expertise is in training a sales force, then you should start a group around that topic. Others who have the same focus will appreciate your effort and join. This is also a great way to expose your leadership skills.

And of course the best social learning experiences are collaborative efforts.  So join a team and fight zombies.  Yes, you read that right!  The Zombie Apocalypse has started and the fight has begun.  Serious Games are a HUGE topic and alternate reality games can be a fun addition to your learning solution tool box.  DevLearn is your chance to try it and share your thoughts on how it went.  Its an experiment and we will be debriefing on Friday so that we can all learn from the experience.  But I can't tell you any more or else I'd spoil all your fun ;-)

Bottom line:  GET IN THE GAME!  GET SOCIAL!  Put a little effort into your experience.  Step outside your comfort zone.  DevLearn09 is the eLearning industry sandbox for new stuff.  Your boss won't let you try these things in the office, but you can try out EVERYTHING at DevLearn...or at the very least learn from others who have tried.

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