I have not been following my RSS reader as closely as I used too. Tonight I browsed it a bit to find this story from an eLearning professional who was right in the heart of the quake.
Christchurch earthquake on Tuesday 22nd February
Tom Kuhlmann is a self-made superstar in the eLearning development world. I've love his blog since he first started it but have never really had a chance to learn more from him. This interview explains why exactly why, and how he was able to move into the eLearning industry.
I came into instructional design and elearning via academia and Masters degree from Arizona State University. But my 15+ years in this industry have introduced me to many of the BEST eLearning developers in the world. And its amazing to me how many of them have little or no official, academic training in Instructional systems design. Ironically, what makes them so incredibly good at what they do is exactly the fact that they DO NOT have the baggage of academia holding them back.
Blasphemy!!! I can hear the cries now. And I certainly don't mean to start up the old debate around the importance of a degree...argh...I just don't want to go there. What I want to tell you is that Tom found what he wanted to be and worked hard at making opportunities for himself. He didn't wait around for anyone to give him permission. He saw what he wanted to be and he made opportunities to start learning and practicing his new craft. If it's not clear to you yet, then let me restate it. I once heard an elite triathlete answer the question about how to become an elite long distance runner this way, "If you want to be a runner, you must run"! It truly is as simple as that. There is no simple pill, or magic degree that's going to get you a job or make you good at ANYTHING! If you want it. If you want to become something new. You MUST simply start doing it! At first you will suck. But if you want to be great you must first get past the years of being sucky. Nobody is GREAT the first time out. So, get off your back side and start!!! Now!!!
If you are now asking the question, HOW!!! Let me direct you to Tom's blog. http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/about-tom/
After you have consumed his openly shared wisdom then I'd recommend a trip to Las Vegas this November for DevLearn 2011 - Its going to be more awesome then usual this year!
Career Development: Interview with Tom Kuhlmann
build a portfolio, and be able to show and demonstrate that you’re able to do things, rather than just
write about them.”
Its a good question to be asking yourself about this time every year. Thankfully The eLearning Guild has some solid data to help you arrive at an answer.
The eLearning industry continues to grow and your skills are more needed than ever. Don't sell yourself short. It might be time to re-evaluate your current job situation. Or maybe you're currently looking for a job in corporate eLearning training and development, but you're not sure which industries need your skills and how much they will value you. The report arms you with the data you need to make the right decisions.
Announcing the 2011 Global e-Learning Salary & Compensation Report
How does your compensation stack up against e-Learning industry trends?
I love this!
Infographic: How Does the Brain Retain Information?
I have yet to see this wonderful movie. However, after reading this post I am even more interested than I was in seeing it before it leaves the theaters.
Dr. Ellen Weber's blog is fantastic! I refer to it often. The advances in brain research over the recent years are quite fascinating.
I will be presenting at the Learning Solutions conference in March and look forward to hearing more brainpower facts from Dr. Medina who will be keynoting the event. He spoke at DevLearn a couple years ago but could only cover a few of his BrainRules. I'm looking forward to hearing the rest, or anything new he has discovered. I love his style.
Cheers to the brain!
10 Brainpowered Wonders in The King’s Speech
So pick up a book and start learning! Figure out how to make Android apps, make one, and then cash in. Either from making a killer app, or at the very least showing a potential employer that can do it.
Google Embarks on App Developer Hiring Spree
To try to catch up to Apple, deep-pocketed Google intends to grow its app community with the brute force technique of hiring engineers and product managers with mobile app expertise to build Android apps in-house, according to the Wall Street Journal:
