Learning Rebels and the ASTD (ATD) Guest Blog: Learning through Sharing

Learning through sharing.

Lately I’ve been on a bit of a sharing kick.  Sharing time with newby L&D people, helping contacts with building their networks and SoMe presence and as you all know, recently I was asked to conduct a webinar with Rick Blunt (@rblunt81 on twitter) and the DC Chapter of ASTD on Social Media Tools for Learning.  It was great fun, and a nice introduction to how Social Media Tools can augment your learning – 45 people attended and I hope a person or two got an idea to try, and I really hope more than a few were inspired to check out the ASTD certificate session “Social Media for Learning” course.  (This certification session is well worth the investment. Learning Rebels are always looking for innovative ways to pump up the learning process, and this program is a great way to start!) What prompted this you may ask? Good question- I was noticing in my twitter feed a lot of new twitter users with profiles that identify them as Learning Professionals, I remember being new once upon a time and I thought I’d lend a hand and reach out.  Our community should be about learning and growing together, right? Your challenge today, find a newby in your twitter stream, send a direct message asking if they need twitter guidance…help them to fish.

Anyway, the last couple of weeks have had me head down writing a two part blog post for ASTD.org. A bit of a riff on the post “10 Ways to Take Your Corporate University of Out Snoozeville“.  If you recall at the end of the post I added a 10 for 10 – items that need to be in every L&D tool box.  I received a lot of comments about the “10 for 10” part of the post, so I thought it would be cool to expand the thought, and I felt strongly enough about the topic to want to give it a wider audience and ATD was kind enough to accommodate.

Part One went up last week, and you can find it here.  In retrospect, I probably misnamed the post.  It is a new and improved look at the trainer toolbox, but it’s more about bringing the L&D toolbox into the 21st century.  That’s the great thing about toolboxes.  They change, expand and adapt to the users’ needs.  Today you may have one of those newfangled laser pointers that helps you hang multiple pictures all nice and straight, but you still have your original level and that’s okay because it also serves a purpose.  There are times for newfangled, and times for old and true.

Learning through comments.

Reading your comments tells me I’m on the right track and I appreciate every one of those comments.  From the person letting me know they were inspired to add more features to their toolbox; to the person who confided that originally they had no urge to change, but now they see a reason; to the person who suggested I add a “donate button” to my blog (thank you BTW). Although, in all seriousness, the best way to donate to my blog is to post your comments, I appreciate all the emails, but public sharing is where the rubber meets the road – donate by sharing your thoughts so everyone can benefit.  Sharing helps us all grow and further builds our community.

The New and Improved Training Toolbox – Part 2

I’ve received a number of tweets and messages asking about “part 2”.  Ask and you shall receive. Click here for Part 2 of the “New and Improved Toolbox”.   I hope you find “part 2” as informative as “part 1” and are equally inspired.  Let me know your thoughts, either here or on the ATD site (I receive the comments either way), am I on the right track?  I know this list barely scratches the surface as far as what we should add to a 21st Century toolbox, so what would you add? What ideas do you have? I look forward to reading your thoughts.

Cheers!

Shannon