OK, I admit it. I'm an information junkie! I'm addicted to learning new information. Learning, My Drug Of Choice Learning is my drug of choice. I get a high when my internal light bulb flashes. With each aha, my body is flooded with endorphins. I consume hordes of information on a regular basis. I love reading non-fiction and self-help books. I read stuff from a variety of fields on purpose. That's how I get new ideas and spark my creativity. And with the arrival of the internet and social … [Read more...]
Social Learning At Conferences: Moving From Passive Attendee To Active Participant
Have you ever received the elbow nudge during a workshop or conference? If you're like me, you've even given a few to colleagues and friends. The Ubiquitous Elbow Nudge The elbow nudge occurs when a peer decides to emphasize something a presenter said. Suddenly you feel an elbow in your rib cage as your contemporary wants to draw your attention to the information being presented. It's usually a friendly gesture although when a spouse or supervisor does it, it feels very awkward. The elbow … [Read more...]
Understanding New Trends In Educational Technology [Infographic]
Trying to keep up with all of the new buzzwords in the booming educational technology sector can leave you feeling like a kindergartener in a calculus class. Here's a cheat sheet infographic created by Boundless that can help. How many of these education trends is your organization implementing? Which of these trends is your organization using? What trends are missing from the list? … [Read more...]
Why Conferences Need More Peer To Peer Talking And Less Monologues
Hardwired into every one is the desire to communicate! We crave and need communication with each other. Listening to conference lectures is one-sided. It doesn't provide the same fulfillment as two-way dialogue with our peers. As long as our attendees participate in speaker monologues and panel dialogues, they lack the ability to grow social bonds with other participants. They aren't able to help each other. They feel undervalued and left-out. As they are enabled to talk more with each … [Read more...]
Conference Attendees Remember What They Think About
Conference speakers make assumptions every day about how their attendees comprehend, remember and apply the information they hear. These assumptions, as well as their presentation decisions, are based on a mix of theories, trial and error, past experiences with their own teachers and professors, and instinct. Yet are these theories, experiences and instinct serving the speaker and the participant well? Are the speakers' assumptions accurate? Issue: The Speaker Talks As The Attendees Listen Yet … [Read more...]
How To Use Your Meeting Space To Create An Ownership Experience
Have you ever been in an Apple Store? They are bright, open spaces with lofty ceilings, sleek design and great technology to play with at your fingertips. They offer a variety of services from the private one-on-one Genius Bar consultations to how-to classes to events to roving staff that are more like personal assistants than sales clerks. What's interesting about Apple Stores is that the space and their services are inseparable. You can't describe the Apple Store by just describing the floor … [Read more...]
Six Uber Important Conference Connections
During school, we focused on what was in our heads. We took exams, got grades, received diplomas and worked towards degrees. During work, we focus on doing the job right. Our work is an open-book exam and we access lifelines from our colleagues to the Internet. Accessing our networks is encouraged and welcomed. Success today is based on having great connections. Relationships with thought leaders and advisors. Links to relevant and contextual online content. Ties with others that have similar … [Read more...]
Social Isolation In The Midst Of A Crowded General Session
Rows and rows of chairs in straight lines face the stage. Aisles separate sections of chairs so people can navigate the room. The large ballroom easily seats 5,000 people theater style. The air is cold and stale. The lights dim. A dancing image appears on the front screens and the delay screens hanging from the ceiling. Why this setup? Why this method? What's the goal of this ballroom-style general session? Efficiency Not Effectiveness As some iconic image from Apple's 1984 Mac commercial, … [Read more...]
