The creme de la creme of learning
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Human resources, Training & development, Travel
I’ve just returned from a whirlwind trip around Europe, speaking at the WIN conference in Paris, launching Life Lenses™, visiting old friends and meeting new ones. I spent one weekend in Scotland, in a tiny village near Stirling, where an old friend Tara Fenwick has started ProPEL, a “collaborative, multi-professional international network to promote research […]
Tags: context, creme de la creme of learning, learning, life lenses, ProPEL, scotland, Stirling University, Tara Fenwick, training & development
Calling all carrots (one of the Life Lenses™ self-assessment)
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Communication, Human resources, Training & development
God is in the details (Ludwig Mies van der Rohe) Do you love to create systems? Do you notice details that other miss? Do you have an uncanny ability to focus? Do you not like to leave things undone? If so, perhaps you’re a carrot or know someone else who is a carrot, one of […]
Tags: feedback, learning, life lenses, self-assessment, training & development
Learning from a hole in the wall
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Creativity & innovation, Human resources, Social Responsibility, Training & development, Travel
Check out the video below about the TED hole in the wall educational experiment (forward to 7:15 min). It’s the work of Dr. Sugata Mitra, of India. His office butted up against a slum and one day he punched a hole in his wall and stuck a computer in it. A computer that faced out, […]
Tags: alternative education, dr sugata mitra, education, hole in the wall, India, learning, Learning Theories, pedagogy, self-organizing, slums, Social Responsibility, Sugata Mitra, TED, values
5 lessons on learning from international dancing sensation ‘Where the hell is Matt?’
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Communication, Creativity & innovation, Training & development, Travel
As I’ve recently been working in Turkey, traveling is on my brain. Hence the focus on international learning and specifically lessons on learning from international dance sensation Matt, of ‘Where the Hell is Matt’ fame. If this makes no sense to you then I’m tempted to ask ‘where the hell have you been?’ but that […]
Tags: dancing, learning, learning & development, matt, organized, simple, social, strength, training & development, unique, weakness, where the hell is matt
Putting learning technology in the back seat – where it belongs
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Communication, Diversity & culture, Training & development, Travel
At its best learning technology should disappear into the background, allowing the learning to shine. At its worst technology is so much in the foreground that nothing else is discernible (enter video conferences where participant faces look like something a Star Wars make-up artist dreamed up while on drugs). Recently, while doing some training in […]
Tags: karun koernig, learning, learning technology, messenger of truth, sara mitaru, technology, turkey, united nations
Turkish swirling smoke, whirling dervishes & Wi Fi; learning with the old & new
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Training & development, Travel
I’m in an outdoor restaurant watching folks rest up after a long day. I’m not sure which is more responsible for the slouching against the low slung couches – the heat and humidity or perhaps not having eaten all day, for it’s the first day of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. It’s my last […]
Tags: blue mosque, hagia sophia, islamic, istanbul, learning, old and new, ramadan, turkey, whirling dervishes, wi fi
How do you like your learning – with or without olives?
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Communication, Diversity & culture, Training & development
Being in Istanbul, Turkey to do a program evaluation training on behalf of the United Nations naturally means eating a Turkish breakfast. This morning I found myself musing about learning over olives. Yes olives. I was watching the pile of uneaten olives grow on the plates of my breakfast mates. David Muthami, a music producer […]
Tags: david muthami, Diversity & culture, learning, learning atmosphere, learning content, learning styles, messengers of truth, sara mitaru, turkey
Learning comes in all shapes, sizes & venues (including family reunions)
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Communication, Diversity & culture, Training & development, Travel
Some prefer their learning delivered through stacks of facts. Facts lined up with their edges squared and precise, like the desks in an old classroom. Facts stuffed to (over)fill precious time. Trainers channeling their knowledge into (supposed) empty and (un)willing brains. Others (in the know) realize that learning needs to be coupled with engagement. Learning […]
Tags: change management & wellness, engagement, family, learning, pedagogy, story
Knowledge management – how about a ‘to-consider’ list
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Business & organizational development, Training & development
I’m all about learning, about soaking up new knowledge and creating a sumptuous, creative smorgasbord of learning opportunities for my workshop participants. I have lists of books that I’ve read, dog-eared, highlighted, scribbled in and otherwise marked up for how to transfer the knowledge they contain. I use Delicious, youtube, and flickr to help me […]
Tags: catalogue, course design, insructional design, knowledge, knowledge management, learning, learning & development, workshop design
Doing things differently gets attention- even when it comes to saying thanks
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Business & organizational development, Training & development
I’ve been on a roll with two prior posts about how we as trainers can do things differently, in order to help prime our participants for learning. I think being creative and doing things differently is critical to being a great trainer. If participants don’t want to learn, if they’re not paying attention (to us […]
Tags: creativity & innovation, learning, life lenses, thank you, tom peters, trainer