Tag Archives: Google

Microsoft Project for the Thrifty Project Manager: 3 Free (or Almost-Free) Alternatives

by on April 5, 2012 in Project Management/Project Delivery

With what free time I have at work, I’ve lately been on a mission to find a project management suite that can reproduce the best features of Microsoft Project, add on others, and cost less than $30/month all-together.  Some people of course might ask why I would take the time to do this – Project is a great tool, one that many PMs would swear is worth its weight in gold (and judging by the sticker price, they’re not far off).

For whatever reason, getting “just-as-good” alternatives is something of a hobby of mine.  It’s why I proudly purchase store-brand instead of name-brand, and I like to think it helps me to be a better project manager.  Our job ultimately is to think of our clients’ money as if it’s our own, and from that perspective, it’s certainly worth my time to see what’s out there for limited-cost.  Naturally, I …

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Most Revolutionary Google Product Launch of the Past Month (Hint: It’s Not Google+)

Most Revolutionary Google Product Launch of the Past Month (Hint: It’s Not Google+)

by on August 1, 2011 in social learning, Social Media

Since its launch in beta format a month ago, Google+ has registered some significant buzz within the social learning community.  Whether it turns out to be a game changer or just another useful tool in the social learning arsenal has yet to be determined, but in my opinion, it wasn’t even Google’s most revolutionary social launch that week.

Yes, you heard me right.  Amidst all the hoopla (great word) and fanfare surrounding Google’s “Facebook-killer” the company also quietly released another new product that has flown almost completely under the radar (my radar at the very least), yet in concept could prove even more revolutionary within the social learning sphere.

Called Prizes, the site is formulated on the concept of crowd-sourcing, an idea I’ve written about recently, and which I’m convinced offers a wonderful opportunity for corporations to reap the benefit of great ideas while engaging with their employees and …

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The Death of the Traditional Web: Implications for Self-Directed Learning

The Death of the Traditional Web: Implications for Self-Directed Learning

by on June 29, 2011 in Informal Learning

A friend of mine recently sent me a fascinating article titled “The Shrinking of the Non-Social Web” which contained some real eye-openers.  Essentially the Web is not just evolving gradually as it absorbs the impact of smartphones and social media; it’s changing so radically that it might be better to look at what’s happening as the birth of an entirely new concept of internet interactivity and learning.  A brief overview of the content of the article:

Traditional use of the Web (i.e. non-mobile and non-video usage) is shrinking.  Per-person consumption of traditional Web content fell by 3 percent between March 2010 and March 2011 in terms of minutes.

Within that shrinking slice of online time, Facebook is increasingly the portal for everything.  While the “document Web” (as author Ben Elowitz terms the old-style Web) shrank by 9 percent overall, Facebook consumption increased by 69 percent, essentially stealing time …

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Being Savvy About SAVI (and Accelerated Learning)

Being Savvy About SAVI (and Accelerated Learning)

by on June 3, 2011 in Evaluation, Instructional Design, performance support

A couple of months ago I posted a blog about Accelerated Learning and my experiences with it before I even knew such a thing as Accelerated Learning existed.

I had participated in a program on Accelerated Learning, or Whole Brain Learning, at the Minnesota Chapter of the International Society of Performance Improvement (MNISPI). Mike Willis, Training Director at Andersen Windows, and his staff presented a program on Dave Meier’s Accelerated Learning Handbook.

The Anderson people talked mostly about collaborative learning. They had posters placed around the room and had us create diagrams, place name tags on different parts of a window, repeat what we learned, and team problem solve. They talked about the SAVI Approach to Learning.

The idea of collaborative learning was very intriguing to me. So much of instructor-led training involves a facilitator in an educational setting presenting information to learners with little concern for …

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Moving from Teacher to Facilitator

Moving from Teacher to Facilitator

by on January 25, 2011 in Classroom Learning, Facilitation, Informal Learning, Training Development

As a leader and teacher in the classroom and online for over 15 years, I still face the challenge of making content “real” for learners. Even with the help of the newest technology tools to communicate and educate including social media, wikis, and Google, we still need to transform our ILT classrooms and training sessions into integrated blended learning environments. So how do you keep it real? Move from being a teacher to facilitator.

It’s in your mind

One of the pioneers of adult learning theory, Malcom Knowles, explored the role of adult education and facilitation (andragogy) versus the traditional style of teaching children (pedagogy). Whereas the traditional teaching approach emphasizes the role of the teacher as the holder of the wisdom, facilitation puts the onus on the participants to become involved in their own learning process. The facilitator’s role is to introduce subjects of discussion, encourage a blend …

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