I’m a big believer in turn-of-the-year resolutions and thoughtful goal-setting. My goals for 2022 include deliberate choices about my learning projects (apropos since I’ve been preaching self-directed learning quite a bit in the last several years). I’ve charted two projects so far – one of which serves an immediate need, and one of which is [...]
There’s nothing like turning the page on a new year to inspire a fresh start. Breathe in. Things may still be a bit wobbly, but we can tentatively imagine that a certain equilibrium may be achieved in the coming year – enough so that we can begin to reinvent our lives in all the ways [...]
The following is my contribution to the Learning Guild's ebook, 2022 Predictions from L&D Practitioners. Download it to see an array of predictions from other practitioners (accessible with free membership to Learning Guild). Do you remember that scene in the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy has just landed in Munchkinland? She’s gone through a tornado [...]
Last week, I invested part of my 3214th week on this planet in reading 4000 Weeks: Time management for mortals, by Oliver Burkeman (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021). 4000 weeks is roughly the amount of time we have in our lives if we live to be 80 years old.^ Yet not a single moment of [...]
If you read into the background of notable people who are exemplary lifelong learners, you can find some common ground – they read quite a bit, they set goals, they experiment, they cultivate curiosity, they schedule time for learning projects (rise early, set aside time before bed), they walk or exercise when they need to [...]
When I was researching the Learning Guild report on self-directed learning, I noted an observation that came up in a few articles: that learners who control their own learning do so rather indiscriminately. They don’t exactly plan their approach; they take what they can find and run with it, continuing to explore as their needs [...]
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose unto heaven. ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1 When people talk about great achievements in self-directed learning, they often cite examples from extreme sports enthusiasts or intense hobbyists. These voracious learners read up on the subject in any way they can. They take lessons from [...]
Annie Murphy Paul’s new book, The Extended Mind: The power of thinking outside the brain, is an enlightening exploration of how we use extra-neural resources to “focus more intently, comprehend more deeply, and create more imaginatively.” Drawing from theories and research around embodied cognition, situated cognition, and distributed cognition, Paul explains and illustrates the ways [...]
This is a working out loud story about building a game for use in a workshop. It’s a long one, so grab a beverage and a snack before you dive in. I would not have guessed the turns this project took, so I hope sharing it will help others in their game development adventures – [...]
The future belongs to those who learn. Never has that been more true. It's cliche to say the world is changing fast, but just look around. The coronavirus pandemic has forced rapid change in our work, in our day-to-day activities, and even in the way we organize and run our lives. And - asked to [...]