Classroom handouts / Earth Day 2010

I once was a collector of handouts for training and conference sessions - massive piles of the stuff organized by the event, job or subject. I even had stuff from my Master's thesis in file cabinets, never touched over multiple decades. Sadly in hoarding, I never referenced or used those "assets." I have since recycled what seemed like metric tons of old handouts. Today, I prefer to make notes in a composition book and use downloaded or online presentation materials. These assets are used, better organized and valued.

Last conference I attended was "green," meaning limited paper material for us to tote, handouts were online. Still I heard grumbling about no physical handouts even though the conference provided free and ubiquitous WiFi. Looking at the crowd, many we're my age. Old habits are so hard to break.

When I present or design a course, I think about the handout issue. Is there a better way than just sending reams through the printer? Should the supporting content be online? Should there be only limited material that is strategically chosen? Should we ask the learner about their preference?

In Sunday's NYT supplement EducationLife (yes, we receive and read a physical newspaper daily, old habits), I found an interesting story on debate teams moving from tubs of paper to laptop-based storage and the resulting debate culture change. It's a journey.

Happy Earth Day and consider the environment when printing not only personally but for learning as well.

Does peer pressure imapact innovation?

We knew this or at least sensed this from high school. From the April HBR, innovation is chilled by image risks, that is unfavorable social impressions - the fear falling into disfavor by colleagues disrupting the status quo by offering ideas. Feirong Yuan of the University of Kansas and Richard W. Woodman of Texas A&M conducted the research and found that organizational support for innovation reduces the impact of social riskiness.

Innovation faces other barriers and resistance. This American Life #403 NUMMI tells the story of the recently closed GM and Toyota joint venture auto plant. Resistance to the innovative practices by unions and risk adverse GM management doomed introducing the lessons form the joint venture and doomed the plant.

Are we missing teachable moments with the health care debate?

Don't you wish that this debate could rise over partisan noise. Wouldn't it be great if some mature individual could take up this discussion and transform into teachable moments.

• Is health care a right?
• What kind of society do we want? Do we want health care coverage for each and every American?
  
• What about mature discussions about end of life care and decisions?
• How about approaches to prevention? Prevention costs money.
• Does the current system reward quantity over quality?
• Can the free market provide solutions that will meet societal needs?
  
• Does a government program (Medicare) make it socialist?

Finding the uniquely-American solution(s) should include thoughtful discussion and debate versus insane claims and shouting. We've reduced debates to partisan back and forth talking points with over-charged language.

Anyone? Anyone?

Bueller?

Update 16 AUG 2009
From the NYT Week in Review Sarah Lyall, Health Care in Britain:Expat Goes for a Checkup.
A very teachable moment. Investor's Business Daily published an editorial claiming that administration health care proposals that mimic the British National Health Service, physicist Stephen Hawking wouldn't stand a chance in the UK because his life would be judged "worthless." Hawking suffers from Lou Gehrig's disease. Apparently, the Investor's Business Daily didn't know that Hawking is a British citizen. Hawking subsequently released a statement supporting the NHS.

Teachable moment - the facts (in this case real) and what kind of society do we want? Will costs enter into care decisions?

Update 24 AUG 2009
Jon Stewart and Betsy McCaughey "discuss" the Health Reform Bill. I've read the cited sections of the bill and come to different conclusions that Ms McCaughey.
PART 1

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Exclusive - Betsy McCaughey Extended Interview Pt. 1
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Healthcare Protests

PART 2
At 1:02 in retort to Steward's comment on American life expectancy, she actually says, "when you remove violent crime and car accidents, we're number one (in life expectancy)."

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Exclusive - Betsy McCaughey Extended Interview Pt. 2
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Healthcare Protests

Update 26 AUG
Betsy McCaughey resigned from the board of directors of a medical products company, to "avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest."

Craig Ferguson on youth (and advertising)

Do we focus on youth too much? Was it because marketers and advertisers want to build lifelong relationships to sell stuff? Enjoy the rant.

H/T AdFreak
link if the player vanishes

Social media growth stunted

From a UK press release, we learn that the business leaders lack of understanding and data security concerns key barriers to use of social media within UK businesses. HR, on the other hand, demonstrates high usage and support for social media. In the survey, almost half of HR and L&D professionals use social networks, such as LinkedIn, to learn and gather knowledge.

Brightwave, who conducted the research, says that business leaders just don't get it. They don't see the value in social networking. In many instances employees don't have access to social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and others.

Data security, wasted time and bandwidth concerns were also cited as key reasons for not using social media.

Lars Hyland, from Brightwave,

“UK businesses are missing out on a huge opportunity to cost-effectively build knowledge and understanding, as well as engagement, across large volumes of employees in different locations. Business leaders must be informed about the real opportunities in applying social networks to business, otherwise they risk alienating their highly networked current and future talent in today’s global workforce.”

Suspect this is the case here. Personally, my participation in the weekly #lrnchat (Thursdays, 8:30 PM - 5 GMT) demonstrate the power of social media for learning. The intelligence and diversity transmitted through the keys enrich me with every session. I even read the transcripts.

I wonder when we'll see the tipping point where some brave organization demonstrates value and blesses these tools. Is there some social media acumen competencies out there? Even Jack Welch uses Twitter now!

H/T to @gminks for the Tweet