Innovative Design Co.

I'm on the hunt ya'll! I'm working on an evaluation plan for online trainings at work. While we have assessments within our courses (level 2 ), we currently have next to nothing that gathers level 1 data in order to judge if our trainings are getting the point across or that can help us determine next steps to make the training more effective. I'm very interested in using a Web 2.0 tool that is easy to use (change in my workplace is viewed as bad), free or minimal cost, and be accessible on multiple devices. First under the microscope: Yammer . We already have Office 365 products, it looks similar to Facebook, and has a polling feature. But I think this may be better suited for smaller classes or teams. I like it as a tool to use within my office, so maybe I'll keep it on the back burner. As for department wide (4,000+ members.).. probably not. Have you used Yammer for evaluation purposes? What are your thoughts? But hold up.. wait!  I don't want t

If you follow my blog or Twitter account , you know I'm a fan of webinars. They are engaging and allow for learning experiences and real time conversation with leaders in the field and other professionals. In a recently session with TTC Innovations, we were talking about communication and collaborating and Jessica Howell sent me a link to a blog she wrote about s ocial media groups for learning professions. #PLN  The blog begins with the reasons why social media is valuable, and then she provides a list of groups on Facebook and LinkedIn she thinks are worth checking out and why.  Sidenote: I love list.. they are straight to the point and chunk content!  The list focused on two Web 2.0 platforms: Facebook and LinkedIn.  While I don't personally use Facebook very often, I can appreciate the professional community it creates. Jessica mentioned the  Instructional Designer  group and their ability to stay on trends, so I decided to join. I'm a huge fa

So I think I may be jumping on the bandwagon a bit too late, but at least I'm on it right? This bandwagon I'm talking about is  Diigo ! Thanks to  Mrs. Launren , I learned about this handy curation tool this Spring at FSU's ASKe conference when she presented how she was using it in her classroom. I liked the idea of it, but couldn't see how it was applicable at the time. Well yall, hindsight is 20/20! The number one reason I started using it was because my workplace blocks Pinterest (horrible, I know!) and I needed someplace to save articles rather than just emailing them to myself or surfing my phone, because I have to actually look like I'm doing work. So I checked it out. The teacher side of me fell in love. Because you know what else is blocked in the classroom... you guessed it, Pinterest!  In completely related news, I also have this Produsage project and I was praising sweet baby Jesus because Diigo would be the perfect tool to use. The progr

So I must confess, I'm a huge fan of webinars. I can watch them while at work and if I'm lucky, get valuable resources. I recently took a webinar from TTC Innovations on "The Future of Learning and Development" Become a Key Influencer in Your Company's Retention and Success Strategies." It started with a generational overview and the characteristics of each (Silent, Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials).   Which I'm not so sure anymore that generations are a thing...  But any who.. once they established their street cred with stats, interviews, and personal research they went into detail about three steps to keep retention high and L&D successful for this new group of workers that will take over the workforce in a few short years. The following are my personal opinions for mastering each step. Step 1: Share imp acts of "business as usual" with leadership Do an analysis of the current organizational environment, current traini

How many of your enjoy reading or watching short, concise articles to pull information from them? One of the big trends in 2017, and sure to continue, is micro-learning. This is defined as quick bursts of content that are often made through a Google-search type of discovery . An example would be watching a two minute YouTube video on how to put together a beach tent , or watcing Buzzfeed's Tasty recipes on Facebook . What I'm wondering is what type of analysis companies are doing to correctly anticipate and address the exact micro-moment needs to provide the right information at the right time to customers in need . Maybe they use pilot groups, customer feedback on a similar product, surveys... who knows? This makes me think of a teacher when planning for a lesson. You should always anticipating what the students are going to ask, so you prepare an answer. So even if businesses and a large companies can anticipate their audience/learners' needs, how can the

I haven't done quite as much reflecting as I normally do as I've been trying to get tasks checked off my list of ever growing to-do list. Don't get me wrong, I put effort into my task but just haven't had time to stop and figure out how I felt during the experience, what works for me and what doesn't, and why it didn't work. It's just the way I operate... quick to produce and slow to reflect. So on this day of rest, I'd like to share some images that have been allowing me to stay afloat during this busy season. I challenge you absorb these images and comment about how you interpreted them based on what's going on in your life. Do any speak to you? Or did you completely disregard them because that's not your style? Tell me about it, and tell me what you do when you take a moment to reflect on your world.   She lived her life and it was beautiful. 

The topic of marketing and ID has been on my mind for the past couple of weeks, and I just can't ignore it any more. Alas, I have found what may inspire me to see a different perspective of how these two worlds merge into one. Ron Zamir from Training Industry, wrote "A New Role for Instructional Design" where he states that shifts are happening in the marketing industry where consumers are no longer falling for the ads and gimmicks. It's also common knowledge that the "millennials" are the most educated generation, and Zamir states that marketers aren't taking advantage of the consumer education opportunity. Zamir gives a great example in his article. Here's where designers come in... we know how to scaffold meaningful learning.   So how can these two worlds collaborate? For starters, use marketing tools (that the company already has) to educate consumers on products offered such as How-to tutorials. Second, use tools and designs that

This summer has been one of revelations and AH-ha moments. I've grown so much as a designer and I have to attribute some, if not most, of that to Web 2.0 and social media. Social media has led me to information about everything from the very first intake of a project, through the development, designing, communicating with stakeholders, and implementation. So why social media? Why would I want learners to get on their phones to surf or post Pinterest, Twitter, or any social program?  While there are many reasons you can explore on your own, the following is most important for me. "Time of Need Concept" --- Give them what they need, when they need it. I'm pretty sure it's a scientific law by now that young people have their phones attached to their hip. Many moons ago, learner were told to put a pause on their phone during a lesson or seminar, but now a days we are telling them to bring and use their devices so we can show them tools, how to access

As I search Web 2.0 and social media tools and ways to use them within the L&D field, I keep getting  hits for marketing articles. While I'm no where near a SME (subject matter expert) on marketing, it makes sense because it is the all-embracing function that links the business with customer needs and wants in order to get the right product to the right place at the right time.    And isn't the goal of L&D to have training available at the exact need for it? I recently twitted about an article that talked through how to use social media to gain recognition for small businesses, have content be shared more rapidly, and gain awareness of resources.  So I went to Instagram (#3 on their list) and looked though the many ID accounts that I follow, found others that I started to follow, and lurked the rest. I soon realized they all had one thing in common... they were showing quick ideas and examples for courses or stages of development, but they were also promoting l

The funny thing about words is that they evoke emotion from the second they leave the lips and can make you feel a range of emotions. What do you feel when I say curate? I think of museums, art collections, and unique pieces that come together to tell a story. What do you feel what I say Pinterest? I think of fitness boards, receipts, and crafting. But what if I said you could use Pinterest to curate content? HUH? That's what I thought.  Content Marking Institute  has a great blog about using Pinterest to curate information.  While I'm not a marketer, I could see using boards to curate, or pull information in, for academic purposes. K-12 or higher ed classes could use it to house readings or videos related to the goals of the year or semester. Small businesses or teams could use it as a central location for resources or infographics. What is even BETTER is when you allow groups to curate material together. Each person can leave a comment about the blog, video, or

So for those of you that commented and read the replys from my last post , you'll get the hamburger the reference... Well I made a plan to eat my hamburger... And I feel a weight lifted off me! Thank you to those that gave support and shared their stories. The struggle is real yall, but together we'll make it through!

"4ish more weeks of summer class... Wine and Skype sessions with my bestie (that lives across country) are getting me through it." Maybe because it's a Monday or maybe because I've been on more social media in the past three weeks than ever in my life, but I'm overwhelmed. I love all the great things I'm discovering, but I have figured out that I am not about it. This continuously online life is not for me.  I'm pretty sure if I had to handle a company's social media account I'd go mad. Give me the slow life of a book and some silly Snaps.  If you followed all my accounts you'd notice a trend... I don't post much on Facebook or Insta, mostly on Snap and Twitter. That's because I don't mind my content getting lost in the vast amounts of "blah, blah, blah" being uploaded or disappearing 24-hours later.  I'm discovering more and more that I don't want people to notice me online... Don't get

As you may know, inspiration comes from many places at random times, and I'm a firm believer that it doesn't happen by accident; timing is everything! Today I was watching and listening to my church's live webcast , Upward and Outward-Part 2, because let's get real... I have to ease back into reality after a week long vacay. This was ideal for me because I'm still on beach time and woke up too late to drive. But any who.. so I was watching my pastor preach about Romans 12 and finding our Godly gift. Some have the gift of teaching, creating, speaking, etc. What really spoke to me as when he said that "you have to start taking shots to figure out what you're gift is." "JUST DO IT" as Nike would say. To me this means to explore new places, people, ideas, and environments. Take a step into the unknown and see what happens. And while doing so, supporting others on their journey because you shouldn't focus on yourself and your achieve

The best moment just happened... My friend snapped me a video of her seven year old daughter searching YouTube to learn how to work a new toy. I'm pretty sure this is a prime example of how younger children (and many adults) are learning these days.  They are pulling in visual information from social media to enhance their knowledge.  YouTube is great for tutorials, and it's my go to to see how to do anything: Cooking, putting together furniture, and while I'm not big into make up or doing hair I still find it interesting to watch.  Enjoy this video of a little girl "playing" with make-up. She's using her creativity to transform from a consumer to a producer.  What kind of how-to videos would you make and post? What are you great at doing that you'd like to share with others?

This summer I am taking two online classes related to technology: Web 2.0 and Teaching with Technology. While the other focuses more on the K-12 sector, I still find similarities in content and applications. This morning I read an article from both classes and enjoyed what the readings said about the role of blogs and what they can do for learning. It got me thinking... First I read Social media and education: reconceptualizing the boundaries of formal and informal learning   by Christine Greenhow & Cathy Lewin (Web 2.0 reading), and was not shocked to find that it said technology enabled reflection through blogs developed students’ metacognition and self-evaluation, supported peer learning, and enabled students to refine their ideas. Another article I read this week called How Blogs, Social Media, and Video Games Improve Education by Darrell M. West (Teaching and Technology reading) noted that the use of blogs encouraged reflection, critical thinking, enhanced writing skills,

This morning as I went through class materials related to the tools of social networks. Among them were, LinkedIn, Slideshare, Snapchat, and Instagram. I am a producer of all these accounts minus Slideshare, but I do use it as a consumer to research topics.  The one that got my attention was Snapchat.They have a Discover section published by media and magazine sources.  Of course, snaps are shared to show people what you're doing and where you are ( see my post with the Geofilter link ) but what type of potential does the Discover section in Snap have to promote learning? My current knowledge as of now is that the media, publishing companies, and sports all contribute by posting information about headline stories, comical "top list", or short clips that provide enjoyment to others.              I found two articles on using Snap with learning and development opportunities. The first article, from Litmos , gives a general overview of some of the app'

This post on Reddit is giving me so much life right now. This past year was the first year I haven't been in a classroom since 2010... Do I regret it? Not in a million years Do I miss my babes? Absolutely! I had a professor in undergrad that always said kids are smarter than adults, and I completely agree :) The stories I have about my students are exponentially better than stories I have about my coworkers. My professional identity is changing and evolving and I'm loving it.

This week is closing to an end and I'm thinking how can I get ahead of all the responsibilities I have to complete for my summer classes?!? When will I research this, write this, or submit this?... hello time management! At work, I had this feeling of "there's never enough time" especially when Thursday rolled around. But that comes naturally when dealing with multiple project and task deadlines, right? To be honest, all I could think about throughout the week was spending time with my family to celebrate birthdays and the 4th of July. I was looking forward to waking up each morning with a beach view, a cup of coffee in hand, and the struggle of the day is what bathing suit I'd wear. Well, TODAY IS THE DAY! We made it to the island! For the next week I will relinquish all work responsibility and focus on being a student and soaking up the sun. I envision my next week being similar to working at home? Have any of you worked from home as an instructional des