Joyful Jubilant Learning

Connected Learning

In keeping with this month’s theme, I was originally going to write about all the great places I go online to learn new things – kind of a blogroll of learning resources.  I’ve decided to take a slightly different approach and write about a couple of tools I use to learn things I can truly leverage.  A subtle distinction, perhaps, but it’s one that is important to me.

Connections

There are a ton of social networks around and I’m very reluctant to jump into them because I am concerned about the time investment.  However, in my work (creating and managing alliances between my company and other companies), it’s important to have at least some online networking tools in my toolkit.

The two I use most frequently are LinkedIn and Plaxo.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a business-oriented network that helps me understand how I am connected (or could connect) to others who might be useful in my alliances work.  I work in the computer software industry, and it seems a lot of the people I know have moved into some pretty cool places that are relevant to my current role.  LinkedIn makes it very easy to re-establish contact with them, get introductions, forge new alliances, and so forth.  I’ve also been able to help a number of my old friends in their missions by introducing them to other people I know.  The cool thing (for me, at least, is that I have a long list of contacts that I truly know and trust (it’s not a numbers game or popularity contest for me).  Sure, I know some of them better than others, but that’s no different from offline friends, is it?

LinkedIn also has some other good features, like letting you know when other people you may have worked with in the past have joined LinkedIn (it compares their work history with yours to suggest people you may know so you can connect with them).  You can also see how many people have been viewing your profile recently, and what job title & company they hold - this is useful for me to see which other companies may be interested in my company.

Plaxo

Plaxo is a service that integrates with Outlook (and other things too, but I’m an Outlook user) to help keep my address book up-to-date.  This has been one of the most unexpectedly valuable tools I’ve adopted. 

You see, I’m not just a Plaxo user; I’m a Plaxo member.  This means I am automatically connected to other Plaxo members simply by adding them to my address book – Plaxo makes the connection automatically.  And, once we’re connected, anytime a Plaxo member updates their contact info, company, phone numbers, etc. my Outlook address book is automagically updated.  In the nomadic world we live in, this has been a huge time saver.

But that’s only the beginning.  Plaxo has another awesome feature I really like:  if any of your contacts puts their birthday into their contact record, you’ll automatically receive a notification about a week prior to let you know their birthday is coming up.  Then, you can use another feature of Plaxo to send them an online birthday card (very fast, and only a few clicks). 

The e-card aspect of Plaxo has been very cool for me.  I use this feature to let people know I’m thinking of them (you can send other types of cards, as well), and this has awakened quite a few dormant relationships in the past few years – it’s a good excuse to reconnect.

The other awesome feature I really like about Plaxo is something they call “Plaxo Pulse” which is kind of an RSS feed of what’s happening in my Plaxo network.  For example, I get notified when people post blog entries, when they put pictures on Flickr!, when they change jobs, when they upload a new profile photo, etc.  Again – very good for feeling more connected with the people I know.

If you’re looking to change how you learn about others and up-level your online connectedness, these are a couple of tools I highly recommend.  LinkedIn is free, and Plaxo has both free and fee-based options available.

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Oh - and speaking of birthdays: 

Today is Rosa Say's birthday!  Rosa is the awesome lady that had the initial vision and passion to create this Joyful Jubilant Learning community.  She is a lighthouse for me, and really has a way of bringing out the best in people (including me).

And speaking of connections, Rosa has been another online resource for me to expand my connections.  I have met people all over the world through Rosa's "blog connections" and personal introductions, and she has led me to more learning watering holes than just about anyone.

So join me in wishing Rosa a happy birthday.  She is one of the special ones.

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About the author: Dwayne Melançon is the author of Genuine Curiosity, where he is always on the lookout for new things to learn.

Financial Learning

Here in the United States our economy has turned negative due to a severe credit crunch. Since the early part of the decade, borrowers who otherwise would not qualify were able to take out "subprime" loans on homes and properties. This was fine as long as property values soared but once the housing bubble burst in late 2005, many people found themselves upside down in debt.

This wide range phenomenon led to the collapse of the entire housing industry. Mortgage lenders found themselves with thousands of uncollectable loans. Home builders saw the values of their homes plummet and banks and other financial institutions saw a huge drop in their stock prices.

Here in the Temecula area of Southern California, we were especially hit hard. As a fast growing suburb of San Diego and Los Angeles, we had thousands of new homes built in the last few years. Drive down those neighborhoods today and you'll see many brown lawns and foreclosure signs.

It's tough to see friends and relatives lose their homes. There is probably nothing more gut wrenching than to have to deal with a property that has lost a third of its value overnight. You can't sell it and the huge payments keep coming. Many borrowers took out adjustable loans which make things even worse as the payments adjust upwards.

Many families are just walking away. Bankruptcies, short sales, and other credit solutions abound. It is really a hard time for many. But in the midst of trouble there is hope. There are many calm and intelligent voices helping people get back on their feet. One of the best is Dave Ramsey.

 

Dave has written a popular book entitled, The Total Money Makeover. This is a book about getting out of debt and living financially free. The book offers...

1. A sure fire plan for paying off all debt- including cars, houses, everything
2. Help you recognize the 10 most dangerous money myths that can kill your budget
3. Help you build a sizable nest egg for emergencies and retirement

This is a great book that everyone should read. It offers a step by step plan to financial independence, with many personal success stories of people just like you and me that have overcome huge obstacles to become debt free.

In the book, he encourages the reader to take "baby steps," which are designed to build on each other...

1. Save $1,000 as an emergency fund
2. Pay off all debts from smallest to largest
3. Save a larger three-to-six-month emergency fund;
4. Start to save for college
5. Pay off your home mortgage.

Dave hosts a daily radio show (XM-165 at noon) with over 3 million listeners. He is a practical yet caring financial coach. His no nonsense approach has helped people overcome credit card, medical and mortgage nightmares. People call in every day with success stories of how they overcame substantial debt in a short amount of time. Dave gives them a chance to yell at the top of their lungs... I'm debt free!... to his entire audience.

My wife and I took on a plan like this when we were first married. It was tough at first. One of the things we instituted was the envelope plan. We each put our entire weekly budget into an envelope in cash. We had to get through the week just on that amount of money.

This one one of the greatest learning experiences of my life. I soon found the real value of the things that I wanted. I started taking my lunch and cut down on extra driving. I would have to save from week to week to get that computer book, car part, or gadget that I really wanted. It gave me time to think about what was really important.

Soon my eyes were opened and my attitude changed. I found that I could really get the things I wanted. I just needed patience and diligence. I also found that the things I wanted diminished when I realized that I could have a few of them but not all of them.

If you have never tried this, give it a whirl sometime. Put aside your ATM and credit cards and put your weekly cash in an envelope. You'll be amazed where your money goes and how quickly your budget changes. You'll find yourself thinking about each transaction and if that super burger combo with fries is really worth eight dollars?? You might even lose some weight in the process! :-)

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John Richardson is the author of Success Begins Today, a personal development blog devoted to practical applications that can make life an exciting adventure. From a wallet sized personal organizer to a desktop flow chart you're sure to find something here that you can download and enjoy. John always enjoys learning new things and suggests you try a powerful 48 minute working technique that can help you focus and get more done. Here's to your success!

Time to rhyme and learn

While we are celebrating our digital learning here at JJL, April is also being celebrated as National Poetry Month in the United States.

• Did you have a Poem in Your Pocket on April 17th?
• Have you explored your calendar for any poetry events taking place locally?
• Have you read any good poems recently?

Yes, I recognize that there are those who would respond: "by definition, there is no such thing as a good poem". Alas, you do not fully understand what you are missing.

The opportunity to write with some restrictions and focus comes in many forms. One is via a theme. One is via the format.

Hence, a sherku which is my variation, really an extension of haiku.

sherku: defined

focus your writing, say it
all concentrated in just
nineteen syllables

This month I am working on a series of sherku on the stops along the Franklin Line. I ride the rails twice most days, I know the stops by heart but do I know much about what is at each stop? No, hence a little speculation and a little learning ensue on this series, along with a healthy dose of fun.

For the stops I knew very little of, I used Google and Wikipedia for some research. For example, I learned that the land next to Ruggles Station was the site of the South End Grounds where the old Boston Braves baseball team played. These are the Braves that now play in Atlanta.

Franklin Line: Ruggles Station

The old Braves outfield at the
South End Grounds is a
Parking garage at Ruggles

My posting on Steve's 2 Cents about this series got picked up by UniversalHub, a collection of Boston blogs. It inspired commuter-rail limericks. Wow!

I have long admire the work of Limerick Savant so I went back to my trusty companions (Google and Wikipedia) to learn more more about limericks. I read about the story of the limerick challenge that took place amongst some newspapers back in 1924.

This series of limericks first appeared in a June 14, 1924 edition of a Nantucket newspaper. It all began when the Princeton Tiger revived the then well-known limerick printed first below and the Chicago Tribune answered with the second limerick. The New York Exchange went one step further with the third rhyme, and the Pawtucket Times took over from there.

Click through to read the limericks here

As I grew up in Pawtucket (yes, really), I needed no further inspiration:

There once was a lad from Pawtucket
who now had to rhyme with suck it
but he did not dare
as he did not swear
so he found a way to duck it

10 Tools I Use For Digital Learning

I must admit that I am eager to jump into the digital learning fray with both feet. I have found myself to be an "early adopter" when it comes to new software, new gadgets, and new developments in Web 2.0.

Since there are so many opportunities, philosophies, and ideas that are being developed in the area of digital learning, I simply wanted to share some of my favorite tools. This isn't necessarily a "Top 10" list, rather, it is ten tools that I use that help to facilitate the learning that takes place for me on a daily basis.

1. Evernote
Evernote has been around for awhile as a piece of software that sits on your hard drive and collects information. They have recently made a HUGE leap by offering an online version. Now you can collect, tag, and store all of the bits of information you have in your Evernote account. One of the biggest breakthroughs comes in the form of OCR recognition of words contained IN images. Evernote scans your pictures and adds the words on the picture to your searcheable database. This is BIG.

2. Twitter
Twitter may seem like an annoyance to some, but I have found it to be a great source
of real time information. If you open yourself up to every feed you can get ahold of, then I could see where it might come across as a lot of "noise." But used selectively, twitter can give you updates from your favorite news feeds, sports teams, and point you to places you might not have found on your own.

3. Blackboard
Blackboard is a tool I use at our University. It's been developed for online educational settings. The excellent open-source version of this would be Moodle. I have both taken and taught classes using Blackboard. It is a helpful platform from which to organize information and collaborate on learning. It offers an extensive discussion board application and group collaboration tools.

4. Pandora
I know, Pandora is a music player. But it's more than that. This application taps into the Music Genome Project and will reveal new music and artists based on the parameters you give it (which is simply a band or artist who is similar musically). I have discovered a wealth of superb artists and music that I wouldn't have found otherwise.

5. iTunes U
iTunes U has become my automobile university. You can tap into lectures, speeches, classes, and a whole lot of audio/video offerings from colleges and universities around the country. And it's all free. Downloading lectures and lessons to my iPod has turned my daily commute into a classroom. More schools are being added everyday. There is so much to listen to.

6. Google Reader
I realize that you can choose from a number RSS readers out there. I've chosen Google Reader because it integrates well with my other Google Apps. Plus, I like the way it is organized and layed out. Suffice it to say, the key learning here takes place in the RSS feeds that you subscribe to. Because I've worked hard to hone and be intentional in my RSS subscriptions, I encounter a wealth of information and knowledge everytime I log into Google Reader.

7. Utterz
I just recently discovered Utterz and I must say, "I love it." Utterz allows you to set up an account to record audio, video, images, and text that you upload to the site. What I have found to be extraordinarily easy is that I can record audio by simply calling Utterz from my cell phone, and then Utterz will post the audio file on my blog (I had to set it up, but it's easy). I have begun recording audio posts from my car!

8. Slideshare
If you have a powerpoint presentation, Slideshare is an excellent way to get it "out there." Slideshare will convert your presentation into their online format and allow you to embed it on your own website or blog. It even allows full screen viewing of your presentation. Plus, you can add audio to coincide. This is a wonderful teaching tool that will enhance your written words.

9. Ebooks
This one isn't necessarily a site, although there are great ebook sites out there like ChangeThis! But ebooks have become a formidable part of my learning. Some people love 'em and some don't. I like ebooks because they tend to be quicker reads and packed full of good information. People who might be unable to get a book published can easily get their ideas and insights into an ebook. Plus, there is a greater portability to an ebook.

10. Google Maps
This tool may not seem to fit with the others, but it is an incredible piece of software. Basically, I can visit anywhere in the world and have some idea of what it looks like (from God's perspective...hee hee). Where was this when I was in geography? I have Google Maps on my phone, which allows me to always know where I'm at and find where I'm going. Plus, how much fun is it to have a friend tell you where they live and then pull up a bird's eye view of their house? Big Brother is watching.

I know that there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of great learning tools out there on the digital landscape. In fact, some of the tools you like might even be better than the ones I've mentioned. But we'll never know unless you tell us. So leave a comment and give a shout out to your favorite digital learning tool.
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Tim Milburn spends a lot of time online. He is a lifelong learner and is focused on developing lifelong leaders one student at a time. As he's quick to tell his students, "if you're not learning...you're not leading." You can read his work at www.studentlinc.net.

WHAT IF all your learning inputs were digital?

How would the composition and character of your learning change?

In April, let’s find out!

One way we could look at A Love Affair with Books over the last month is this: The books we had reviewed were love affairs we largely, and lovingly, held in our hands. Whether hard-cover or soft, hefty or thin, our March learning was a tactile pleasure in many ways; we could thrill to the touch of them.

And we’re pushing the envelope on this: I’m quite certain that the article Tim Milburn had written in late February, How To Read An Unfinished Book, had many of us experimenting with our book annotation in uncharacteristic abandon; the new choices we made for our reading are not likely to be described as “in pristine condition” once we’re done with them… will you be trying some full contact reading too? As Tim said, 

“What is a book but the beginning of a conversation? A conversation that is unfinished until you, the reader, become engaged in it. Sometimes I am overwhelmed when I walk into a bookstore and see all of the conversations that I could enter into — too many books, not enough time. But that doesn't stop me from diving in and messing up as many books as I can.” —Tim Milburn, How To Read An Unfinished Book

Learning when you sit in front of your computer screen is a bit different, isn’t it.

For instance, what if you didn’t print anything —ever?

Up until three weeks ago, I was one of those people who had to print every e-book someone would send me. Reading a book or any lengthy document on a computer screen would annoy me. As the managing editor of JJL, I get requests frequently from authors, their agents and publicists, and my response to their inquiries of “can we send you a manuscript or galley for possible review?” is always, “I’d love to see it; mail it to me.” Thankfully, they do, for right now, I couldn’t print their stuff even if I wanted to.

Three weeks ago my printer decided to call it quits.

At the very moment it refused to deliver, I dropped everything to make a special trip to the nearest computer repair place; not having my printer was absolutely incomprehensible to me. I’d discover the fuser had to be repaired, and at more than half of what a new one would cost me— a new printer, not a new fuser! Even if I agreed to fork up the cash I’d have to wait at least a month for them to order the part. So, since then, not having any other choice in the matter, I’ve done without printing at all.

At first it I couldn’t find a new printer that satisfied me. I love living on the Big Island of Hawai‘i, but electronic choices are as few and far between as they can get here.

Then guess what? After a week of doing without it, I discovered that not only was I surviving just fine, I was actually having fun with my printer-less experiment. I already send most of my coaching work to my customers electronically, and so for the errant form or document I MUST get printed I make a stop at a local business-center/Kinko’s type place… amazingly, only twice now in these three weeks, and I’m in the midst of doing my income tax work to boot! I’ve been pushing myself to reinvent some of the ways I work with laptop alone, and yes some paper, but paper that I have to hand-write on.

As the month proceeds I’ll let you know how it goes. Will the fun and adventure of my experiment wear off? We shall see…

Are you a true Digital Learner?

Meanwhile, my co-authors here at Joyful Jubilant Learning have risen to my electronic challenge as well.

How far can they push the edges of the e-Learning envelope? How far can you?

April, fellow JJLers, is all about DIGITAL LEARNING.

In March you collected some books…now, in April get ready to collect some links!

Our JJL Hui of Authors will be sharing some of their favorite online learning places with you, for in cyber space, no classroom is ever too small.

This is going to be great! And you might not need to print a single page either… since when do you really need a printer for learning, hm?

Remember: If we inspire you to share your own learning in sync with our month’s theme, please DO! See our guest author’s guidelines within our FAQ, and get published with us!

~ Rosa Say for Joyful Jubilant Learning

[Flickr Photo Credits: "In a moment" by shaycam, "face printer" by zen, and "Working late" by Delgoff.]

I Don't Have Time To Read

I love to read. As a kid I would spend hours reading the latest Hardy Boys mystery novel or pick up a new Tom Swift book and explore one of his unbelievable inventions. The hours would pass quickly, and I usually found that I couldn't put the book down until the last page was turned.

As I grew older, the titles changed, but my love of reading just grew stronger. I loved to read science books and was always fascinated with new inventions and space travel. Once I started to drive, I would pick up books and magazines about cars and hot rods. Reading was fun!

Unfortunately, as the years have passed, my time available for reading has diminished. The commute to work got longer and the activities of life have really increased. When someone hands me a book now, I try to figure out when I can squeeze it in to my schedule.

I've tried some different techniques to fit reading in, but many of them have not worked well. I've tried reading in the car when carpooling, but that just makes me carsick after a few minutes. I've tried reading while out walking, but that has led to busted shins and falling off curbs. I've even tried reading while on the treadmill, but after flying off the machine a few times I realized that I can't read and run at the same time.

In the last few years another problem has crept up. As soon as I received my dreaded AARP card in the mail (This happens at 49 and a half. They track you by satellite and make sure your AARP membership letter is in your mailbox on that dreaded day. You can't hide... they will find you), I noticed that my reading vision has started to change. My eye doctor corrected this with progressive lenses, but that plays havoc with reading in any position other than sitting in a chair.

I used to love reading while laying on the couch, one arm propping my head up. With progressive lenses my field of vision is now severely blurred in this position. These crazy glasses have also ruined a good book while reading in bed, sitting in a recliner, or trying to read while cooking. In short... reading for any length of time is now confined to sitting up straight, just like my Mom told me to do. Arrrgh!

I thought that my reading days were almost over until one day when a little device found its way into my life. Called an iPod, this little audio device has revolutionized the way I partake of books. Instead of reading them, I now listen to them... while driving, walking, and even running on the treadmill. No more busted shins or flying off exercise equipment.

This little device has allowed me to devour over 50 books in the last year. Popular titles like Blink, Made To Stick, and even a classic like How To Win Friends & Influence People have filled my ears with wisdom and insight.

The really great thing is that I've finished everyone of them. No more half finished books laying on the coffee table, on the floor, or in the back seat in the car.

In conclusion... if you find that your schedule is big, your commute is long, or your eyesight is going, be sure to pick up an iPod, sign up for an Audible.com account and start downloading audio books. If you have problems... just ask your kids... they can get you setup!

Enjoy!

P.S. You can read about some of my adventures with audio books on my specialty blog Audio Book Notes

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John Richardson is the author of Success Begins Today, a personal development blog devoted to practical applications that can make life an exciting adventure. From a wallet sized personal organizer to a desktop flow chart you're sure to find something here that you can download and enjoy. John always enjoys learning new things and suggests you try a powerful 48 minute working technique that can help you focus and get more done. Here's to your success!

Beware the meme, it may contain more than it seems

Have you taken part in a meme? I have. I don’t jump on every one that comes along but once in awhile, I do find time to participate when it catches my interest. A meme can take many forms. It can be a set of questions to answer (Five things you don’t know about me, is a popular one). Or a set of instructions to follow (like one book meme I recall, that had you go to the first book in your pile, turn to x page, etc.). Or you input the URL of a blog and it does some analysis to produce a widget to post on your blog and attract additional folks to the meme. Like how much is your blog worth? For grins, I checked on this Joyful Jubilant Learning blog to find:

My blog is worth $127,586.04.
How much is your blog worth?

Of course, we are all richer for the learning we share!

I think this example helps to show that memes like this are generally good fun. They tend to further the sharing of information about one another. They do take time and depending upon the viral nature of them, an individual could get tagged about the same time from a couple of different folks.

Some folks decide not to partake in them and I respect their decision. If the person is one I want to know more about, then it is not a big deal. It actually provides a opportunity to further the conversation outside the meme and achieve the same goal; a deeper relationship.

The most recent widget meme I participated in occurred early in January this year. I picked it up from one blog in my PodCamp group. The meme in this case was a widget that advertised the readability of the blog. I had seen a similar one a year or so ago and was curious to see if there were any changes in readability since then. I posted the results and went on my way.

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from Michael Pollitt, a free-lance writer for the Guardian (UK). He wrote:

Lessons of shadows and light

February is for looking back to go forward. In Punxsutawney (PA) Phil the ground hog saw his shadow. Hence we learn from tradition that we are faced with 6 more weeks of winter. Here on JJL, we are looking back into books we have read to share what we have learned from reading. There has been a pattern of children’s books this first week. Rosa gave us the list of 100 books that children should read. Joanna took us into Alice and Wonderland. Dean talked of children and their books.

In my comment on Dean’s post I wrote:

Dean, one small regret about my daughters growing up into the young ladies that they have become, is that I don't have ready access to the books of the tweens. Yes, I do have access. I can go into a store or shop online with the best of them. But to read and discuss the same book amongst the family was a treasured time during their school days.
Oh, we still have good discussions and frequently about books these days now that they are in college. But they are not kids books!

One author whose books circulated amongst our household as Allison and Carolyn were growing up was Madeleine L’Engle. I thought we had read everything she wrote. I know one of Allison’s book shelves was full of her books. I thought that until I read amongst many of the tributes to her after she passed away September 6, 2007 of a series of books that she wrote called “The Crosswicks Journals”. I picked up the first one “A Circle of Quiet” and read it during November. Many passages in the book got marked. These were good quotes that would come in handy some day. Had she chosen, had the internet and blogging been current, chapters of the journal could easily have been her posts. They were meant to be that conversational and informal.

Learning to Love a New Virtual Home: A 21st Century Adventure

It's very appropriate for me that our January theme for JJL is "Packing Our Bags for 2008".

I did a virtual bag pack over the Christmas holiday and did something that I had been contemplating for months - I changed blogging platforms, from Blogger to WordPress.

On Christmas day "Ramblings From a Glass Half Full" moved to Terrystarbucker.com.

If only it was as easy as that.......

I learned that a "virtual" move is very much like a real move  -

• There's a lot of planning necessary
• You have to do a lot of "packing"
• Moving day is pretty darn hectic 
• There's always something you forgot from the old place 
• Unpacking is no fun
• You are probably better off with an outside designer to rearrange the furniture
• Letting everyone know your new address takes time
• It takes a while before everything gets forwarded correctly

It does sound uncannily like a real-life move, doesn't it? To top it off, I was a HTML neophyte - getting a new site to look how I wanted it was going to be a real challenge.

Nevertheless,  I decided to press on, buoyed by my blogging friends urging that I really needed to "take the Blogger training wheels off". 

I hired a site designer, and that was a very good move. Jesse Petersen did a great job and I couldn't have gotten the site the way I wanted it without him.  So I also learned that in matters of "21st Century Technology", I'm not really up to speed.   I'm a product of the old 20th Century way of yellow and green pads, pencils and calculators. No computers.  Can you even imagine those days any more?

A quick side note - I vividly remember my first "laptop" computer in 1983 - it was the size of a big suitcase, weighed 50 pounds, and didn't even have a hard drive in it.  A "GUI" was still a figment of someones imagination.  And the spreadsheet software was something called "SuperCalc".

Needless to say, in 2008 I had to admit this old dog didn't have some of the new tricks. So I got help.

The move is now behind me, and the learning I got out of it was, in a word, staggering.   I feel MUCH more comfortable in the virtual world.

But I still hate moving, in any shape or form.

Some things will never change!

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Terry Starbucker is an operations executive for a service company who lives in Connecticut, loves business trips to the Rocky Mountain west, is a founder of SOBCon, and posts his musings and observations about "the optimistic side of the daily grind" in Ramblings from a Glass Half Full. 

 

Gratitude: I Won't Learn Less

I am reading What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith.  I first learned of Marshall from his columns in Fast Company.  His writing was (is) just so down to earth real, in spite of his intellectuality, the myriad of little consonants that follow his name (which to his credit he does not wall paper his book with), and the fact that he coaches the most alien of species known to man; CEO's.

In his book, Marshall lists twenty habits that are a barrier to getting you there.  Habit # 17 is Failing to express gratitude.  He uses a few brilliant examples to explain the emotion-numbing effect of not saying thank you.  Here is the one that caught my attention:

My friend Chris Cappy, an expert in executive learning, has a saying that put this into perspective for me.  No matter what someone tells him, he accepts it by reminding himself, "I won't learn less."  What that means is when somebody makes a suggestion or gives you ideas, you're either going to learn more or learn nothing.  But you're not going to learn less.  Hearing people out does not make you dumber.  So, thank them for trying to help.

Four simple words to remember.  Four simple words that when said to one's self and followed by a thank you, will make the other person feel a bit more special.

Dave

www.daverothacker.com

It's A "Wonder"ful Time Of The Year

Every so often, I become very conscious of how easily I fall into the commercialism that surrounds the Christmas season. I love giving and receiving gifts as much as the next guy (perhaps even more so). I just don't want to lose sight of what's most important and what's most significant about the holiday season.

As I was reading through some of the posts that have already been written this month on Joyful Jubilant Learning, my eyes caught the left hand margin - The Seven Wonders of JJL.

I remember when we created that list. We were looking for a unique way to share our learning when the calendar struck 7-7-07. Each of those seven "L" words helped us organize our ideas and thoughts.

As I looked over the list, I thought, "They'd make a great Christmas list!"

So in your quest to find the most meaningful of gifts this year, I offer the following:

LISTEN — Listening is so much harder than talking. If you listen, REALLY listen to others, you are offering them a gift that will communicate just how much you value them. Give someone your attention.

LAUGH — Laughter is so much fun. It has a way of healing the soul. Learning to laugh at yourself lightens your spirit. Give someone a moment to laugh so hard it brings tears to their eyes.

LEARN — Learning expands your world. Help others become the people they are meant to be by not remaining the people that they are - grow their minds. Give someone a chance to grow in a new direction.

LINK — My network grows as when I connect to the network of another. My own experience and connections might be a tremendous resource for someone else. Give someone an opportunity he or she might not be able to get on their own.

LOVE — The holidays have a way of magnifying the level of intensity we feel in our relationships. Make sure the ones you love know it. Give your love away. It's much more effective when it's shared.

LIVE — I once heard it said that the life you live, just might be your very own. With that in mind, come alongside others and find ways for them to get the absolute most out of life. Give someone a way to appreciate the best gift that each of us have...TODAY.

LEAP — Sometimes, the hardest step in a new direction is the first one. You can be an en"courage"r in the life of someone else. You can help them believe in themselves and to believe in their dream. The most exiting changes in the right direction happen when one jumps in with both feet. Give someone the courage to jump.

Do you remember what you got last year for Christmas? I'm struggling to do it even as I write this.

If you give gifts that flow from the spirit of the list above, you'll be giving something memorable and meaningful. They'll be gifts that last.
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Tim Milburn approaches life a lot like he approaches presents, enthusiastically moving past the surface of things so that he can get to the heart of the matter. He dedicates much of his time to developing student leaders through his blog and resources at www.studentlinc.net.

Special Birthday Greetings

In case you were not aware, today is a special day. Phil Gerbyshak and I share this day as our birthday. How cool is it that two folks, meeting and connecting through the wonderful world of the web, share the same birthday!

He is off making it great as usual. Add to his day with a birthday greeting!

I am off to get in a good run (during which I'll do some leaping),

then cover some family activities (during which I hope to do some laughing),

and then I should be back online later today to provide some updates (during which I'll do some learning).

Make it a great day!

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Steve Sherlock writes his 2 cent views on life from Franklin, MA. He explores the "good experience", "life long learning" and life in general, after handling the "before you blog" list his wonderful wife Dolores  provides him. Together they are enjoying the empty nest while their daughters are away at college. He has also resumed running and he podcasts tips and coaching advice at Passionate Runner.

Rapid Fire Learning - Five for November

November has been a terrific month of learning. Thanks for taking a moment and letting me share my journey with you. With only five days left in this month, here is the five-course meal of learning I feasted on.

1. Gratitude changes everything.
I feel better about life when I'm thankful for it. Being grateful is a tremendous gift to both give and receive. People are appreciative when I recognize their contribution through my gratitude. I feel like giving even more when someone expresses their thanks to me. Gratitude is the best thing to combat a prideful attitude. A handwritten thank you note is a special gift.

2. I'm more productive when I clear the clutter.
This month, I completely cleared off my workspace of everything except my computer and phone. I had to remove file holders, stacks of papers, office supplies (stapler, tape, pens, etc), random sticky notes, and other items that had found a home on my desk. When I was done, I had a completely clean work area. I've spent the last few weeks managing my clean sweep. I try to go paperless whenever possible. I clean off any clutter each night. I have found that I am much better at working on one thing at a time this way. It's less distracting.

3. Hulu is pretty good.
I must say that I was bitter (I realize this conflicts with #1) when I found out that NBC had pulled it's TV show The Office off of iTunes and was now running it on Amazon. For one thing, I can no longer watch this season's episodes on my iPod. But NBC's release of Hulu is fairly decent. I had to wait to get an invitation for the beta. Not sure when they'll fully open it to the public. I like Hulu for a couple of reasons: 1) I tend to watch more and more of my favorite shows online, 2) The video player is so much better than the one they have up on NBC.com. Check it out here.

4. There's a very REAL difference between ideal values and real values.
Ideal values are those things that you want or hope to value. Real values are the values you actually live out through your actions and behaviors. You may communicate to others your ideal values, trying to encourage them that they're you're real values, but your behavior will prove what is really true. Thus, it's important to know what your values really are. If you only communicate your ideal values, you'll confuse everyone in your life when you start acting in contradictory ways.

5. Christmas lights are easier to put up the second time around.
Last year was the first year I put lights up on the house we currently live in. It took me quite a while to figure out what to connect everything to and where to run all of the extension cords. This year, I already knew the plan. I strung the lights in less than half the time, only having to change a few broken bulbs. Now I can focus on enhancing the presention (we might add a few candy canes and light-up reindeer). Familiarity helps speed things up. But it only comes when I'm willing to dive in and try something for the first time. Experience enhances my execution. Evaluated experience helps me to improve and not repeat the same mistakes I made before.
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Author: Tim Milburn
Tim currently trains, equips, and develops student leaders on a daily basis. You can view more of his writing and resources at www.studentlinc.net.

Gallup with me: An Appreciation for Learning

If you consider yourself a lifelong learner, that alone gives you much to be thankful for.

According to Webster's dictionary, to appreciate is to "value justly", and to recognize "the quality, value, significance, or magnitude of people and things."
[Related posting: Knowing Mahalo through Appreciation.]

LEARNER is one of my signature themes according to the Clifton StrengthsFinder done by The Gallup Organization, and in a course I recently took with them, this which follows, was the description of a Learner given to me. I wanted to share it with all of you, for if you are a reader of Joyful Jubilant Learning you most definitely are a LEARNER too!

As you read this through, "value justly" the parts of it you "recognize" as your own "significance or magnitude." Appreciate yourself:

LEARNER

You love to learn. The subject matter that interests you most will be determined by your other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning. The process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for you. You are energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. The thrill of the first few facts, the early efforts to recite or practice what you have learned, the growing confidence of a skill mastered - this is the process that excites you. Your excitement leads you to engage in adult learning experiences - yoga or piano lessons or graduate classes. It enables you to thrive in dynamic work environments where you are asked to take on short project assignments and are expected to learn a lot about the new subject matter in a short period of time and then move on to the next one. This Learner theme does not necessarily mean that you seek to become the subject matter expert, or that you are striving for the respect that accompanies a professional or academic credential. The outcome of the learning is less significant than the "getting there."

Now I purposely shared that with you in a single paragraph without emphasis. To truly appreciate your learning as part of YOU, print it out, then take a highlighter and mark off those phrases within the paragraph that really resonate, causing you to say to yourself, "oh yeah, this is me."

LEARN is such a big word sometimes. That simple highlighter exercise was a revelation to me in a couple of different ways, and I am hoping it serves you personally too.

~ Rosa Say, JJL Contributor, and author of Managing with Aloha Coaching.

Postscript: If you are interested in learning more about the strengths movement, consider a review of the Learning Project we did earlier this year here on JJL: Learn to Lead with Your Strengths

• Kick-off Post.

• Full Index.

Photo Credit: Dressage with "Ladyhawke" on Flickr.

Heutagogy - Word for the day

From a new connection 'down under', I find a new word for today, heutagogy:

a learning theory based on concept of self determined learning fostering independence in adult learning. It is a learner centered theory of learning emphasizing that adults learn when they are ready. It assumes that people have the ability to learn continuously throughout life and in real time. This is accomplished through various interactions with one's environment.

Visit Bronwen Clune and read more about heutagogy.

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Steve Sherlock writes his 2 cent views on life from Franklin, MA. He explores the "good experience", "life long learning" and life in general, after handling the "before you blog" list his wonderful wife Dolores  provides him. Together they are enjoying the empty nest while their daughters are away at college. He has also resumed running and he podcasts tips and coaching advice at Passionate Runner.

April and Tony write on Learning it Again

Me in one word? Manager. Been learning it, doing it, writing about it and coaching it for as long as I can remember working for a living began for me.

Yet when I first went into business for myself, there was this radical difference immediately challenging my level of confidence.

Suddenly, the people I coached were paying me and then listening to what I had to say, versus me paying them to do the work at hand, with listening to me as what came with the territory.

So at first I was highly sensitive to whatever they might say they already knew. The moment they would get the merest hint of an "oh yeah, I've heard that before" look in their eyes I would switch gears, and offer up something else. Now however, four years into my own coaching business and fortunately blessed with a healthy amount of clients and speaking gigs, I know better. I know that "I've heard that before" may not necessarily mean "...and I have learned it enough, and learned it well."

It takes some practice and coaching chops, and sometimes it just takes a tough skin to look past a person's resistance. What helps me most however, is remembering why they asked me to coach them in the first place, recalling my own desire to truly help them learn.

April Groves and Tony D. Clark talk about this in two great articles, and I encourage you to do two things:

1. Click over and read what they each have to say, and then,
2. Ask yourself when you allow your own recognition of something to shut the door to your deeper, true learning. You can learn again, and perhaps, learn better.

From April, at Making Life Work for You: Turn Around Tuesday

“That is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you’ve understood all your life, but in a new way.” - Doris Lessing, 2007 Nobel Prize Winner

So, I didn’t know who Doris Lessing was until today. But, as soon as I read her quote, I had to look her up. Sounded very Rocky-esqe when he told his kid, “Let me tell you something you already know.”

Being told something you already know can be irritating. Ask my six year old. She’ll sigh real deep, lean her head back a bit, and say exasperatedly, “I knnnooowww.” Then she has to be reminded about her attitude and we move on.

Being told something you already know can also be energizing, comforting, and refreshing... continued at April's place.

From Tony, at Success From the Nest: The Point Of View May Be New To You

“What worked for you in the past,” I asked.

“Usually I’d grab a success book or motivational CD, and it would give me the boost I needed to get going again. But I’ve heard all that stuff, and read and listened to hundreds of different books and CDs,” said Graham.

Then I told him this — I guarantee you haven’t heard it told by everyone.

It was as if a fog had been lifted. He had a look of clarity that you see with those moments of epiphany.

There was a new book by an author he hadn’t read before, but that covered many of the concepts Graham was familiar with. He put off buying the book, because he figured the author had nothing new to say.

Graham was right, and he was also wrong... continued at Tony's blog.

Come on back if you want to talk story about it here with your learning support group; we're here for you, and we like listening.
~ Rosa Say, JJL Contributor, and author of Managing with Aloha Coaching.

• Another read from the JJL Archives: The Age of Humble Curiosity.

[Flickr photo credit.]

School Lessons: A Sense of Place

Did you ever read one of your kid's homework assignments and think of all the interesting adult things you could do with it?   "Gee, I could do this and turn it into a story or my own personal project."

I found this piece titled, Developing a Sense of Place, written for 5th to 8th graders.  Two thoughts came to mind.  The first was what a great project to have your kid do!  Save this stuff for them to read when they get older.  It will help to give them roots, connection and identity.  Secondly, what a great project for one's self to do.  Even if we are fifty years old, it will give us roots, connection and identity when we look back upon it at age seventy-five.

dave rothacker

Rapid Fire Learning - 5 for October

Rapid Fire Learning is here again this month of October.  I was tempted to look back over the year that this group has been joyfully and jubilantly learning together but I would not have been able to limit myself to just 5 things. So here goes:

1 - Learning and Play go together. I am and have been intrigued by the relationships between learning and play. I found a new quote when reading Scott Berkun's book The Myths of Innovation

"Like the child in the park, creativity is intertwined with the ability to see ideas as fluid, free things. Ideas come, they go, and that's OK; to an open mind, ideas are everywhere (something I'll prove momentarily). It's the willingness to explore, experiment, and play, to invest energy, hit a dead end, and then chase a new direction that allows minds to find good ideas. All of our notions of play, and its freedoms from formal judgement, are inexplicably linked to finding good ideas."

Reminds me that I need to allocate time to play. Do you make time for play?

2 - "Make a Difference" is really a year round event. The Center for Public Education has a nice flyer for use in local elections, particularly for school board candidates. The "All in Favor" flyer can be adjusted from a school committee focus to a town council focus to almost any position. It has some key tips to frame the discussion on what you would be looking for in a candidate.

Learning from the Blog Action Day story

I’d been wondering how much we could learn in just one day – last Monday, the 15th October.  Blog Action Day.

Now with over 23,000 blog posts written there was clearly a lot of learning going on – and just a bit more than I could hope to digest.  But I did try and get round as many blogsites as I could (divided it by 1,000 – seemed to work!) – because I’m interested in how we talk, share and learn about this issue, and because I wanted to come back here and share some of what I’d learned.

As people started to write their posts I found…

We’re still finding our way to tell this story with confidence

Many people wrote that they weren’t sure if they should or could write – who were they to contribute to this debate?  Some felt the need to make it clear they weren’t active campaigners – environmentalists, tree huggers – just citizen bloggers, expressing an opinion, a feeling or an idea.  Some wrote that they feared a reaction, a loss in readership, by joining in this debate.  And some experienced the direct effect.

That made me feel a little saddened and frustrated at the way the bigger story is going.  Because the environment isn’t an issue that should belong to any one person or group or point of view.  It’s the air that we breathe and the land that we stand on.  It’s part of all of us. 

But fortunately…

We’re finding different ways to tell it

We don’t just use words.  We use pictures, poems, sherkus, humour, cartoons, personal histories to humanise dull subjects, month long campaigns, photographs of our own amazing corner of this planet we call home.

The environment is a pretty big concept. We all find our own way of linking it back to our own experience, our work, our passion, the things that concern us the most. 

Which means…

We tell stories about people and places that inspire us

We tell stories about the source of our inspiration: about business leaders who are learning to make a big difference, about places that develop our emotional intelligence, about places that make us feel grateful, about wild places that fire up our hearts, about what we can see outside our kitchen window, or the feeling of peace and stillness we get by sitting quietly in our own backyard

And I reckon those places help to fire us up because…

We talk a lot about ways we can make a difference

We highlight practical action we can take: cutting back on showers, reducing our consumption of bottled water, saving ink and paper, recycling the materials we use at home, publishing with care for the environment, greening our business, tidying up our local environment, protecting our national parks, lining up our management and leadership values with a commitment to environmental stewardship

But for me what’s more interesting than the lists of practical action is the change – the shift in state or perspective – that the people who wrote them are trying to create.  Because the other thing I remembered is that…

We tell stories to create different states

It lies at the heart of storytelling: we tell stories to evoke a change in state in the person who’s listening.

So we told stories about the importance of curiosity, of mindfulness, of trusting your intuition, of personal environmental action, of gratitude, of breathing your values into your work and your business, of stopping and being still, of developing a sense of place, and over and over again - of the belief that you can make a difference

And I guess those shifts in state, in perception, in awareness, might well be the learning from that one day that turns out to make the biggest difference

So what did I learn, after all, in just one day? 

Plenty, was the best answer I got.  Plenty

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Blog Action Day took place on 15th October. Joanna Young was learning from JJL contributors and readers plus writers and learners around the blogosphere. 

You can check out the 23 blogs she was following, or if you’re keen to learn more, delve into the 23,000 plus who contributed to the debate.

A writer's words, an editor's eye: Blog Action Day, publishing and the environment

Ample Aliveness: A day for gratitude

Brain Based Biz: Ram Shrivastava, CEO, walks the talk of sustainability

Chris Garrett:  Noticing the world around us and Blog Action Day lost me subscribers

Coaching Wizardry: On mindfulness, the sun and the environment

Confident Writing: 20 ways to cut your words and help to save the planet

Dave Rothacker: What's your design? a sense of place

Emoms at Home: 10 green business tips to help prevent Global Warming

Entrpremusings: Rock, paper, scissors - how do we all win?

Freelance Switch: Freelance freedom - blog action day special

Levite Chronicles: Blog Action Day in the Backyard

Liz Strauss at Successful Blog: Personal environmental action

Make it Great: Blog Action Day

Managing with Aloha Coaching:  Blog Action Day 2007 - Responsibility for your sense of place and The Environment and Managing with Aloha

My 3 boys and I: Blog Action Day

Monk at Work: Blog Action Day - leave that which makes you doubt

Ramblings from a glass half full: My passion for parks - a Blog Action Day rewind

Steve's 2 Cents: Blog Action day - environment

Student Linc: Blog Action Day

Success from the Nest: 5 reasons why home based entrepreneurship is the ultimate eco-friendly gig

The Clearing Space: Gratitude in pictures

The Giving Hands: month long campaign on the environment

Word Sell Inc: Our children need sustainable packaging