When it comes to trying out any shiny new object in the learning field, I tend to be one of the first in line to buy, download, or sign up. Excitedly chasing new tools has served me well, providing me with a broad scope of productivity and design tools and skills with which I have better than passing knowledge.
However, I tend to be a bit like Dug, the dog in the Disney-Pixar movie Up!
You probably know of Dug. He’s the talking dog with the attention span of a gnat. Just when his interest is piqued on one shiny object to chase down, he spots a “squirrel” and he’s off on another target.
My exploration into the tools of the elearning trade is a bit like that. Just as I start digging into the usefulness of a platform like Path, (SQUIRREL!) my interest is pulled to another tool like Facebook Groups, Tin Can, or (SQUIRREL!) edCetra Training‘s ANAN Cloud.
Most people I know who work in the industry are a bit like me, and we run as a pack of Dugs, circling one tool until another wonderful thing comes along, and then we all run after it.
This year I’m resolving to not chase after quite so many shiny objects. Instead, I’m going to dedicate my energy to playing with the squirrels I’ve already caught (so to speak). I plan to bite deeper into just one or two of those critters to better see how I can more fully provide a tastier and more satisfying experience for my learners.
Speaking of satisfying experiences, have any of you started flipping your learning…SQUIRREL! Okay, okay, so sticking to this resolution is going to be a work-in-progress…
Lisa Chamberlin is the Chief Learning Designer at FLEx Design. You can find her tips and tricks and presentations on her blog.