Dave Sabol

I had a rough day today so I sent out a tweet asking for some inspiration and motivation. One of my Tweeples (@fsimmons) sent me something that really helped me re-frame the day. The video below is from a TED Talk and people who know me know how much I love the TED talk series. The speaker is Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the book: Eat Pray Love. It is her fourth, and most recent book, and a #1 best selling memoir about the year she spent traveling around the world in search of personal restoration after a difficult divorce. Her talk isn’t so much from the perspective of her book, it’s what she learned as a result of it.

If you are looking for inspiration, this is a good place to start. It definitely helped me.

Is it really possible to separate the personal from the professional? I have been struggling with this issue for the past few months both in my daily life as well as my blogging. What follows is a description of the struggle and explanation of why I ultimately have decided to start a new blog (Associated Knowledge) to serve as my public speaking venue and focusing this blog on my personal / family life. For those of you who have bookmarked Nomadic Learning, I would appreciate it if you could change your bookmark to http://www.associatedknowledge.com and update your RSS feeds as well. Please read on for more details.

Many of you have come to know me through my Nomadic Learning blog. Initially I had intended to use it as a way to share my thoughts surrounding life, my family and my travels. I also figured that while I was at it, I could use it as a portfolio to showcase some of my work and technology related experiments. For almost 9-months that is exactly how I kept it and it wasn’t until I attended the ASAE Technology Conference in February of this year that things started to change.

It was at that point that I not only found additional topics to write about, but I also discovered a network of like-minded individuals (The Association Blogoclump) who were also interested in similar topics and were passionate about sharing their thoughts. At that point I tried to maintain my blog as dual-purpose, but I quickly realized that similar to my actual life, separating what is personal from professional online is not an easy thing to do.

I really do love my family and know that there is more than enough material that I could share in a blog format. My family and I have the opportunity to do a lot of really fun things together. And with a toddler in the house, there is never a shortage of activity to write about and share pictures of. However, I am also extremely passionate about the association that I work for, the work that I do, and talking about the intersection of technology, learning and associations. While I am not able to discuss many of the specifics of my day-to-day work, I have been able to share my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences in more of a general manner pretty regularly since I started blogging about it.

A few weeks ago, my son and I accompanied my wife on a trip to a conference in Detroit she was attending. It was at that point when I realized the true challenge of blogging about professional activities and personal life in the same venue. During the time that we spent in Detroit my son and I made many memories (visiting Comerica Park and Ford Field, attending the Detroit Autorama, etc.) but I really didn’t feel it was appropriate the share those pictures with folks who read my blog for thoughts and ideas related to technology and associations.

Shortly after I returned from the trip, I put a considerable amount of time and energy into rethinking my entire blogging strategy. Could I separate my personal life and professional life and still have enough energy and enthusiasm to write about both, while giving 100% to my family and my job? How would the separate impact (positive or negative) those who have become regular readers? Would I lose the results of all of the work I have put into building and establishing my blog as a source of relevant, reliable and hopefully mildly informative and entertaining materials? What do I do with all of the legacy content related to one blog but not the other. Could I make the transition seamless? Was this the beginning of the end or just a new beginning?
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On my ride into work, I heard a story on NPR that really caught my attention. It was based on a new study that conducted by Carol S. Dweck from Stanford University that was published in Child Development that showed if you teach students that their intelligence can grow and increase, they do better in school. Based on what I heard in the story, her premise was:

“All children develop a belief about their own intelligence. Some students start thinking of their intelligence as something fixed, as carved in stone. They worry about, ‘Do I have enough? Don’t I have enough?’”

Dweck went onto explore questions such as: “whether a child’s belief about intelligence has anything to do with academic success”. After successfully answering that question: it does, she went on to partner with Lisa Blackwell, from Columbia University to delve into the topic more thoroughly. They wanted to know: “If we gave students a growth mindset, if we taught them how to think about their intelligence, would that benefit their grades?”

Again, the answer was yes.

Now I am definitely an educator through-and-through and feel that anything that helps teachers provide students with tools they can use to increase or realize their potential is a very positive contribution, but I can’t help but feel that this study appears to be a case of science proving the obvious.

I am not trying to say that I had already thought of the idea, but it did seem to be an underlying theme in my graduate education. Truthfully, it doesn’t appear to be too different (at least from my perspective) than the widely referenced Pygmalion effect (also known as the Rosenthal effect or the teacher-expectancy effect) which essentially states that students that are held to higher expectations by their teachers will perform better than students who are not.

Now it isn’t a direct correlation, but I believe the premise is the same. If one is held to a set of expectations (good or bad) or one has a certain belief (good or bad) that result will generally be realized. It only stands to reason that if you spend time with students and not only teach them that they are capable of achieving whatever they set their minds to, and simultaneously show them that you believe in them, they will achieve it.

In fact I believe it was Napoleon Hill who is quoted as saying: “What the mind of man can conceive and believe, It can achieve.”

Again, I am not trying to find fault with the results of the study because the concept may have previously been more anecdotal as opposed to research-based, and therefore less likely to be supported. By taking the time to examine the idea more exhaustively, the Dweck and Blackwell were able to validate it and make it far more likely to see wide-spread use in classrooms worldwide. Everybody wins because of their work…and that is a good thing.

I do have one question revolving around the generalizability of the findings. The core of the study appears to be based on middle school students in a general education setting. Personally, I would love to know if the results would be applicable and validate for at-risk students, students with special needs and even adult learners. My experience with these populations tells me that it would, but again that is only my opinion. It’s obvious that this study could pave the way for some additional, potentially breakthrough, research.

Well, after over an hour delay we finally got of the ground from Philadelphia. Admittedly, it was a lot better than I make it out to be. The only good part about having 5 hours between connecting flights is the fact that you have plenty of time “just in case”. For me, I spent the 4 hour flight doing some preparing for my upcoming meetings and reading. The San Francisco Airport is pretty big, not on the scale of O’Hare or Atlanta, but a lot bigger than my home airport (Lehigh Valley International), and it’s really nice.

Getting through security was a little more intense than I have experienced previously but overall it wasn’t too bad. The biggest difference is the sheer diversity in the International terminal. It’s really a great mix of men and women, young and old, from around the world. I think that is probably the best part of travelling for me, experiencing the diversity and culture. I learn something new on every trip and from the looks of things, I am in store for a great learning experience.

I considered the first leg of my adventure the warm-up for what was in store for me during the San Francisco to Hong Kong leg of the trip. While I did ok, I got a bit restless at the 3 hour mark around the same time I finished reading the first of three books I brought with me. I decided to start off the trip with a book titled Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel. I chose the book for a few reasons. The first is the fact that the authors name is oddly close to my own name. In fact a simple juxtapositon of vowels would create my name. The second is the fact that I needed to get outside of my reading rut. Lately, I have really been focused solely on education, psychology, business and technology and while that is what my career is about, I decided to branch out a bit into something different. Finally, something that I don’t really talk about that much is the fact that I have a bachelors degree in History (and Political Science – I was a dual major) and am a certified Social Studies teacher in Pennsylvania. As such, I taught Geography at the middle school level and it is an area that I really love.

The book was highly rated both on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. It also received rave reviews from the New York Times and Newsweek. Since my reading time is really important to me, knowing that I am getting a good book is pretty important to me. The story was how a tradesman – actually a master carpenter – was able to take on the establishment in the 18th century and figure out a very effective way to determine a ships position in terms of latitude (which was easily solved long before) and longitude. The longitude portion of the equation is where John Harrison was able to create a time-piece that accurately kept time in the harsh and often unpredictable environment of the open ocean. The problem had been attempted to be solved by the likes of Galileo and Sir Issac Newton and Edmund Halley. As the story develops it is a true battle between the competing areas of astronomy and engineering. And in the end, the solution lie in the development of new technology that proved to be reliable, accurate, and extremely user-friendly as compared to the tried and true methods of taking numerous calculations over many hours and then using algorithms and charts to make the determination which only the most seasoned and educated sea captains could do with any degree of accuracy.

I am not doing the story full justice in my brief explanation but it was fascinating. My only complaint is the fact that the book seems to bog down in the middle as many of the early theories of how to solve the problem were tried and ultimately failed. Otherwise, I found the book to be extremely well written and researched despite the fact that the author didn’t cite and footnote (to her own admission) as is common practice with books of a historical nature. It was a perfect travelling companion and just fed into my amazement of how far we have come in a few centuries.

Now, as I am sitting in the International Terminal at Gate G95, tired from my travel, I am looking at the plane that will take me across the Pacific Ocean. I am actually awestruck by the size of the 747. I have flown on some big planes before, but I have never been on a 747 prior to this trip.

While the picture isn’t what I am currently seeing, it is the exact plane that I am flying on. I can’t wait to get inside to see what it’s like. I’m not sure how much I will really enjoy it as I plan to sleep as much as I can during the flight. Although, even as tired as I am, I am not sure that I could possibly sleep the entire 14 hours of the flight. Fortunately for me, I have another two books that I can read so I should have no shortage of things to do during the flight.

Tomorrow is another day and I can’t wait to see what it has in store for me.

This could prove to be a pretty interesting online educational tool. Imagine teachers being able to post a discussion question or assignment on their blog. Or as a corporate trainer with a dispersed training audience beign able to combine WBT with ILT. At a predetermined time participants / students could Skype into an online synchronous discussion on the topic.

SAN FRANCISCO–Internet telephony provider Skype plans to offer bloggers and others the ability to hold audio chats in the next version of its Net telephone product, co-founder Niklas Zennström said Tuesday night at the Web 2.0 Summit here.The next version of Skype will enable people to post a link on a blog or Web site that will take people to a public chat room when clicked on, he said during a question-and-answer session during dinner.The live chats would be “Skypecasts,” which Zennström described as public conversations or audio conferences that people can moderate. He would not provide a timeline for the features except to say it would be “soon.”

‘Skypecasts’ coming to your blog soon | Tech News on ZDNet

While it is more of an evolution of technology than a revolution, this looks like it could hold a lot of promise. Again it’s all about bringing the learning to the learners. This is just another example of that.

A few hours ago, I touched down in Santiago, Chile. It was a long, but comfortable and enjoyable flight. Granted, I have been awake for 36 hours (perhaps a bit more) largely because I couldn’t get comfortable on the plane even though I was in Business Elite class on my Delta flight. There is a whole lot to write about, but my focus is pretty limited, so I will see if I can hit the high points now and follow up after I get a chance to catch up on some sleep.

I normally get an aisle seat on my flights, but for whatever reason, on my flight from Allentown, PA to Atlanta, GA I had a window seat. It’s been quite some time since I had the ability to stare out the window at everything below me and just reflect on life. Most of the flight was (obviously) spent at altitude, but leaving Allentown and coming into Atlanta, a thought came to me for the first time. As I stared at my hometown and all of the well known buildings, companies, etc. which almost seem larger than life when you are driving by them or walking into them, from the air they look pretty small as compared to the overall landscape. A similar feeling hit me as I flew into Atlanta too. I guess you could say life is all a matter of perspective and what seems large or insurmountable when you are faced with it takes on a totally new light when you step away from it or view it through a different lens.

I have a lot of work related projects going on now and many of them are highly visible, high priorty and are not done because a predecessor left them slide. If it were only a few loose ends to tie up it would definitely be manageable, but because it is a lot, it does feel a lot more difficult. However, now that I had this epiphany of sorts, it casts everything into a whole new light. Perhaps, I just need to step away from everything and look at it from a new perspective, that might just end up being the great secret to life…remembering that every issue you face and how you react to it is all a matter of perspective.

My other really interesting thought, especially from an educational perspective, came when I landed in Chile and was faced to navigate the airport (including immigration and customs) on my own. Since everything is written and announced in Spanish (and I speak very little Spanish) it was terribly confusing and at times overwhelming. What got me through were little aids that were placed strategically throughout the airport. I never realized how important icons and simple words (in English) were until today. If not for those little helpers I may still be in the airport trying to find my way out. The lesson I am taking out of this experience is the fact that as I design my learning interactions, consistency is key. If there were not universal standards for simple things (bathrooms, phones, information, etc.) many people, especially those visiting a new country for the first time and who do not speak the language, would be in a lot of trouble. I need to integrate this type of thought into everything I design and developed. And while it is discussed in courses that I have taken and in books and articles I have read, it just doesn’t sink in, until you are the one who needs the help.

My final thought rests in not speaking a native language in a place that I am visiting. Far too often I fall victim to the thought that if you don’t speak English that is your problem because it is the “universal language” especially for business. I feel like a pompus, arrogant and naive fool now, especially now that it is almost impossible for me to communicate with the eloquence and clarity that I enjoy in the U.S. Again, I see a situation that I took for granted from a whole new perspective and know that I have to find a way to synthesize and integrate this type of thinking into everything I do from this point forward. It’s not enough to recognize that we live in a global society and interact with people from many different parts of the world on a regular basis. No, it’s time to go to work on doing something about it. For my part, perhaps it will mean learning another language (fluently), but it also means that as I develop online learning it has to be universally understandable and perhaps presented in multiple language formats…at least if I want it to accomplish what it is supposed to.

Well, I am sure this was pretty random, but this is what I have learned in the past 24 hours. Amazing how changing your latitude, can lead to such a change in attitude. More later.

Well, the day I have been anxiously waiting for is here. I am heading to Santiago, Chile for a work related conference where I will be demonstrating our new Learning Management System and online Leadership Development program, co-presenting at a general session, and doing anything else that needs to be done.

The fact that I am doing all of those things doesn’t bother me in the least bit because I have done them before and know what to expect. What does concern me a lot is the fact that I am travelling out of North America for the first time in 31 years. I have been to Canada on a number of trips and with no offense to my friends and neighbors to the north, I think of Canada much the same way as I do the U.S. We share a similar history, language (for the most part), and culture.

Chile, on the otherhand will definitely be like nothing I have experienced before. The culture will definitely be different, the language (Spanish) is different, and whole array of other things are going to take some getting used to. I may not get to immerse myself in the culture that much because I will only be there for a few (4 days), but I hope to learn a lot in a short period of time. After all, that is what a nomadic learner does.

My next posting will either be from Atlanta, GA (my intermediate destination before heading on to Santiago) or when I am back on the ground in southern South America. I hope to share a lot of pictures and stories from this adventure.

Stay tuned…

Inspired by an article in Wired Magazine Mark Oehlert issued a challenge to learning designers everywhere to come up with 6 word lesson plans that capture your ideal learning / lesson flow.

So here is the challenge – think of six word lesson plans. Use just six words to describe the objective(s) of a course, a unit, a module, a lesson, an entire college career – whatever your preferred length of instruction is – and post your plans here or post them on your blog and just add the link here in the comments (tip o the hat to LCB’s Big Question). I eagerly await the responses now.

e-Clippings (Learning As Art): Six Word Learning Plans

I will throw a few attempts into the mix just because I love a challenge…

Informal Learning: Anywhere, anytime, limitless possibilities.

concept, context, confirm, connect, constant continuum

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