It is all too easy to get lost in “process”. As a creative type, I go to extraordinary lengths to avoid processy things. Indeed the fact that I am blogging now rather than completing my tax return – after all, there are still two days left – is a case in point!
Last Friday, I was up to my neck in processes. I am finalising my new electronic tool ‘Whose Shoes? – Making It Real’ in partnership with Think Local, Act Personal (TLAP) and there are lots of things to think about. Oooh, my poor head. But I want it to be a quality product that does indeed help with ‘Making It Real’ – getting people to discuss the real issues and work collaboratively for positive change in health and social care – so that is what keeps me on track (…ish).
I thought long and hard about whether I could afford the ‘luxury’ of attending one of my favourite “creative peeps” groups – the Midlands Brain Friendly Learning Group (BFLG). And then, because stuff like this nourishes the soul and stops me climbing round the picture rails, to coin a phrase from my mother, off I went…
As always, it was a great session. We started by finding out where, on a scale of 1-5, people were in terms of enthusiasm for internet-based learning. Naturally I was a 5/5 and took the opportunity to put in a pretty shameless plug for #dementiachallengers. Yay! :)
Rate 1-5 how much you enjoy learning through #technology… Have #bflg heard of our fab supportive #dementiachallengers? Good discussion!
— Gill Phillips (@WhoseShoes) January 25, 2013
There were people at every point between one and five.
Everyone had a good reason for their position.
A perfect Whose Shoes? approach…
Ooh! Interesting. So many different perspectives here – learning through technology! Technophiles and #technophobes! #whoseshoes #bflg
— Gill Phillips (@WhoseShoes) January 25, 2013
It was important, as always, to challenge assumptions:
“The younger generation think it IS traditional to use a computer” @shirleyayres #deukcare #bflg
— Gill Phillips (@WhoseShoes) January 25, 2013
If you’d like to know more about BFLG, check out our LinkedIn group. Or, to find out more about this particular session, Stella Collins who leads the group, has written a lovely ‘Storify’.
So, back to my story… I went along more single-mindedly than normal. The topic of the session was “Technology and Brain-Friendly Learning” so it was directly relevant to the stage I am at with developing Whose Shoes? – Making It Real.
Yay! Fab to join creative peeps today… How to use brain- friendly approaches in e-learning. Now that will be useful… #whoseshoes #bflg
— Gill Phillips (@WhoseShoes) January 25, 2013
In developing the electronic tool, a key driver has been:
How can I make sure that it is as relevant, interactive and effective as the established paper-based (board game) tool?
The facilitator, Ant Shearn, suggested Dave Meier’s established 4-phase Accelerated Learning framework as an evaluation tool…
In the afternoon we always have a ‘Learning Clinic’ and I was privileged to lead a small group of highly skilled learning and development specialists, showing them Whose Shoes? - Making It Real. Together we put it through its paces (excuse the pun). It was a great little group – a couple who had seen the board game version; the others knowing nothing about it but with one person working in an induction role with care professionals.
What a wonderful opportunity!
We are going to work on real learning now and use a design frameWork to improve it
It was important, as always, to challenge assumptions:
“The younger generation think it IS traditional to use a computer” @shirleyayres #deukcare #bflg
And – very exciting - it was as if Whose Shoes? had been developed with this theoretical handbook by my side. I’m not into ticking boxes – but it seemed to tick all the boxes.
— Gill Phillips (@WhoseShoes) January 25, 2013
— Stella Collins (@stellacollins) January 25, 2013
.@kkimberley @stellacollins Thx both! And thx 4 opp to test #whoseshoes v David Meier framework in Learning Clinic. I feel a blog
#bflg
— Gill Phillips (@WhoseShoes) January 28, 2013
And so I promised a blog. I lied.
I am writing TWO blogs – this one to set the scene… and another one “soon” (definitely after the tax return!) to explain what we did. I am hoping to get some of the people who were there to contribute – I don’t promise as people have busy lives working on their own projects, but … watch this space.
And, just in case anyone is still in doubt about online learning opportunities…
You can learn about new products and like-minded people on Twitter
- and hopefully raise awareness of your work … and get new business!
@stellacollins thanks that’s her! She had developed a fabulous online game for adult social care
— Karen Kimberley (@kkimberley) January 25, 2013
Thank you Karen – and everyone at #BFLG – for your fantastic support.
Hi Gill, sounds really exciting to be working on an electronic version of Whose Shoes? Rob