A day in the life...and online learning

I've posted a little slide show for y'all to view....The sights I see on my daily walk through Prospect Park - http://\\ntserv1\corp\Agency Services\Agency Communications\A Day In the Park.ppt (on the F: drive under Agency Services/Agency Communications).  It's a big file, so I'd suggest saving it to your hard drive and then opening it, otherwise it will take a few minutes depending on your connection.  Forgive the clarity of focus.  I'm using a borrowed digital camera that doesn't have any close-up lenses.  So most of the shots are distance views.

I've also included a picture (final slide) of Mr. Pigeon, in case any of you think I make this stuff up!  His neighbor across the way had the air conditioner removed yesterday and a piece of foil placed on the window ledge (the foil relects light and disorientates pigeons, so they'll avoid roosting).  I saw that Mr. Pigeon was upset and I'm not sure he stayed last night.  He and his buddies may be out finding new digs. :-(

Today I spent three hours catching up on my on-line learning sessions!  I started in on the AIM courses that came out in the spring - I love the lessons that use voice overs and the interactive practice sessions!  I really got wrapped up in the work - it's so highly interactive (I hated that it would catch me when I misspelled words!) and Becky (I belive that's whose on the voice recorded ones) is perfect!  As a tactile learner, the addition of sound is that additional piece of stimulation to get me going!

I also worked on finishing up the old SDM version 2 CSR, EM and MSS lessons.  I started them over 2 years ago and never finished!  Of course, I spent on hour on CSR, having failed the tests in 6 of the 8 lessons!  Oy-Vay! 

I was inspired after having been on the webinar yesterday for the Business Planning session with Mandy.  I was disappointed.  Not by the content, but by the lack of agencies participating.  And more than that, the absolute lackluster level of participation and interaction on the calls themselves.  I know we sometimes experience that on new CEO Orientation, but it's feeling very systemic.

What is it about adult learning that learners feel that their only job is to listen?  If we had handed all the agencies a completed Business Plan and told them to fill out the name of their agency on the front page and they were done, we'd be....well...it wouldn't be pretty.  Yet, you get folks on calls like this, where you have opportunities for sharing of practices and stimulation of ideas, and people just sit there and say nothing!

Perhaps I'm being overly critical, since all of this is very new and many agencies may not be far in the process, if they have started at all.  But how could you not have any questions?  Was Mandy that thorough?  Or do folks really want us to be prescriptive?  On so many conference calls this happens.  How can we help set the expectation that this is not all about BBBSA staff telling people how it must be? 

I guess it's what worries me about blogs and chat rooms.  Do our colleagues out in the agencies know how to use these venues to stimulate thinking and drive learning?  We seem to be very one directional in our learning experiences.  It never feels as didatic as I would like it to be.  Or perhaps it is and I've just not experienced it.  Please tell me I'm way off base!

Tonight is the first night of Yom Kippur.  My friend Alberta and I are heading to the Javits Convention Center for Kol Nidre services later this afternoon.  I love the services there because they set up the bema (where the readings take place and Rabbi gives the drash) facing west, across the Hudson River.  The sunset is spectacular....