It's About Learning

When people need motivation not information…

Dwayne Harapnuik — December 12, 2016 — Leave a comment

In the The Behavioural ScienceGuys video David Maxfield and Joseph Grenny make the argument:

When you are trying to influence people who need motivation and not information, don’t offer more information.

They warn us that if you offer to much information you can provoke people to reactance. The best way to motivate people is not with speeches but with questions.

Consider the following questions:

What is the goal/purpose/intent of your message?
Are you motivating people or are you just providing more information?
Are you targeting the head or the heart?
What is the last sentence or phrase that your viewer will hear?
What will they remember?
What is your call to action or do you even have a call to action?

In the Power of Words video a simple shift in words moves from sharing information to motivating people to share the blind man’s misfortune.

Finally, consider the heartfelt power of the following six word story attributed to Ernst Hemingway:

For sale: baby shoes, never worn

Are you using the power of images, video and words to influence and motivate people or are you just dumping more information?

References

Gardner, A. [Andrea Gardner]. (2010, February 23). The power of words [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/Hzgzim5m7oU

For sale: baby shoes, never worn. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved December 12, 2016 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_sale:_baby_shoes,_never_worn

Maxfield, D., & Grenny, J. [VitalSmarts Video]. (2015, January 5). How to change people who don’t want to change: The behavioral science guys [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/9ACi-D5DI6A

In Motivation EDLD 5305, influence, message, motivation, questions, Video - Wednesday Watchlist, words

What Kills Questioning?

Dwayne Harapnuik — November 30, 2016 — Leave a comment

In Video - Wednesday Watchlist kill, question, questioning, questions

4 Keys to aligning outcomes activities & assessment

Dwayne Harapnuik — November 28, 2016 — Leave a comment

While the following 4 keys will be most useful to students in the Lamar University Masters of Digital Learning and Leading (DLL) but the following 4 keys will help anyone who is looking to use Finks Taxonomy to create a 3 column table to plan their course design:

Start with Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG). The BHAG will help you to envision who your learners will become at how their lives will be enhanced. The BHAG should focus more on who the students will be or become as a result of the course and not just focus on what they will be able to do.
Only use Finks Taxonomy and the provided tools (worksheets available through course BB site) and three column table and resist the urge to fall back on other methods like Understanding by Design (UbD).
Start with the outcomes and create one outcome for each of the six sections in Fink’s taxonomy. Use the SWBAT post and method for writing the outcomes.
Use the 3 column tables from EDLD 5305, 5304 and 5313 from the DLL Program Map page as examples to guide your thought process.

In Learning 3 Column table, 5313, Fink, Fink's taxonomy, outcomes

Why Create Significant Learning Environments

Dwayne Harapnuik — November 20, 2016 — Leave a comment

Are you looking at the bigger picture or have you intellectually stepped far enough back to see the full learning environment? Consider the following video as you think about whether or not you are looking a the full picture:

If the youtube video wasn’t enough to help you consider the bigger picture and the importance of learning environments then consider this infographic:

Source: http://elearninginfographics.com/wp-content/uploads/If-Learning-Was-Water-Infographic.jpg

The reason that it is so important for us as educators to look at the full learning environment is that when we take the time to do so we can actually make a difference in the way that the learning environment is designed. I have argued repeatedly for many years that whether we are purposeful in its design or we just allow the circumstances to dictate its development, educators at all levels are providing some form of learning environment. There are some aspects of the learning environment design that we may not have control over like standardized testing or learners demographics but there are so many other aspects of the the learning environment that we an control. So rather than allow the environment to come together on its own and respond reactively to the learning dynamics that arise I suggest that educators become proactive and create significant learning environments. If we start with a student centred approach and purposefully assemble all the key components of effective learning into a significant learning environment we can help our students to learn how to learn and grow into the people we all hope they will become.

Are you being proactive or reactive in the deign of your learning environment? What type of a learning environment are you creating?

More thoughts on Creating Significant Learning Environments