Here are this week’s snap stories of personal learning. It’s been an incredible week learning about Australian maritime history, Convict Settlement, Podcasting, Personal Productivity and how different cultures use Social Media.
Monday 26 June 2017
First day of a new week and it’s all systems go.
In today’s snapstory, I look like something the cat dragged in the morning and decided to paste a nicer photo over myself and do my snaps. However, a funny thing happened while doing this. I felt like I wasn’t being as real as I could have been and in all honesty, why should I care what I look like? After all, that’s what Snapchat is meant to be. So in the end, I don’t worry about my crazy hair and makeup-less face and just carry on with what I was talking about.
In the snap story, I talk about a MOOC that I’m doing called Why We Post: An Anthropological Research Project into the Use of Social Media. The learning from that post warrants an individual blog post because I’m amazed at how different cultures are using social media and goes a long way in helping me understand and confirm my gut feeling that my connections from around the world all use it in their own ways – and there’s no right or wrong way.
Certainly, my perception of it is through an Anglo-Saxon Western lens and I’m missing identifying with other cultures because of this very thing. I talk about MOOCs and what they are as they are a contentious issue in my field of corporate Learning and Development. Personally, I think they shouldn’t be. Who really cares if people complete them or not. The fact of the matter is that they cater for people who would like to or are motivated to learn.
Tuesday 27 June 2017
In today’s snapstory I share how I’m writing my e-book on Snapchat for Learning and how I use this tool to capture what I’m learning and doing. I also continue to talk about how I’m using Trello to help me be productive and manage the tasks and activities I need to get through during the week.
Wednesday 28 June 2017
Today it was all about podcasts for learning.
I went on a walk this morning and listened to the Good Practice podcast which is for Learning and Development professionals.
It got me thinking about how I can share some of the podcasts I listen to with others and also learn what they listen to. I’m a great fan of podcasts and my tastes are fairly eclectic – let’s just say, they’re not all about work because I have many and varied interests. At the moment, I’m into maritime history – in particularly learning more about the First Fleet and the factors that necessitated the convict settlement in Australia. Later that afternoon I had an opportunity to meet up with Giorgio and Owen from the GoodPractice for a quiet drink.
Owen was out here for business from Scotland so he was nice enough to do an introduction to his podcast. If you want to learn more check out their website.
Thursday 29 June 2017
Thursday was a relatively quiet day. I did become contemplative at one stage because I talk that we are our worst enemies. We can buy books, courses, listen to podcasts but if you say that you “don’t have time” really, what you’re saying is that you “don’t make it a priority” or that it’s not important for you.
We all have 24 hours, 7 days a week and saying that we don’t have time is really an excuse. We do have time.
Why not just say, “it’s not important for me to do this just yet?” or “it’s not a priority for me”.
If we can be more truthful, we’d beat up ourselves less by putting so much stress on ourselves as we compare ourselves to others.
I’m someone who prefers to learn from people who role model – who do things – who make, create and experiment – and who don’t follow trends, thought leaders or others. They do their own thing and they do it well.
In all of these cases, these people are not selling their courses, podcasts, process, or programs. They’re out their living and doing. That’s what I want to be doing.
Friday 30 June 2017
I fly into Sydney today and test out the new Snapmap feature on Snapchat and get a bit freaked out watching my little emoji travel around Sydney.
It was a bit creepy watching it doing the things I was doing so I decided to turn the feature off and instead, wander around the city in search of Captain Arthur Philip, first Governor of NSW and captain of the First Fleet.
For the last few months, I have been reading about Australian maritime history and I was determined to see Sydney with a renewed vigour, perspective and appreciation of this town.
Today I visited the Mitchell Reading Room because that’s where all the documents of the first fleet are and I bought yet another book from the State Library Book Shelf on the life and times of a jack-tar (sailor) who had travelled out on the Second Fleet. To say that I’m obsessed with Australian History (in particularly, from the years of 1787-1790 is a bit of an understatement).
To say that I’m obsessed with Australian History (in particular, from the years of 1787-1790 is a bit of an understatement).
Saturday 1 July 2017
As well as catching up with a bit of history, I stayed with a long time friend (whom I hadn’t seen in years) in her wonderful apartment in Kirribilli, overlooking the Sydney harbour. She doesn’t have a television and I can understand why.
With stunning views, I watched the ferries and sea transport zip around the harbour while at night, we watched the fireworks from her lounge room.
As well as catching up, the weekend was spent helping and coaching her on how to use social tools and build her online profile so that she could showcase and promote her experience and authority in the field of risk modelling, predictive data analysis and cyber security. (If you need a cybersecurity expert, let me know). So I learned lots about this intriguing subject…
I also used an opportunity to share the history of the First Fleet and acted like a tourist explaining the various sites around Sydney Harbour.
My favourite part of the day was running into Captain William Bligh – well, not the real person (I wish!), but his statue in The Rocks. This larger than life character was the person who started me on this maritime history obsession. I don’t know why but I think it’s because he always stood proud against adversity and ridicule and still achieved great things.
