Previous Events

The New England Area ASTD Conference is coming up on April 25^th and 26^th and will be held in Chelmsford.  We had two lucky recipients at the meeting that will get to attend for free.  To register use the following link http://www.neastd.com.

Please note there will be no chapter meeting in April.

The Greater Boston Chapter is committed to building on our competencies that were defined at the last meeting and will have speakers that have talks geared towards our model.  These meeting topics, Social Media and Visual Literacy, drew from several competencies on the new model including instructional design, training delivery and learning technologies.

The Tech Talk was delivered by Bill Shander, Founder and CEO of Beehive Media.  His focus was on Social Learning.  Social learning is simply learning by having a dialogue and it is the future…so get onboard!

The great thing about Social Learning is that it is peer-driven and creates community and it is all about learning that happens outside formal structure or the classroom.  Social Learning is not a new concept.  It is really Enterprise Social Networking and it’s a major transformation in how business is getting done.  Many of you may have experienced it already with JIVE, Yammer or Acquia in the workplace.  Enterprise Social Networking can be likened to FaceBook for the enterprise or workplace.  You can do similar things like create a profile, share, make comments, etc.  It is all about connecting, communicating and collaborating!  The other great thing is you can access these sites from any network so you are always learning.

To get started in your organization:

• 1.     Choose the simplest, quickest and easiest tool and just START!
• 2.     Pilot with a small group
• 3.     Make it cross-functional
• 4.     Build a culture
• 5.     Grow Commitment

Remember – it’s about Content-Connection-Collaboration-Community.

Our Keynote speaker for the evening was Domenic Screnci, Ed.D, Executive Director for Educational Technology, Training and Outreach in Information Services and Technology at Boston University.  His talk was entitled Visual Literacy and Information Design for the Instructional Designer.  Domenic was a Medical Photographer in a previous life and captured our interest with his engaging imagery.  He is himself a visual learner and an expert at conveying learning through instructional design.  The reason visual literary is so important is that 30% of our brain is dedicated to visual processing.  Visual tools help transform information into knowledge.

Another way to think about visual literacy is to let your learners see what you are saying.  It is important to know your audience and then design for them.  Some important things to consider:

-Be culturally aware

-Use Perspective

-Design along the Visual-Verbal continuum

-Convey realism through images and illustrations

From a graphic design perspective when creating be sure to use visual discrimination (both form and color) and balance.  Gestalt psychology can be summed up by “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”.

This research and experimentation in the areas of “Perception” by investigating the significance of:

• ·       Visual Patterns
• ·       How the human organism sees
• ·       Organizes visual fields
• ·       Articulates visual output

Gestalt principles are proximity, similarity, continuity and closure.

Click here for Domenic’s beautifully visual slide presentation that makes the concepts come to life and also his recommended books on the subject.

Thank you to both of our speakers for their engaging, thought provoking presentations and your support of our chapter.

See you in May!

                 

Despite the Great Blizzard of 2013 a terrific group of folks found their way to One Financial Center in Boston for a great evening of learning & networking at our February Monthly Meeting.  Special thanks to our sponsor for the evening, Opus Digital Inc.,  and in particular to Dan DeVellis for the meticulous work done in meeting all of our audio visual needs for the event.

From the get-go, the location and the remarkable view of the city from just outside our meeting room provided a great backdrop for a very special evening.  After a brief welcome and introduction by Karen Potischman, our 2013 VP Programs & Events, Nancy Giard, GBASTD President stepped up to the microphone and gave a special thank you to our 2012 Volunteers and Board Members, for their fine contributions over the past year to the success of the Greater Boston Chapter of ASTD. 

Jamie Millard, ASTD National Advisor and Executive Partner at Lexington Leadership and Owner, Lexington Leadership was our first presenter of the evening with his discussion on “The ASTD Competency Model™.  In a very engaging and open dialog with the audience, Jamie provided an overview of the model with particular emphasis on the opportunities available for the learning professional in utilizing it as a guide for personal and organizational growth.  Additional forums for increased learning about The ASTD Competency Model™ include an upcoming webinar in March being hosted by ASTD National, and the 2013 ASTD New England Conference taking place on April 25th & 26th.  Please see www.massastd for more information. View Jamie's presentation!

Our Keynote presentation “Accelerating Change and Continuous Improvement: Leading the Way” was presented by Ray Gagnon, of Gagnon & Associates. With Change Management now highlighted as one of the new ASTD core competencies, Ray gave the audience an overview of how Jack Welch’s ground breaking work in solid change management principles or “Work-Outs” was and can be used with success in process improvement and organizational change.   He provided a specific client example of a targeted change project undertaken, the problems solved and the specific results achieved.  Ray’s commitment not to overstay his allotted time was challenged by a very active Q&A session which culminated  with a recognition by all that as a competency of the the future success for learning professionals, Change Management is definitely one not to be taken lightly. View Ray's presentation!

 

What a way to kick-off the year with a high energy, informative and fun event presented by Gene DeFilippo, former athletic director at Boston College and Diane Darling, author of Networking Survival Guide and Networking for Career Success. We are so thankful to the British Consulate-General of Boston for being our gracious hosts.

There was a lot of action during the pre-game show.  CBS Sunday was there taping the event and interviewing our members.  The buffet was scrumptious and people were ready to Network.

This unique mash-up between Networking and Football kept the audience completely engaged.  Here is a run down...

During the 1st Quarter we learned from Diane about handshakes, a simple 1-2 pump will do, eating vs. Networking, so eat before you go, and the bottom line really is to simply go.  Get out there and Network. Gene taught us all about moving down the field to score and explained all about downs, running passes and field goals.

The 2nd Quarter was all about relationship building and the transference of trust.  The key is to build the relationship before you need it.  Always follow-up.  Take 15-20 minutes within the following days to reach out to your new contacts.  Be persistent yet gracious, if someone is not returning your calls or emails, it may be time to move on.  Diane uses a 3 strike rule...if she reaches out 3 times and has not been responded to she simply realizes this may not be the right time for that contact.   Gene brought us up to speed on safety, uniforms, referee signals and penalties.

The half-time show was brought to us by Diane Darling and an interview with Suzy Kitchens the British Consulate-General of Boston.  The primary focus of the British Consulate is to promote trade and they were wonderful hosts for our event.

In the 3rd Quarter we learned how to effectively get into a conversation with someone and also how to politely get out of a conversation with someone and move onto your next new contact.  Always be sure to make eye contact, slow your pace down to conversation level and open with something you have in common; for example the event you are both at.  Another tip is around strategic networking by volunteering for a great organization like ASTD or be the speaker, use social media or be the conduit and connect people to one another.  Gene explained the various positions held by the players on the field and the offense vs. defense line-up.

The 4th quarter was all Football terminology, the different types of plays teams make and Follow-up.  Diane was right when she says that taking the time to follow-up with the contacts you made can be a real game changer.  Make sure you don’t drop the ball with that one!

As for the post-game show, Diane advised to always have a question ready for the speaker. 

Our warmest Thanks to Diane, Gene, The British-Consulate General of Boston and CBS Sunday.  We definitely scored a touch-down with this line-up and it was a tremendous way to kick-off 2013.

We had a great turn out for the last meeting of the year!  Thank you to our sponsors, David, Karen and Scott of The Training Associates.  The Training Associates is the largest worldwide provider of training delivery solutions and Trainers on-demand.  Whether you are looking for training or a trainer looking for work, The Training Associates is the largest and oldest trainer staffing and consulting company.

We had one lucky winner of the non-member raffle! Rachel Nichol joins the ranks of winners along with previous winners, Pete LeDoux and  Alex Blakeson.  As winners, all have received a free, one year membership to the Boston Chapter of ASTD.  Congratulations!

Thank you to everyone in attendance last night for helping us approve the new Board of Directors for 2013.  They will officially begin their duties on January 1st.  Also, a special mention for Employee Learning Week.  Great Boston ASTD participated in the event in 2012 and we look forward to bringing greater awareness to this campaign in 2013 along with our sponsor, Webucator.

A great way to get your company noticed and share what you have to offer with regard to training and development is by contributing to the Member Sharing Table.  Feel free to bring articles; brochures and business cards to have available at the table.  As we learned last night, sharing information is just as important as gathering information.

While on the topic of information sharing, last night’s Tech Talk was delivered by Christin Manning who spoke about Building Your Personal Learning Network.  This is a topic that Christin is very passionate about as she is a PhD candidate in Lesley University’s Adult Learning Program.  She started her talk with an incredible You Tube video called “Did You Know”  If you haven’t seen it – it is an absolute must, so be sure to check it out!

Christin talked about the difference between formal and non-formal learning and how 70 to 80% of all learning truly happens on the job.  Ideally information to do your job should be no more than 2 clicks and 10 seconds away.

Christin emphasized the value of “Connectivism” or knowing that where to find information is more important than knowing what the information is.  She reminded us that we already have a wealth of knowledge contained in our personal networks, so use networks like Twitter; Linkedin; WorldPress and FaceBook to connect, collaborate and contribute!

Our Keynote Speaker of the night was Don Doak of Ebsco Publishing.  His topic was Context and Problem-Based Learning.  Don kept the audience highly engaged by talking about training that is most applicable where, when and how you need it.  He shared how important it is to have information that is of high interest, that is easily digestible and that you can grab quickly.
Don underscored the value in integrating learning into everyday workflow as the best way to engage employees beyond the classroom.  Make it easy for your employees to access quality content to help them on the job.

Ebsco is a platinum sponsor of Greater Boston ASTD and we truly appreciate their support.  EBSCO is the world’s leading information agent providing consultative services and cutting-edge technology for managing and accessing quality content, including print and e-journals, e-packages, research databases, e-books and more.

From all of us at Greater Boston ASTD – we wish you and yours a wonderful Holiday Season.  We look forward to an active 2013 and will kick the year off with our next meeting on January 8th which will be focused on the power of networking.

Until next time…
Click here for Christin's presentation

Click here for Donald's presentation

The November 2012 meeting was quite successful with three engaging speakers and ample opportunity to network.

Amy Wood, Psy.D, co-Founder of Speak Performance, Portland, Maine presented: Tech Talk:  Life Your Way:10 Principles for Success in a Fast-paced World.

The Key Note Presentation: Mentoring Circles "Thinking of Creating a Mentoring Program? Mentoring Circles are an Excellent Option!"  was presented by JoAnn Buscemi, L&D Project Manager, PAREXEL  and Alicja Januszewicz Ph.D., Employee Development – Design and Delivery Group member, Boston Scientific HQ. We learned about their structured program and how you to implement it in our companies.

Our second fall meeting was a tremendous success with a great turnout. Cammy Bean, Vice President of Learning Design, Kineo delivered a timely Tech Talk presentation featuring straight forward ideas and strategies for adding life to e learning tools. She offered suggestions on strategies the audience could use to maximize engagement with minimal investment.

Our featured Key Note speaker, G. Riley (Gary) Mills, COO and Co-founder Pinnacle Performance Company, provided the audience with tools and techniques they could use to become more influential communicators. Utilizing his own skills as a professional actor, Gary explained the “Pin Drop Principle: Getting Your Audience to React the Way You Want”. With the help of some volunteers from the audience, he demonstrated how communicating your message with strong intention and ensuring your words, voice and body language support that intention, it is possible to become a more effective speaker regardless of the setting.

In addition to our wonderful speakers, we announced a raffle that would take
place that night for non-members who were in attendance. By simply submitting a business card to the drawing, qualified attendees were eligible to receive a complimentary one-year membership to ASTD. Additional raffles will be taking place in November and December, so be sure to tell your friends and co-workers who are considering joining ASTD that this opportunity awaits them at our upcoming meetings!

Finally, we would like to thank Cornerstone On Demand for sponsoring the October 9th meeting. Cornerstone On Demand is a global leader of cloud-based talent management software solutions.

Here are a few of the comment received by attendees:

"...out of all the meetings and seminars I've gone to, Cammy Bean’s ideas have a strong influence on how I would like to approach elearning."


"Best keynote (Gary Mills) I have ever participated in."

September Meeting: Tips & Tools for Back to School

Tech Talk: How to make a Prezi
(You'll never want to go back to PowerPoint)  Our favorite tool of 2012 is Prezi! Nancy Giard gave us an in-depth look at this incredibly simple and free PowerPoint alternative. N
 
Presentation: Back to School Tips and Tools
Diane Darling and Nancy Giard presented highlights, ideas and best practices gathered from presentations made by thought-leaders like Jim Collins, John Kao, Jane Bozarth, Tony Bingham, Elliott Masie and Heidi Grant Halvorson. Attendees found out what trainers have in common with Jazz musicians, heard the latest trends for working effectively with SME's and learned about free National ASTD Member Resources.

We concluded our busy year of formal monthly meetings with a relaxed networking social on Tuesday, June 26. The crowd enjoyed meeting old friends and making new ones in the magnificent setting of the Turner Hill Country Club in Ipswich. EBSCO Publishing, based in Ipswich, MA, graciously hosted this event and gave a brief overview of their company to the gathering. The attendees enjoyed the historical building and grounds, making new friends, as well as the scrumptious cuisine and beverages. Stay tuned for details of additional networking events to be scheduled.

The Strategic Value of Learning in the Global War for Talent
Link to Free Low Cost eLearning Tools
Link to Shawn Stiles Presentation

May Meeting Marks the Culmination of a Season of Engaging Speakers and Networking 

 In the past, May has signaled the wrap-up of an enthusiastic season of networking and learning, marked by engaging speakers that stimulated and educated our minds.  The May milestone meeting didn't disappoint.

Shawn Stiles launched the evening's events with his Tech Talk "Extending Your Development Tools:  Using Free and/or Low Cost Tools."  His broad exploration of development, graphics, audio recording and simulation tools included gems such as Paint.net, Poladroid, Snagit, Jing, Screenr, Audacity, Xtranormal, and several others. We are all still wondering how he covered so much in so little time.  In the words of one attendee:  "Engaging presenter. Moved at a great pace.  Spent just enough time on each piece of software."


After an energetic networking break, the nearly 50 attendees regrouped to listen to the keynote speaker, David Wilkins, an active contributor to the online community and corporate learning industries.  Wilkins engaged the audience with a lively discussion, loaded with information that supported his topic "The Strategic Value of Learning in the Global War for Talent."  His discussion included the importance of getting the attention of company leaders to focus on the "strategic importance of talent and learning practices" to address demographic, technological, cultural, and economic changes that global businesses are facing today.

 
"Simply fantastic!" commented one member of the audience on the evening's events.

Keynote:
The Strategic Value of Learning in the Global War for Talent
David Wilkins, Vice President of Taleo Research


For years, learning professionals, like most of their HR colleagues, have been looking for a seat "at the table."  And for years, they have had very little success in getting into the room, let alone grabbing a seat. Fortunately, the opportunity has never been better: a combination of demographic, technological, cultural, and economic changes are increasing the strategic importance of talent and learning practices and more importantly, the "perceived" importance among CEO's and senior executives.

Bio: David Wilkins has been a thought leader in the online community and corporate learning industries for more than 15 years.  Through the development of award-winning simulation technology, LMS solutions, and social collaboration offerings, he has pioneered many innovative approaches to solve common workplace challenges, such as employee productivity and performance, recruiting and retention, and corporate communications.

Tech Talk:
Using Free and Low Cost Tools to Extend Your Development Toolkit

Shawn Stiles, Associate Director Quality Standards and Training Group Regulatory Affairs, Pfizer Global Research and Development


This presentation will discussed various freeware and shareware tools and low cost tools that you can use to enhance your development suite. This covered graphics packages, authoring tools, screen capture and other tools.

Bio: M. Shawn Stiles is a Trainer and Instructional Designer with over 15 years experience in training and development. Shawn received his certification as a distance educator from New York University, his Bachelor of General Study's degree from the University of Connecticut and his Masters Degree in Education and E-Learning from the University of Phoenix Online, and is currently completing a Graduate Certificate in Instructional Design from the University of Wisconsin-Stout

February 2012 Meeting
Emotional Intelligence for Decision Making & Designing eLearning Storyboards

We had an amazing meeting on February 21, with over 83 people attending our presentations, networking with peers, and enjoying refreshments.

During the Tech Talk, Lauren Prisco, Executive Vice President of Custom Training Solutions, Navis, shared best practices in “Designing eLearning Storyboards.” In addition to presenting examples of storyboard formats, Prisco highlighted several practical tips for storyboarding and working with developers. For example, she recommended providing sufficient details in your story boards to reduce the amount of back and forth with developers.

The keynote speaker, Lou Russell, President and CEO, Russell Martin & Associates, kept the audience entertained with her engaging and humor-filled presentation  “Emotional Intelligence for Decision Making.” Attendees examined their own emotional triggers, learned how these triggers can lead to brain shut down, and discussed how to mitigate reactions to these triggers. Russell related Emotional Intelligence to Multiple Intelligences theory and the popular DISC quadrant behavioral model. She illustrated how these theories can be used successfully to help people learn to work together more effectively.

Click Here to Download Lou Russell's Emotional Intelligence PowerPoint Presentation

At our March 20 meeting, six members will share something that's had an impact or how they solved a problem or enhanced a process. Click here to register for Member Showcase Presentations.