Try Animoto..It's Fun & Easy!

[Buthaina Al-Othman]

Check out what I've created with animoto

Hot Mama , a fun video!

Blending Formal & Informal Learning, a more serious one that I may use in a coming presentation :)

[Jay Cross]

Buthaina, thanks for posting this. I'm going to try my hand at an animoto right now. Did you notice that I just published a piece on Blending Formal & Informal Learning yesterday?

[Jay Cross]

Okay, Here's my first go at this.

[Buthaina Al-Othman]

Oh my! Thank you, thank you, Jay; just found it :) and what I needed to hear, indeed!

[Buthaina Al-Othman]

Jay, don't you think that when people are aware of an informal learning event or experience, they become more conscious of it, which puts it in the framework of formal learning?

Appreciate your assistance on this.

[Karyn Romeis]

I hope Jay won't mind if I stick my oar in here, Buthaina, but I would say that informal learning does not depend on the degree to which the learner is conscious or unconscious of the learning. It has more to do with the learner being in the driver's seat of the learning experience. Not being constrained to follow a specific path through a particular programme, with pre-set milestones, but being free to follow his/her own chosen path and see where it goes. Not restricted to a classroom, an e-learning programme or a text book - piecing together learning drawn from all sorts of situations: asking the guy at the next desk; putting in a call to the helpdesk; searching for something via Google; reading a book; listening to a podcast; reading a blog; getting into a discussion with a fellow learner; posting your thoughts on a blog for others to feedback on... the list goes on.

Would this be accurate, Jay?

In my own experience, I sometimes find that my informal learning journey brings me to a place where a bit of formal learning is required to take me past a plateau. And so I weave the formal in to the informal.

[Buthaina Al-Othman]

Yes and no, Karyn. But you know, after I've posted my question to Jay, I left to attend an informal event whispering to myself while walking in "I'm going to learn something new now"; however, the minute I said hi to all ( and that was an in person event) I forgot all about it and the conversations started and the learning was occurring unconsciously!! In a formal situation ( a classroom, for example) we are more aware of it since are told in advance and our minds are set to that kind of learning; we get busy taking notes, listening to others asking, day dreaming a bit, but we're not worried because we'll have to revise and study all the knowledge provided / shared later for a quiz or exam.

I strongly agree with your last 2 lines, Karyn; it's that blend of the 20% and 80% what's needed. The sort of blend that produces magic moments, which are so fast like squirrels:)

[Ignatia]

this is so cool! thanks for this really cool tool Buthaina.

[Nuno Levy]

Bello troppo bello.

Thank you. ;)

[Moira]

Hi Buth,

I did try it and it's absolutley great - then I downloaded and embedded it into PPT - whooppee!!!

Thanks!

[Buthaina Al-Othman]

Hi Moira,

I did the same thing for a recent presentation; you could watch it by clicking on the tiny url on Slide # 11 ; unfortunately I couldn't play it due to time pressure!