Comments on: 31 days – The challenge continues http://www.timdavies.org.uk/2007/08/08/31-days-challenge-continues/ social media, youth participation, e-democracy & social change Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:53:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Meet Our Blogging Participants | Sue Waters's Blog http://www.timdavies.org.uk/2007/08/08/31-days-challenge-continues/comment-page-1/#comment-37419 Meet Our Blogging Participants | Sue Waters's Blog Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:57:05 +0000 52 at http://www.timdavies.org.uk#comment-37419 [...] from Tim’s Blog asked the important question “31-day-challenge approach could be adopted for organisational learning and change [...] [...] from Tim’s Blog asked the important question “31-day-challenge approach could be adopted for organisational learning and change [...]

]]> By: Sarah http://www.timdavies.org.uk/2007/08/08/31-days-challenge-continues/comment-page-1/#comment-282 Sarah Thu, 09 Aug 2007 20:20:16 +0000 52 at http://www.timdavies.org.uk#comment-282 Hiya Tim, Thanks for the help in sorting out the subscription to peoples blogs! Makes blog life so much easier! Hope you're ok Sarah Hiya Tim,

Thanks for the help in sorting out the subscription to peoples blogs! Makes blog life so much easier!

Hope you’re ok
Sarah

]]> By: Frances Mclean http://www.timdavies.org.uk/2007/08/08/31-days-challenge-continues/comment-page-1/#comment-281 Frances Mclean Thu, 09 Aug 2007 17:40:57 +0000 52 at http://www.timdavies.org.uk#comment-281 Hi Tim It is good to have you on board for the chocolate challenge. I think the intensity definitely has something to do with why we are still all in it after a week. I don't know how we will all be after three weeks. I think it is the community feeling and that we are all in this together and learning so much from the tasks and each other that also drives this. I also wish I had a screenshot of my blog before the challenge. Just hope I can keep up! Cheers Frances Hi Tim
It is good to have you on board for the chocolate challenge.
I think the intensity definitely has something to do with why we are still all in it after a week. I don’t know how we will all be after three weeks. I think it is the community feeling and that we are all in this together and learning so much from the tasks and each other that also drives this. I also wish I had a screenshot of my blog before the challenge.
Just hope I can keep up!
Cheers
Frances

]]> By: Tim http://www.timdavies.org.uk/2007/08/08/31-days-challenge-continues/comment-page-1/#comment-280 Tim Thu, 09 Aug 2007 15:46:39 +0000 52 at http://www.timdavies.org.uk#comment-280 Hey Andy You didn't see the blog 9 days ago! It's come a long way since then. I only wish I had grabbed a 'before' screenshot :P It's based on top of <a href="http://www.drupal.org" rel="nofollow">Drupal</a> mainly using core modules, but with a few extras for spam catching (spam), tag clouds (tagadelic) and content listings (views / archive). It uses a modified version of the <a href="http://drupal.org/project/glossyblue" rel="nofollow">GlossyBlue theme</a> - which I'm hoping to continue to evolve a little more over the coming weeks... Will try and write up a little more of how the blog is put together in a post later this month... but happy to answer any specific questions in comments / by e-mail :) Hey Andy
You didn’t see the blog 9 days ago! It’s come a long way since then. I only wish I had grabbed a ‘before’ screenshot :P
It’s based on top of Drupal mainly using core modules, but with a few extras for spam catching (spam), tag clouds (tagadelic) and content listings (views / archive).
It uses a modified version of the GlossyBlue theme – which I’m hoping to continue to evolve a little more over the coming weeks…
Will try and write up a little more of how the blog is put together in a post later this month… but happy to answer any specific questions in comments / by e-mail :)

]]> By: Nancy Riffer http://www.timdavies.org.uk/2007/08/08/31-days-challenge-continues/comment-page-1/#comment-279 Nancy Riffer Thu, 09 Aug 2007 15:46:05 +0000 52 at http://www.timdavies.org.uk#comment-279 I agree with Michele that time at work for learning activities is critical. One caveat is that service oriented non-profits, IMO, have a hard time allocating time to non-service activities when they are on-site. Another important consideration is the age of the persons you are facilitating. (I'm well over forty.) For most persons who are over a certain age, use of technology does not come easily. I think 1-to-1 teaching would be much more effective. Or provide a group session and then be sure there is someone available to answer questions (how do I get to the second tabbed page? why does my bio show up twice on my about page? etc.) at a set time (when they are free to test their skills). Also, make sure there is practice between group sessions. Give simple exercises with choice of specifics that motivate your learners. I find that if I don't use a tool often, I forget how. Further, an intensive session would be exhausting for me -- headache, sore eyes, aching back and . . . Group sessions usually go at the pace of the slowest person. If you teach individually each person can ask questions about where they are stuck. If you have limited time to teach, maybe it would work to choose a few people who can learn quickly and have the ability to slow back down to teach others. How would you assess this? My first thought is ask the people who will be the students who would be the best teachers among their colleagues. I agree with Michele that time at work for learning activities is critical. One caveat is that service oriented non-profits, IMO, have a hard time allocating time to non-service activities when they are on-site.

Another important consideration is the age of the persons you are facilitating. (I’m well over forty.) For most persons who are over a certain age, use of technology does not come easily. I think 1-to-1 teaching would be much more effective. Or provide a group session and then be sure there is someone available to answer questions (how do I get to the second tabbed page? why does my bio show up twice on my about page? etc.) at a set time (when they are free to test their skills).

Also, make sure there is practice between group sessions. Give simple exercises with choice of specifics that motivate your learners. I find that if I don’t use a tool often, I forget how.

Further, an intensive session would be exhausting for me — headache, sore eyes, aching back and . . .

Group sessions usually go at the pace of the slowest person. If you teach individually each person can ask questions about where they are stuck.

If you have limited time to teach, maybe it would work to choose a few people who can learn quickly and have the ability to slow back down to teach others. How would you assess this? My first thought is ask the people who will be the students who would be the best teachers among their colleagues.

]]> By: Andy Roberts http://www.timdavies.org.uk/2007/08/08/31-days-challenge-continues/comment-page-1/#comment-278 Andy Roberts Thu, 09 Aug 2007 14:45:23 +0000 52 at http://www.timdavies.org.uk#comment-278 Hi Tim, thanks for dropping by my DARnet blog, I returned the visit through mybloglog. This 31 day challenge would be very tempting for me if I wasn't already busy on another 30day challenge during August! I must say, it is going to be quite a challenge to improve "Tim's Blog", since you're starting from a high level of design quality and functionality already. Any chance of sharing which plugins and mods you've applied to what I think I recognise as the glossy iTheme? I'm choosing that one for another blog. Best of luck with the challenge Cheers Hi Tim, thanks for dropping by my DARnet blog, I returned the visit through mybloglog.
This 31 day challenge would be very tempting for me if I wasn’t already busy on another 30day challenge during August!
I must say, it is going to be quite a challenge to improve “Tim’s Blog”, since you’re starting from a high level of design quality and functionality already. Any chance of sharing which plugins and mods you’ve applied to what I think I recognise as the glossy iTheme? I’m choosing that one for another blog.
Best of luck with the challenge
Cheers

]]> By: Christine Martell http://www.timdavies.org.uk/2007/08/08/31-days-challenge-continues/comment-page-1/#comment-277 Christine Martell Thu, 09 Aug 2007 05:30:35 +0000 52 at http://www.timdavies.org.uk#comment-277 Tim, I'd love to see it used for org learning also. Perhaps I can get a group of our ASTD chapter members to run a test project? We have a new Learning 2.0 special interest group forming, so you never know. Also really interested in the visual aspects, my company specializes in visual communication. Even so, I find myself not being anywhere near as good as I'd like about finding/creating the images for the blogs. Love to find ways to streamline the process. I find myself cutting the corners (and leaving off the images) due to time requirements. Christine Tim,
I’d love to see it used for org learning also. Perhaps I can get a group of our ASTD chapter members to run a test project? We have a new Learning 2.0 special interest group forming, so you never know.

Also really interested in the visual aspects, my company specializes in visual communication. Even so, I find myself not being anywhere near as good as I’d like about finding/creating the images for the blogs. Love to find ways to streamline the process. I find myself cutting the corners (and leaving off the images) due to time requirements.
Christine

]]> By: Michele Martin http://www.timdavies.org.uk/2007/08/08/31-days-challenge-continues/comment-page-1/#comment-276 Michele Martin Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:49:39 +0000 52 at http://www.timdavies.org.uk#comment-276 Tim--I LOVE your idea of using the challenge format for organizational learning. I think that the intensity of doing a lot of work in a short period of time would really turbocharge learning and also be a great way to build teamwork. It would be a sort of online boot camp. The problem with this challenge is that we're trying to do it in addition to our regular jobs. I think that if you were going to use it as a training, you'd need to provide people with at least some time to get these things done, just as you would give them release time to go to training. I think a lot would be lost by trying to spread it out--more likely that things would just die off. Great idea and one I'd love to explore further! Tim–I LOVE your idea of using the challenge format for organizational learning. I think that the intensity of doing a lot of work in a short period of time would really turbocharge learning and also be a great way to build teamwork. It would be a sort of online boot camp. The problem with this challenge is that we’re trying to do it in addition to our regular jobs. I think that if you were going to use it as a training, you’d need to provide people with at least some time to get these things done, just as you would give them release time to go to training. I think a lot would be lost by trying to spread it out–more likely that things would just die off.

Great idea and one I’d love to explore further!

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