WomensLearningStudio

This is a wonderful blog that details different configurations of and commitments to online learning by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, April 2011, prompted by her frustration over someone dismissing all online learning opportunities. Read the whole thing!

Very interesting interviews with six global leaders on leading in the 21st century "But the common themes that emerged from these conversations-what it means to lead in an age of upheaval, to master personal challenges, to be in the limelight continually, to make decisions under extreme uncertainty-offer a useful starting point for understanding today's leadership landscape."

This site has a lot of information about how-to and links to other useful sites.

Look at her book club invitation and description

Excellent infograph on the Connected Educator. Great visual for building a how-to map for adult learners

Look at the reference to Open Culture which has 500 courses available free for people to take online.

Sheryl Naussbaum-Beech's web site with research, webinars, communities, and twitter ecourses.

article on business owner-peer support groups, NYT, May 24, 2012. Ken Prest sent me this article. Interesting set-up. What is/should be transferrable to Studio idea?

Blog by Matthew forti on Measuring Leadership Development, November 28, 2011 Neighborhood Builders by Bank of America builds high performing community-based nonprofits and gives them multiple three-day sessions of leadership training for the ED and emerging leader. Excerpts: "1. Develop a detailed theory of change. It isn't worth spending a dime on measurement until you've carefully defined which leaders you intend to target, what specific training and other programming they need, what they will gain, how those gains will be applied, and what should ultimately result." 2. Measure with mixed methods. 3. Continuously measure to improve impact. 4.Build rigor over time. Leadership programs don't need to build a full-scale measurement system right from the start. The best programs are intentional about whether and how to improve the rigor of their measurement over time, based partly on what they want to do with the results.

Beth's Blog, June 4, 2012 Excellent ideas on leading a blog carnival to ensure that key blog posts and discussions are viewed by large #s of people. Think this is very relevant to Studio's work.

Another web conferencing program that allows small groups to form and interact. I'm going to check out the features and maybe sign up for the demo. There is free 30 day trial.

This prototype WordPress website features a community and members are added somehow--I wonder if this page updates automatically as members join or if more management is required. Also wonder if the same tool would work for the learning directory (with a different profile to be completed)?

Did you notice how many members joined today (sunday)? If we could get that many member each day, I think we would be in heaven. I also like their focus on member profiles and member information. Good thing to remember.

Interesting site for women to find out and act on what they desire to be. She has courses (paid), groups, workshops, etc. Worth looking at for her content, offerings, and possible connection to the Studio. Plus, she is something else!

I like the feel of the site. It is a little more fluff than I think we would use, but it offers some interesting components for us to consider. Thanks.

Development of Next Avenue by PBS, a new internet-based forum to engage baby boomers before they become decrepit. Excerpt: Next Avenue, PBS' first venture to begin on the Internet rather than broadcast TV, was conceived and developed at Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) in St. Paul.

Blog by Harold Jarche, April 15, 2012, on Three Principles for Net Work. His three principles of narrative, transparency, and distributed power upend hierarchical leadership structures.

Blog by Harold Jarche on Leadership is an emergent property of balanced networks, May 29, 2012 Like this assessment of leadership skills in networks: "As networked, distributed workplaces become the norm, trust will emerge from environments that are open, transparent and diverse. As a result of improved trust, leadership will be seen for what it is; an emergent property of a balanced network ["in-balance" may be a better term for this changing state] and not some special property available to only the select few. And this one: Networked contributors (full-time, part-time, contractors) need to work together in a networked environment that facilitates cooperation and collaboration. This is why the narration of work and PKM will become critical skills, as work teams ebb and flow according to need, but the network must remain connected and resilient

Article on Leaning into Discomfort: Social Sector Leadership inthe 21st Century, NPQ (Nonprofit Quarterly), May 7, 2012 Excerpt from interview with Nancy Northup, Center for Reproductive Rights: ""In fact, leaning into discomfort, I think, is critical, to make sure that what we are doing-both externally, as we work to establish reproductive rights around the world, and internally, at the organization level-is bold enough. The organization had better be feeling discomfort if it's leaning into new strategies and ways of working. "You have always to ask, Am I pushing for the change that's really needed? On all of those levels, you have to continually refresh and check and make sure that you're getting the most power for the mission by being as uncomfortable as possible. Because change is hard, and the reason why you have to look at all those different levels-yourself, your organization, and then the world-is that if you're not willing to hold the tension of change as an organization, how can you begin to understand what you have to risk and what others have to risk to make change happen in the world?"" Excerpt from interview with Ai-jen Poo, National Domestic Workers Alliance: As Poo observed, "Domestic workers work in isolated workplaces. They don't have any job security whatsoever, and there are no labor standards or protections, except-for now-in New York, because of us. But really, there's nothing mediating the relationship between a worker and an employer-your workplace is somebody else's so-called castle. It already takes a lot of courage to assert your rights and dignity, and to make sure that you get paid on time, and to make sure that you can get home on time to your own children. And all of these challenges that are just day-to-day challenges of living in that environment already demonstrate a tremendous amount of day-to-day courage." Excerpt from interview with George Goehl, National People's Action â€

Interesting opportunity?

This book, The Start Up of You, looks very good to me because it explains how networks (most easily maintained online!) create value that extends beyond finding a job and includes learning, building connections, etc. Reviewed by Claire Reinelt, April 26, 2012.

An interesting website that offers eCoach services to help someone become an online facilitator of professional learning communities. Scroll down to see promise of stimulus funds for eCoach certification.