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LearnRT News
Time to Say Good-Bye
Aug 25th
It’s been a good ride, but it seems I need to hop off of this bus to put my efforts into other areas. Due to my workload and priorities right now, I will no longer be able to remain as a contributing author to this blog. I feel very honored to have been asked to be a part of this wonderful effort, and I look forward to following the blog as a part of my personal learning experience. I truly admire my fellow authors and can’t wait to see what they have to say next!
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Put on Your Hard Hats!
Aug 24th
Do you have an activity that works well for a customer service class? Have you created a humorous video that learners in your classes always enjoy? Maybe you’ve done a detailed study of webinar platforms and would like to share that information with others who could use it. With the Learning Round Table’s new ALA Learning Wiki , you now have a platform to share your knowledge.
Over the course of the past several months, LearnRT has been constructing a dual-purpose wiki: a destination to serve as a comprehensive clearinghouse of tools and resources for those interested in learning and training in libraries, as well as providing an open forum for free-flowing discussion about training and learning. We’re halfway to the finish line, but we could use the help of those who follow our blog. The backbone of the ALA Learning Wiki is complete – that is, we have a structure in place to host tools and resources for learning and training, but we have very little content available thus far. We invite you to help us build the wiki by adding tools and resources to the site that you believe can be useful to your fellow colleagues. For our heartier readers, we also hope to discover a few wiki champions – people who’ll commit to posting at least five items per month through the end of December 2010.
The wiki is divided into seven broad sections:
Managing Training – Best Practices: Big picture issues of planning and managing a training program, and could include examples of curriculum plans, approaches to evaluating effectiveness, and policies and procedures for training programs.
Training Events – Best Practices: Tips and tricks for putting together effective classes and other training events. This area also will include a wealth of resources on All Staff Days developed as a special project of LearnRT’s Emerging Leaders.
Training Materials and Resources: Materials related to specific class topics, such as outlines, lesson plans, activities, video tutorials, and slideshows.
E-Learning: Links to free and affordable self-paced courses and live webinars.
Trainers’ Tools: Recommended resources, reviews, advice, and comparisons of everything from webinar platforms to flipcharts.
Connections: A directory of colleagues who are involved in staff development, consultants, and professional organizations (e.g., the American Society of Training and Development [ASTD]).
Learn More: Reviews of books and articles, recommended websites, professional journals, and certificate and degree programs all relating to the training function.
It takes a village to raise a wiki, so we’ve made submitting content relatively simple. Just sign up to become a member of the site and then follow the easy contribution guidelines to post. With your help, the Learning Round Tables hopes to reach a critical mass of resources by January 1, 2011 so that we can officially launch the wiki to the rest of library land at ALA Midwinter in San Diego. We feel confident that we can reach this goal, but we need the help of our readers, even if you only have one or two things to add.
Put on your hard hats, hop over to the wiki, and start helping us build! Feel free to contact your wiki administrators Jay Turner (jturner@gwinnettpl.org) or Richard Mott (rmott@coj.net) if you have any questions, need assistance, or have suggestions for improving the site.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...The Tension between “Learn It Fast” and “Learn It Well”
Aug 4th
As trainers, of either our customers or other staff, we often deal with dueling priorities. Twice in the last month I’ve been confronted, as a trainer, with the tension between “Learn It Fast” and “Learn It Well.” It’s a very stressful tension, and one that is not easily resolved by those of us who train, those who manage staff, and those who coordinate staff development and learning.
The “Learn It Fast” faction wants staff training and learning to not take very much time away from duties that they deem to be more important. This faction wants learning to be instantaneous, efficient, and speedy. They want learners to spend as little time as possible on staff training, period. This faction tends to prefer webinars, online learning, and self-paced learning…which in and of itself is not a problem. But when it’s the only learning that’s allowed, no matter what the topic, then we have a problem. This faction tells instructors to cut a two hour class to 20 minutes, content be damned. This faction tells training agencies that their staff can only spend 1 hour per week on a self-paced 4-week online learning class…and they still want to get the continuing education credits for it so they can tell their Commission or Board that they’re contributing to staff development.
The “Learn It Well” faction values the stick-to-it-ivness of training above all else. They want learning to count, to stick. This group allows for diverse training methods and media, as well as diverse training approaches. They want to ensure that if they’re going to give staff time to go to training, that the time actually means something. I’ve heard folks on this side of the line say “I’d rather give my staff 5 hours to go to a class and know that they’ll remember the content, than have them attend a 1/2 hour webinar that they can put on their performance review but which won’t help them in their jobs.” This faction tends to like training evaluations, assessments before and after training series–all to make sure that the training is worthwhile and has the highest impact potential. Those continuing education credits are like gold trophies to this group. Occasionally, this group values training almost too much, so much so that they over-complicate the process of training and creating training materials…thereby setting the barrier to entry so high that sometimes no training happens at all as a result. Perhaps only face-to-face training is allowed, or online learning doesn’t “count” toward an employee’s development requirements. Making things too long, too hard, can be problematic too.
There is a happy middle road–a common sense approach to training, the flexible “just get it done” approach. Make what is useful to you, share it with others in a variety of ways depending on topic, don’t waste the learner’s time, and make sure you are always following best practices for learning and training. That’s it.
To me, libraries (and anyone, really) should never, ever sacrifice quality and impact for ridiculous expediency. Likewise, libraries shouldn’t over-complicate training to the point of never allowing the quick-and-dirty learning too. As trainers, our primary duty is to our learners. Just remember that, stick up for good training practices to those in charge, and you’ll at least know you’ve done your job. And if you find yourself in the center of a battlefield of the “Learn It Fast” and “learn It Well” armies, hold up your white flag and scream for compromise.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ALA 2010 – Building with Competencies
Jul 7th
Sandra Smith, Denver Public Library and Betha Gutsche, WebJunction
ALA Annual Conference, June 26, 2010
A blog post based on my notes from this presentation
By Heidi Nagel, Kent District Library (MI) Training Manager, AKA She who hath not blogged before
Charmed by my new sandals, I ventured toward this session from the Convention Center with a perky step. Soon I stumbled on heat-rippled sidewalks through carcinogenic bus flatulence with frizzy hair and the gruesome realization that my new sandals were made of saw grass. Fortunately, I arrived at the Grand Hyatt (4 blocks away) in time for a life-saving cup of iced green tea which I immediately applied to the few pulse points for which modesty allows. But that’s another blog post about creating an environment conducive to learning.
Competencies
Sandra and Betha tag teamed this session, providing learners with an understanding of what competencies are and how their use benefits both individual employees and libraries. The duo profiled six case studies, demonstrating libraries’ successful utilization of competencies in learning programs. Here is the link to their extensive and informative presentation, http://www.webjunction.org/conferences/-/articles/content/99973597.
According to Betha, competencies are the “skills, knowledge & behaviors necessary for the performance of a job or a specific task.” I italicize behaviors because competencies are often referred to as “KSAs,” or Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (or Attitudes). I like the use of behaviors because the way someone acts is observable, measurable, and therefore, trainable. Behavior also conjures up what we all want our employees to do, regardless of how they feel. (However, for onomatopoeic reasons, I don’t advocate using the acronym SKBs.)
Sandra discussed micro and macro applications of competencies. At the micro level, competencies help individual employees understand what is expected of them. Competency-based job descriptions and learning plans provide answers to basic questions employees ask; what am I supposed to do and how am I supposed to do it? On the macro level, competencies help organizations achieve goals. By ensuring staff’s consistent application of organizational competencies, a library is accountable to stakeholders and the community, gains credibility with customers, implements building blocks for a learning organization, and demonstrates commitment to staff as an asset.
Subjective summaries of three of the case studies
Pierce County Library System (WA) generated core skills and qualities for all library employees. I appreciate their approach of asking “What does this look like at work?” What are library staff doing (again with the behavior) when they demonstrate the competency “embracing change and learning”? They are actively seeking opportunities, staying current in their field, and being open to new ideas. What they aren’t doing is assuming things are good enough, rejecting suggestions, or ignoring available learning opportunities.
Karen Burns, Southwest Iowa Library Service Area Administrator, created a nifty self-directed technology wiki for staff to assess and improve their core technology competencies. I’m intrigued by this Karen Burns quote, “I want my staff to be the technology wizards our public thinks we are.” I’m mentally chewing on this. Some librarians believe they must know everything that patrons will ask about technology or gadgets and get frustrated when they don’t. (And who do they hold responsible for that?) Other librarians view technology issues like reference questions, they don’t immediately know the answer, but have some ideas about where to find information to help the patron. (BTW – I’d love to hear from other library trainers on this dichotomy!)
Arapahoe Library District (CO) used competencies to overhaul their system-wide training goals. Having just completed the same process, I second their reasoning:
- Needed clarity for performance expectations of staff,
- Provide a framework for redesigning and expanding a system-wide training curriculum,
- Needed clarity around supervisor expectations of training content, and
- System-wide focus on enhancing training program effectiveness.
To this, I would add “Ensure staff possesses the skills required to meet the service goals of the library.” KDL’s new strategic plan includes new public service priorities, meaning staff needs new skills/competencies to provide those services and meet the strategic objectives of the library.
A new competency for Heidi
I also learned that one competency required for me to perform my job as Training Manager is “Successful navigation to beneficial learning event through unspeakably harsh terrain.” To demonstrate mastery of this competency, what must I know? What skill/s must I have? How must I behave? I must know how to check weather forecasts and dress appropriately. I could acquire the skill of standing underneath office window air conditioners in order to capture the condensation and prevent dehydration. And I must behave cool as a cucumber with charm and professional poise like Betha, swapping my accessories from foot-chewing sandals to whimsical barrettes like the delightful Sandra.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ALA 2010 Training Showcase On YouTube
Jun 28th
Howdy from ALA 2010.
It is hot and humid. Really hot and humid. If you are attending ALA and missed the Training Showcase to take a dip in your hotel pool, I understand. So if you were otherwise engaged in cooling off activities or were unable to make your way here to Washington DC, do not fret.
Here is Stacy as an excellent example of the brief but effective videos. You can find the rest bu clicking the playlist links above. I hope these videos give you a flavor of the great Learning RoundTable ALA 2010 Training Showcase.
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