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J a s o n N e i f f e r C u r r i c u l u m D i r e c t o r , M o n t a n a D i g i t a l A c a d e m y

2 1 O c t o b e r 2 0 1 0

M V U P D W e b i n a r

About me…

I am not a guru…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/avlxyz/3449574196/sizes/m/

•The Problem

•The Complications

•The Solution

Agenda

T h e P r o b l e m …

The problem…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kogakure/153741685/sizes/z/in/photostream/

• “The average „knowledge worker‟ --

basically, anyone who works on a

computer – gets about 93 e-mails a

day…”

• “Because people can be connected

24/7, many of them are.”

Whoa!

“In this breakthrough

book, Richard Saul

Wurman explains why

the information

explosion has backfired

leaving us stranded

between mere facts and

real understanding…”

Not new…

1989!

T h e C o m p l i c a t i o n …

http://michaelhanley.ie/elearningcurve/wp-

content/uploads/2009/07/authoring_tools3.jp

g

http://michaelhanley.ie/elearningcurve/wp-

content/uploads/2009/07/authoring_tools3.jp

g

“But, if we moved to a Web-based

collaboration tool, it'd mean that I and my

colleagues would have to keep track of

changes on that tool…”

-- Mitch Wagner, Information Week

The core problem…

The lesson?

T h e S o l u t i o n …

Workflow

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workflow

http://www.ensemble.cms.vt.edu/user-manual/glossary/index.html

“A defined set of development stages

applied to a content item…”

“A workflow consists

of a sequence of

connected steps…”

Create a regular set of

steps to process

information, content and

knowledge…

Goal

1. Start with one process: develop more over time

2. Less is more: don‟t use four tools when two will accomplish the same task

3. Review and evaluate: regularly review and evaluate, then eliminate or modify

4. Don’t follow these rules: ignore the rules if you stumble on something that works better for you!

The rules

You already have a

basic set of tools that you

like and adopted…

Assumption

M y B a s i c To o l s e t

Capture tool: RSS Reader

Tool organization: XMarks

Capture tool: Dropbox

Archiving/Sharing Tool: Delicious Social Bookmarking

Sharing: RSS in

WordPress/Moodle

Sharing tool: Shareaholic

Capture/reading tool:

Instapaper

Devices:

Laptop, desktop, iPad

L e t ’s d ev e l o p a

w o r k f l ow !

I am a world geography teacher

that has a unit for each continent.

I am looking for fresh, current

content to support my unit on

Africa as the textbook is dated

and isn‟t as engaging as I would

like it to be.

Scenario

1.

• Check existing resources

• Consider new topics

2. • Set up traps for information

3. • Process collected results

4.

• Archive AND/OR

• Share

5. • Review

Workflow Process

1.

• Check existing resources (Web Search; Delicious)

• Consider new topics

2. • Set up traps for information (Google Reader)

3. • Process collected results (Google Reader)

4.

• Archive (Delicious, Instapaper) AND/OR

• Share (Shareoholic; Delicious RSS Feeds w/WordPress and Moodle)

5. • Review

Workflow Process

With Tools

1. Review

1. Review

2. Set up traps

2. Set up traps

2. Set up traps

2. Set up traps

3. Process Results

4. Archive: Delicious

4. Archive: Instapaper

4. Share: RSS Feeds

4. Share: Shareaholic

4. Share: Shareaholic

• Too wide a net? Too narrow a net?

• Still useful?

• Capturing too much information for my

current projects?

• Using the right tools?

• Able to process the information?

5. Review

• Dissertation research

• Professional reading

• PLN collaboration/communication

• Fresh content

• Exposure to new ideas and resources

• Complete projects and action items

• Have fun

Tweak for other projects

1.

• Establish regular email practice (check email 3 times a day)

2.

• Choose action items: immediate action, short term action, long term action

3. • Immediate action: complete, schedule, share

4. • Short term action: Schedule, archive, share

5. • Long term action: Schedule, archive, share

Workflow Process: Email

1. • Establish regular email practice (Gmail; check 3 times a day with weekly

review on Sunday mornings to find lost or forgotten action items)

2. • Choose action items: immediate action, short term action, long term action

3.

• Immediate action: complete, schedule (Google Calendar, CalenGoo on iPad), archive (Delicious, InstaPaper, Dropbox) share (Delicious, Shareaholic)

4. • Short term action: Schedule (Google Calendar, CalenGoo on iPad),

archive (Delicious, InstaPaper, Dropbox), share (Delicious, Sharaholic)

5. • Long term action: Schedule (Google Calendar, CalenGoo on iPad), archive

(Delicious, InstaPaper, Dropbox), share (Delicious, Sharaholic)

Workflow Process: Email

With Tools

L o n g - t e r m s t r a t e g i e s

• Don‟t use tools to try to gather all

information; use filters to gather only

information you think you would use

• Example: the RSS Feed for the New York

Times or even my local newspaper

Less is more…

(Mark Hurst‟s Bit Literacy)

“Media Diet”

• “Rare sources that consistently give useful, relevant information”

• In workflow: tools that are the core tools you use all the time

Stars

• “Reliably deliver at least some relevant information”

• In workflow: tools that may not be used every day, but so something very well

Scans

• “Sources good for a targeted, single use”

• In workflow: highly specialized tool that you use for special projects

Targets

• “Sources that are applying to be in your lineup, but are applying to be there)

• In workflow: new tools form discovery or referral that could end up above

Tryouts

“Weekly review”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/labeteslair/3396433643/sizes/z/

Davis Allen‟s Getting Things Done

Timothy Ferriss‟s Four Hour Workweek And

Merlin Mann‟s Inbox Zero

Limit email/voicemail

distractions

David Allen‟s

Getting Things

Done: The Art of

Stress-Free

Productivity …available in print, audio book and via Kindle

Additional Resources

Timothy Ferriss‟s

The 4-Hour

Workweek …available in print, audio book and via Kindle

Additional Resources

Mark Hurst‟s

Bit Literacy …available in print, audio book and via Kindle

Additional Resources

http://www.lifehacker.com

Additional Resources

http://www.webworkerdaily.com

Additional Resources

Questions?

Th

an

k y

ou

!

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