Those of us born before 1995 remember living analog style. Flipping through musty encyclopedias. Searching through the library’s card catalogue by either author, title, or subject. Asking a librarian to help load film onto the clunky microfiche reader while searching for obscure information.

Although these hands-on research methods seems somewhat antiquated now, there’s a lot of charm and authenticity about the era that we don’t want to lose. Many of us spend more time a foot away from the computer monitor than we do with people in person. We’ve grown digital appendages, and we experience real loss when they’re broken or misplaced. We’re all out there in the world collecting incomprehensible amounts of information every day. And we’re all just beginning to learn how to curate it.
Curation is one of our goals of the Collaborative Learning Network. Every month we invite a small group of learning professionals to gather, share insights, and work together to discuss common issues and curiosities related to our field. It’s an old-fashioned idea with a new context. At the end of each session, we email a PDF summarizing the insights, links, and recommended resources that we all shared during our discussion.

If you’re in the training field in the Portland area, the Collaborative Learning Network is free to attend although advanced registration is required. Join us on January 9 to discuss the topic “Transforming ‘Required Training’ into ‘Inspired Learning.’” We also have an a LinkedIn discussion group.

Are you finding ways to blend old and new communication techniques together as you become more digital?