KM and Happiness

There are two types of meeting notes:  1) Notes meant to reflect what was said, so that anyone not in attendance would get a sense of what the meeting covered in terms of content, and 2) notes that reflect what you, as a participant in the meeting, thought was relevant for you, what you connected to and what it meant for you.

The following notes are of the second category... in no way meant to be construed as an accurate summary of the meeting.  They also feel very much like a work in progress.  They connect to a pattern of ideas I've encountered in a variety of settings in the past year or so and to a range of interests that I did not previously see as very connected.  For example, my interest in neuroscience started around a research focus on synesthesia for a personal fiction project which at the time I did not connect at all to my work around Knowledge Management.  Now, the cognitive psychology and neuroscience aspects of Knowledge Management are surfacing while AI and cognitive computing still remain a great mystery.

Click on the image to view larger in separate window. 

A great "thank you" to Michael Lennon of George Washington University who was presenting great materials for insights and further questions.

Insight Mapping 201 - Mapping for Creatives

Insight Mapping 101 is doing well with 55+ students.  To be honest, the target was 25 students in the first two weeks, so having doubled that, I am wondering if 25 wasn't a very low threshold.

I'm working on the second class now, which is going to be a little more advanced and tackling three different insight maps.  Since Skillshare is a platform primary designed to allow creative types to share their knowledge and learn, I've decided to develop something that is going to help all of them, whether they are students, teachers, or both: Insight Mapping 201: Mapping for Creatives.

Here's the outline for the class:

Outline for Insight Mapping 201; Mapping for Creatives

Key insight from the process of creating Insight Mapping 101:  There has to be an easier way to put the videos together and a better way to manage the audio stream.

Yes!  The learning curve is steep at this point, so the leaps ahead are quite interesting.  Instead of creating "slides" which I can then narrate, I am creating each video lesson using the concept mapping tool's presenter mode and recording all of it as a screencast. After about 8 hours of working with the presenter tool, I think I know what I'm doing.  Each slide in presenter mode is a "view" that can be used the same way a step in animation can be used in PowerPoint.  Individual presentations (a set of related animations) can be easily hyperlinked and they will transition automatically in presentation view.  I had no idea this was possible until I tried.

Here's what it looks like for the introduction video.

Coming up

• Insight Mapping 101: Workshop when I reach 75 students
• Insight Mapping 201: Launch early March 2016

Insight Mapping 101 - Key Milestone Reached on Skillshare

Hurray!  I received my 25 student "pin".  This must be an example of the gamification of teaching.  

Teaching a class on Skillshare is rewarding in many ways, some of which I had not anticipated.  

For example, while I was fully aware of the 25 student milestone, I was determined not to pay too much attention to it because my goal is very long-term and trying to reach 25 students in the first two weeks after launch wasn't going to do much for my long-term strategy.  

Still, there is nothing like a target.  This one is almost an anchor.  Twenty-five students is a key milestone because that's when Skillshare starts giving you some attention, in two ways:  First, you class starts trending in the class catalog; second, you can start getting paid.  Of course, you need hundreds of students to make it an income-generating activity, and you need at least a dozen courses to keep the momentum going.

There is a temptation to stop the marketing when you reach 25 students.  That would be a mistake.  The next big milestones are probably those I need to set for yourself to make sure I both work well with the Skillshare platform, understanding how to make the most of it, AND keep moving towards my long-term objectives.

• 20% enrollment (visits to page/enrollment)
• Five positive written reviews, with specific comments, not just the "yes, I recommend the class" variety.
• Ten projects posted for every 100 students (10% conversion from enrolled to project posted).
• Five comments/questions from students in the discussion area.
• Develop a complete curriculum around insight mapping
• Create and launch one new class every 6 weeks

Insight Mapping 101 is LIVE!

Insight Mapping 101, a free class on Skillshare.

The class is free and by following this link, you also get a month free of premium access to ALL Skillshare classes.  There is a small catch.  You will need to create a free account on Skillshare. 

So, what's the class about you ask?

Insight mapping is a variation of concept mapping that focuses on eliciting and documenting insights from any given event, activity or experience.  It can be used by individuals, in support of team work, or by entire organizations.  This class is a short introduction to insight mapping for individuals.

For additional context, read this post on LinkedIn:  Individual Reflection and Insight Mapping.

Any feedback, questions, comments would be welcome!