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Is it necessary for an Instructional Designer to be a Subject Matter Expert?

See on Scoop.it – M-learning, E-Learning, and Technical Communications

Should their roles be autonomous, identical or interconnected? Experiences vary, but let’s see at what level they actually coincide.

Danielle M. Villegas‘s insight:

The talented Mr. Pappas–who is a driving force in the e-learning field himself–writes a very good article here about the differences between an ID and an SME, and where these two roles connect…or not. It’s definitely worth reading. 

–techcommgeekmom

See on elearningindustry.com

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30 Terrible Pieces of Social Media Advice You Should Ignore

See on Scoop.it – M-learning, E-Learning, and Technical Communications

Don’t be fooled by this terrible social media marketing advice.

Danielle M. Villegas‘s insight:

Thanks to @bloomingthemes for finding this one. I like how some of these points actually dismiss conventional thought–or at least the original "rules" of social media. Social media use is ever-evolving, so these are some great guidelines going forward. 

–techcommgeekmom

See on blog.hubspot.com

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A First-Timer’s Summit: Are There Fire Breathers and Sword Fights at the Summit?

See on Scoop.it – M-learning, E-Learning, and Technical Communications

I will admit, I haven’t been to a big conference in a while. The last big one I attended was almost a decade ago….At this point, I don’t know what to expect at the STC Summit.

Danielle M. Villegas‘s insight:

Here’s my second installment to my series, "A First-Timer’s Summit" on STC’s Notebook blog! Enjoy! 

See on notebook.stc.org

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3D Printing Will Revolutionize the Classroom

MP900384770Surprisingly enough, this post is TechCommGeekMom’s 300th post! As you know, I try to combine my original writing with curated content. I wanted to write something that was positive for my 300th post, and struggled to think of something I wanted to comment on that’s currently on my mind.

Now and then, I also get suggestions of sort to contribute. Someone who often sends me material is Muhammad Saleem at OnlineDegrees.org. Many times, he sends good stuff, but it’s not always what I think is in line with TechCommGeekMom. This time, while it might not seem in line with what I usually write about–it is. This is a very cool infographic about 3D Printing. While there is no question that mobile is here and will be playing a bigger part in education as time goes on, this may be the next step as well. We talk about teaching students new skills for the future–why not learn how to use 3D printing? This might become a big part of the manufacturing world, in time, so I imagine the skills will be sorely needed in due time. One of the things I liked about this infographic was that my undergraduate alma mater, the University of Mary Washington, was listed as one of schools using 3D printers already! (And just so you know, Mary Washington is not known as a tech or engineering school, but it looks like it’s still gearing up for a more technologically advanced future. Did you know that MOOC supporter Jim Groom, who coined the term, “EduPunk,” works and teaches at UMW? True.)

So without further ado, compliments of OnlineDegrees.org and Muhammad, here’s something cool for my 300th post!

How 3D Printing Will Revolutionize the Classroom

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Barack Obama, Editor

See on Scoop.it – M-learning, E-Learning, and Technical Communications

If the politics business hadn’t worked out for Obama, the path he might have chosen

Danielle M. Villegas‘s insight:

This is an interesting article, politics aside, that I found through a Google Plus connection. I can appreciate what the writer is saying about Obama as an editor, as I find myself being more of an editor as well at times. I’ll read something and say to myself, "No, that’s not quite right. That doesn’t flow well enough…" I’ve often commented to my husband that my lost calling in life was to be a White House speechwriter. The spark was started during my latter years in university when my mentor and favorite professor was being denied tenure. A group of us wrote quite the petition and got many signatures. Alas, the campaign was lost, but it taught me how to craft words in a way I hadn’t tried before. What was best about it was that it was outside of the classroom. I knew no rules…I just helped to create. I still pull out a copy of that petition to the Dean that I wrote with my friends. Dang, we did some really great writing back then. It helps put some perspective in our writing as a whole. I do feel that if you can’t edit, you can’t write. My son has a hard time writing. I often have to have him dictate his ideas to me to type, and then he works diligently at the editing, remolding the words to fit how he sees that they should be. He’s pretty good for a 6th grader! 

In between writing this or that, take some time to edit, if you haven’t for a while. You’ll be surprised how much you learn.

–techcommgeekmom 

See on www.theatlantic.com