PKM starts new workshop series

So far in 2012, I have hosted three online workshops on personal knowledge mastery (PKM), as well as a Summer Camp that included one week on the topic. Over 125 people have participated in these online sessions, compared with about a dozen who came to the on-site classroom course that I offered through the University of Toronto’s iSchool Institute for the past two years. I’ll let the numbers speak for themselves.

The format has changed, as Jane Hart and I have learned about what works. The next PKM workshop will be offered as a one-month activity this September [now 40 days], with much more time for discussion, reflection, and dealing with competing activities in our professional lives. It will also be offered as the first in a series of seven workshops at the Social Learning Centre over the coming year. Our theme will be — learning in the networked era.

Participants this year have commented that the workshops have changed how they think:

This program has made me think differently about my professional practice.

Learning in this community has been different to the way I am used to but I enjoyed it immensely.

I’ve had more ‘conversations’ and been exposed to many points of view that I would not have encountered any other way.

My Seek > Sense > Share framework (which took several years of trial & error) has proven to be useful:

Reducing my seeking and spending more time sensing (converting things into high quality content) is my most important goal for the next few months.

I need to increase the proportional amount of time I spend in ‘Sense’. I read a lot, I share quite a bit…yet when it comes to making sense of patterns and other ‘stuff’ in the whole, I don’t always make time to do it.

I very much appreciate the simpleness of the Seek Sense Share model and the fact that together they lead to Serendipity (enhanced Serendipity to be sure). S/S/S = S.

As we stay in touch with participants, we get feedback that their practice is already changing:

Without any coherent strategy I often was not persistent in my undertakings. This course gave me an excellent opportunity to evaluate my position and to work out an appropriate approach.

Connecting with those who are in the know (Harold, Jane …) is the best way to learn how to navigate this new learning environment.

My take-aways:
1. Take risks & engage,
2. Focus on who, not what,
3. Less is more,
4. Ritualize and organize to make time to reflect,
5. Trust the process.
6. Have fun.