My Top iPhone App Picks - Part 1

My Top iPhone App Picks - Part 1

View more lists from Jamie Good

App Review: Productivity - 30/30 and EZBuzz

It seems like so many people start their new year off by saying, 'I resolve to be more productive this year!' This is followed with lists, plans and inbox emptying and lasts until mid-February at best. Sound familiar? Trust me, I can relate.

As those close to me know, I'm a self-confessed 'App Addict'. I have spent considerable time discovering apps and testing them out and endeavor to share my findings and favourites with you from time to time on Let's Learn Social.

Let's start with two apps that I feel are good for those looking to be more productive, shall we?

1) 30/30 :
I love the 30/30 app. It's perfect for helping you to focus on tasks, but not get overwhelmed by them all. I use it to chunk my tasks into more manageable time 'pieces' as well as give myself variety throughout the day. There's lots of research out there that attests to the benefits of keeping yourself and your mind fresh by 'switching it up' and this app helps you do so brilliantly.

For example, as you can see in the above screen shot from my iPhone, I focus on writing a new blog post for 45 minutes and then give myself a 'break' by washing dishes. Then I may have blog writing scheduled in later in the day for another 45 minutes following some other task. This prevents me from sitting too long and provides necessary mental breaks. 

Another advantage to splicing up some tasks this way is that when I return to said blog post, I may note some parts that need improvement or may add some better content I thought of while allowing my mind to daydream during the chores that happen in between. 

My most productive days have been thanks to this app and this approach of focused work followed by unrelated tasks. I say give it a try. It's free and and very user-friendly and intuitive. 

2) EZBuzz : 

If you're like me, you remember things you are supposed to do at inopportune times, ie., when you can't write them down! For a while I was using the native Voice Memo app to simply capture the tasks orally and have them saved, but then I'd forget to check that app later!

EZBuzz takes the convenient voice memo approach a bit further by allowing you to schedule task reminders verbally. And easily. And quickly!

You simply tap on the calendar for when you want to be reminded of the errand or task, record what it is and save it. Easy-peezy. And if you want to add a note, photo or other details you can, but I like it simple and just stick with voice. At the allotted time, your phone will beep, you open the app and listen to what it is you need to be working on, buying or whom you should be calling. I love it.

When I'm out walking, I prefer to use the apps on my iPhone that I can 'speak into', like Evernote and Vlingo, and since I am still without Siri (yes, it's true!), then I find something like EZBuzz a wonderful, free and user-friendly tool.

In terms of productivity apps, this is tip of the iceberg, but I'll leave it at these two for now. Please comment below on your experience with the apps I've mentioned or others you can't live without.

Death to Learning Styles?!

In the past two years, I have learned so much about so many things that if it weren't for Evernote and PearlTrees, it would be hard to keep track of it all! One of the things I've learned about and appreciated was the Kolb Learning Styles Inventory.

Once the group I was in learned what style they most closely connected with and then separated out into those sub-groups, we had a blast! (Well, the Divergers certainly did!) I was utterly amazed at how blatantly we demonstrated our learning style characteristics and it truly opened up a new way of thinking for me. It also helped me improve my instructional design that I was working on at the time and helped me to challenge myself to learn in varied ways.

Now, over the past month, this lone tweet in the Twitter-verse appeared along with a subsequent blog post and has stirred up some conversation:

I posted Mark's blog post on Twitter and LinkedIn and was honestly surprised at the quick responses and to which way they were leaning -leave the learning styles behind. Surprised because of how valuable learning about these styles had proven to be for me and others.

Mark writes:

It is the desired Learning Objective or Performance Outcome (and, to some extent, the content) that will determine an appropriate instructional strategy. While instructors and leaders may have a responsibility to support the learner through their progression from (potentially) novice to (developing) expert, they still have to acknowledge the optimum methods for delivering said instruction. Any instructor trying to adapt instruction to ALL learning styles (e.g. Kolb) is setting themselves up for failure.

I read this and my immediate reaction was, 'Really??' And my second reaction came from my love of Social Media: 'How great it is that I can connect and discuss issues and topics like these with people from all over because of a tweet and a post!'

The Learning Objectives and the Performance Outcomes we focus on are certainly crucial to effective instruction and training and I agree that adult learners are ultimately responsible for their learning. But aren't we called 'facilitators' for a reason? Are we not out there to facilitate deep, meaningful and engaged learning? And can we not enhance our approach by ensuring that in our Learning Objectives, Performance Outcomes, content and presentation that Divergers and other learning styles are 'targeted' and considered? I have come to believe that the 'optimum methods' for delivery would mean making sure you don't simply cater to Assimilators and hand your learners a textbook and say, 'Read it'. So, if you're not 'adapting instruction to ALL learning styles', who are you leaving out and disengaging? And can you make those that aren't engaged 'responsible' for their own learning when you've basically left them out of the equation and they can't relate?

I still believe from personal experience and conversation, that many people do not adopt Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook into their professionl development or personal lives because of their learning styles. But don't quote me on that, because as a lifelong learner, I'm still doing just that -learning.

I would love to know what you think about the Learning Styles approach to instruction and training, so please add your comments below and thanks for continuing the conversation!

SPECIAL NOTE: Join me for tonight's Learn with Me Twitter Chat at 8pm EST (December 3, 2012) where we will be discussing this issue of Learning Styles and their value, the case against and what alternative viewpoints and approaches lead to engaged learning as well. Use the hashtag #learnwme and see you tonight!

Social Media and Backchannel Learning

When I got my iPhone, one of the very first apps I put on it was Evernote which I still use every single day. It often serves as my own personal Wikipedia of articles and learning. And the iPhone itself has become a tool I rave about because of how it has helped me increase productivity, connect with others and learn new and wonderful things.

Therefore, I am always disappointed when a trainer or facilitator begins their session or workshop with this request: "Please turn off your phones and mobile devices before we get started."

In Dave Kelly's article, Backchannel Learning in an Organizational Setting, he confronts this common occurrence and explains why these trainers and facilitators should stop fighting the technology wave that has already arrived and embrace it instead. And I completely agree.

He writes,

Many teachers, trainers, and presenters have been resisting the use of mobile devices during their sessions. To quote a famous Star Trek line, "Resistance is futile." The influx of smart phones is only going to continue, so resistance only delays the inevitable. It is also shortsighted, as the usage of mobile devices during sessions is not a risk at all; it is an opportunity.

Simply put, learners are now walking into your session carrying the ultimate engagement tool right in their pocket.

He goes on to relate another common occurrence that I personally partake in when attending conferences and workshops - using Social Media platforms during the sessions to relay what is being learned to others not in attendance. I adore Twitter for this reason (among many others). This fantastic interaction is referred to as 'The Backchannel'.

Coming up at the end of this month, I will be tweeting for and from the Canadian Society of Training and Development's 2012 Conference and I can't wait. I, along with many others, will be tweeting the gems we learn for anyone to see via the hashtag, #CSTD2012. As Dave Kelly points out in his article, this backchannel learning is an amazing opportunity despite all the unfortunate resistance to it.

In addition to the content shared by those organizational employees in attendance, non-attendees can also learn from the content shared by everyone else attending the conference. For larger conferences, there could be hundreds of people sharing their learning via the backchannel.

It is in this open sharing that the true power of the backchannel emerges. You can definitely get an understanding of the themes, trends, and concepts being shared at a conference by reviewing the postings of attendees shared through the backchannel.

I embrace and encourage the use of smartphones, Social Media and backchannel learning whenever and wherever possible. How about you? What experiences have you already had and what were the outcomes?
Please leave your comments below.