The community training just finished in Brussels and like me, many of you might have some FOMO (fear of missing out). Not only because it’s a great chance to connect with like-minded souls, but because it’s a fantastic opportunity to further develop ourselves as trainers, facilitators and human beings. But just because you could teleport to Brussels last weekend, it doesn’t mean you cannot focus on your own learning and development!
While in Eduk8 we do concern ourselves with our own personal development, but most often this development is concentrated around a week-long intensive experience during a training course. Whilst it’s without a doubt a fantastic opportunity to learn and grow together during these events, sometimes we forget that we don’t need to travel to find opportunities to learn: we can do so while chilling on the comfy sofa in our very living room, sipping hot chocolate and munching on marshmallows. I myself am guilty of forgetting the importance of learning every day, and this is something I have been actively doing since I’m on my sabbatical. Fingers crossed I’ll be able to keep this good habit alive once I’m back in reality (not for another while though).
In this short article, I’d like to share with you a few resources which I enjoyed learning from recently. Some of these helped me develop my skills, deepen my understanding of certain issues and even broaden my horizon. Whether you’re looking for a good book to pick up, a movie to watch or some other inspiration, I hope to cater for all your needs, or at least give you the incentive to learn something new today.
For bookworms:
- Julie Dirksen: Design for how people learn: I recently picked up this book and realised what an essential read this is for new trainers. Whilst it didn’t hold much new information for me particularly, I loved how it structured all the knowledge I had in a very clear way, whilst being an easy read, with witty examples and illustrations. I’d say this is a must-read for those in their early years of training (and I’d recommend it highly before doing your first real training course, so in our Eduk8 terms, before delivering an Autumn or Spring training).
- Tina Seelig: What I wish I knew when I was 20: I’ve read this book many years ago and re-read it just before the Forward last year, to get some refreshed inspiration. The book is not clearly designed for trainers, in fact, the author wrote it originally as a set of guidelines for her child. Yet, it’s a brilliant book with plenty of creative methods to explore on the topic of entrepreneurship. It’s not the wisdom of the book that I keep with myself, it’s the innovative methodologies.
- Sir Ken Robinson: The Element: Sir Ken Robinson is prominent figure in the field of education. This book collects a number of examples of people who found their element and became successful doing what they love. While the book can be controversial, it’s certainly should be an interesting read for any educator: after all, in our trainings, we equip others with competences and confidence to do what they love.
For those who prefer to netflix and chill:
- Three idiots: My best friend recommended me this movie years ago, but I’m not a big fan of Bollywood movies and the title sounded so silly, I must admit I haven’t watched it for years. However, once on a long flight I had the opportunity to watch, and decided to give it a chance. Boy, I’m glad I did. It’s an Indian movie, therefore it’s long and you need to actively concentrate because of the subtitles. But it’s worth it: the movie is a great critique of the formal education system and highlights the importance of learning.. just for the sake of learning.
- Temple Grandin: Those in the Madeira 1 group know this movie well, but I think it’s worth sharing it with all of you. The movie follows the life of Temple Grandin, an autistic young woman who’s achieved great things in life. It’s a great movie on the topic of inclusion, and offers an insight to how we all learn differently. Temple Grandin is actually a real person and has a TEDtalk as well, but I recommend the movie before the talk.
- FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened: If you are into project management and especially events management, this documentary is a MUST-SEE. If you have ever had to organise an event, you’ll sweat throughout the movie, that’s for sure. It’s the perfect educational movie about project management, and surely one that you’ll remember next time you find yourself in the position to organise an event. I sort of want to organise a training course on project management around this documentary. I might even, one day.
For those who don’t have too much time to spare:
One article:
- The truth about a world built for men: I’ve been reading a LOT lately on all sorts of topics, and could recommend you thousands of interesting articles on pretty much any given topic. However, recently I came across one on the topic of gender inequalities, which approached the topic from a very new angle (at least for me). For those interested in the topic of gender, or those who are not convinced that “it’s a man’s world”, have a read!
One event:
- The Coaching Summit: It’s an online event taking place in the first two weeks of April, gathering coaches and those interested in coaching from all around the world. The programme looks very interesting & diverse, and there are plenty of different sessions to choose from. You can decide to only attend one particular session or participate in it all. And guess what? It’s free!
One tool:
- Toggl: Do you feel like you’d love to pick up one of these books or watch one of these movies but you don’t have time? This one’s for you then! This tool will help you learn more about yourself and where your time disappears. Once you become aware of your own time, it becomes a piece of cake to restructure and organise your life, and make time for what really matters. This time tracker is ideal for freelancers or those managing parallel projects (like working, studying or volunteering). You just need to remember clicking start and stop each time you start or finish a task.
If and when you read/watch/attend/try any of these, drop me a message and let me know what you thought about it! Should you have other good recommendations, please share them with me or the entire community in our facebook group. Happy learning!
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