Learning And Training And SMEs, Oh My!

Greetings from the land of HR OVERLOAD, my friends! Your heroine, Jennifer, has spent her day enmeshed in the intricacies and details surrounding human resource development (not to be confused with human resource management, which, according to the fine folks responsible for the PHR test, is something vastly different). Instead of enjoying her day off (thanks, Christopher Columbus!), she spent the day trudging through information on the ADDIE Model and Vestibule Training and Robert Brinkerhoff and his six stages of learning program evaluation. Yes, friends, while her colleagues and other locals were enjoying the gorgeous fall Kansas weather, your Jennifer was drowning in a sea of learning...learning ABOUT learning, nonetheless. It's a safe assumption that she's exhausted, tired, on overload, and ready to stop typing about herself in the third person...

Hi everyone. Yes, I'm insanely exhausted. And overloaded with more information about learning styles, training development, and subject matter experts than I'd care to be at this point. I am the ANDRAGOGY QUEEN (no, not the ANDROGYNY Queen, you sick weirdos!). I am actually proud of myself for sticking to my guns and readingreadingreading today when I wanted to crochetshopsleepandrelax. Is it a good thing to be glad to be going back to work tomorrow? Waitasec...I've got a DD-1351 and two more weeks of travel and the beginning of a developmental assignment to our Delegated Examining Unit awaiting me. Never mind...can I just go to sleep?

Wow - talk about disjointed thoughts. Kudos to you if you're still actually reading this blog and not closing your browser window saying, "What the hell is her problem?"

How's everyone? Hope you're all doing well. The house is yummily-scented of oatmeal raisin cookies (which I baked for a colleague between chapters of needs assessments and Donald Kirkpatrick's book on "Evaluating Training Programs") and I am happy. Nothing really new or exciting of note to share with you, but what the hell...why not stop in and say hello every so often, right? If I'd only do that more often, perhaps my blog would actually stay current and you fine folks wouldn't be unhappy with me for the v-e-r-y l-o-n-g lags in my posts!

Hmmm...what can I share that's important and not about human resource development/management? What to talk about, what to talk about...well, it's come to my attention that my poor Little Star Afghan is fatally flawed and that there's not much else I can do with it now but rip it out and start over. After ALL THAT WORK. (*Sigh*) I was so proud of myself for how well it looked...which is true if you overlook the HUGE GAPING HOLE in the bottom of the star. I really appreciate the help and support of the wonderful ladies over at Crochetville, who are trying to help me figure out where in those stitches I went wrong. I actually tried last night to start over from scratch (new colors and everything), but that didn't go so well, either. Is it me, or are those directions really difficult to follow? Hmmm. Oh well. I get so frustrated with myself when I make crochet mistakes and can't quite get the hang of where I'm going/needing to be. That's when I just try to relax, set the project down, and agree to come back with a fresh perspective in a day or so. Self-patience has never been a strong suit of mine. Never. I keep feeling like crochet is easy ("everyone can do it") and that I should have no trouble getting it. Well, most people who "get it" have been doing it for the majority of their lives...or at least more than the few years that I've been doing it. If any of you have any tips on how to increase my crochet proficiency while simultaneously decreasing my lack of crochet self-confidence, I'm all ears and would love to hear 'em.

In high school, I was very heavily involved in the performing arts, both musically and theatrically. I was so blessed to have had a wonderful drama teacher, Paris Goodrum, who was so passionate about theater. He inspired his students to love the stage, and his faith in me really helped me to shed a thick shell of self-doubt and awkward self-consciousness. My senior year, I was part of a small group of very fortunate individuals who, for the first time ever, casted and performed a play that he had written. This play, "Dear High School," told the story of a diverse population of students, all of whom attended the same high school. The common thread throughout the differences in the characters is that high school is a memorable time filled with first-time, amazing experiences and memories made to last a lifetime. As the play ended, the old song, "Those Were The Days" by Mary Hopkin, played. That song brings back to me so many memories of that amazing time. And I've always loved it. Just the other day, the WONDERFUL Dolly Parton's new version of the song came up on Napster, and I love it, love it, LOVE it. Great song, great vocal, great performer. Definitely check that out when you get a chance.

OK, I think that's about all the typing I can handle. Sorry for the disjointed, insane post, friends. I am off to take a shower and watch something funny on television. Need the mental relaxation after a day of studying. Talk to you all later!