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www.learnativity.com/marcia/ last updated: 11.01.01

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Leola Chidester wrote on my Kindergarten report card, “Though Marcia wants to be President, she’d make a terrific teacher.” It was the 60s, what do you expect? Mrs. Chidester went on to explain that my gift for gab and endless energy could be used to help people learn new things and see different points of view. After rethinking my political aspirations on a train across Kenya (it’s a long story), I recalled Mrs. Chidester's words.

Kindergarten Picture

Back: Mrs. Leola Chidester, Sally, Beth, Paul, Sherry, ?, Laura, Mike, Andrea. Middle: Ellen, Kevin, Nina, Doug, ?, Pat, Mary, Tom. Bottom: Steve, Me, Mark, ?, Scott, Lori, Richie, Kim.

I have spent much of my life in various education roles in corporations, but often trying to dismantle training departments and move their functions into the business line or redesigning software and programs that don’t require endless training. Over the years this has required working on everything from education to marketing, interface design to interactive architecture, and usability, learnability, and human-factors.

F E A T U R E D Q U O T A T I O N

If anything imaginable were possible, if there were no constraints whatsoever, what would be an ideal organization based on biological organizing principles to create the world’s premier system for the exchange of value.

—Dee Hock, Founder & CEO Emeritus VISA, Founder of the Chaordic Alliance

F E A T U R E D W E B S I T E

www.myss.com

[ see previous features >> ]

In the end, I’m ultimately interested in tapping into how people learn so we can improve employee productivity and joy through means other than lengthy and often costly traditional (even online) training programs. I’m happy to report, I’m not alone in this quest.

Karl and Marcia '96 On the personal front, I’m married to a handsome and talented guy named Karl. Our Schipperke dog and Guinea Hens keep us grounded. And my tennis game and whitewater kayaking (C-1ing, actually) keep me humble. I live and work out of a farm in a forest in Hanover Co., Virginia.

At present, I am writing a book on learning throughout life, editing Learning in the New Economy e-Magazine (LiNE Zine), consulting, and serving as coach for some terrific executives and organizations around the world.

At work or at play, I love learning and helping other people learn. I hate to see people miss out on the interesting and fun things around them because they haven’t figured out how to master new information quicker. Sometimes this knowledge-transfer happens in a classroom — most of the time it happens elsewhere and when we least expect it.

If you’re also interested in designing information to help others excel, let me know what resources you’ve found particularly useful. I’ve listed my favorites on Learnativity.com and will continue to grow these lists as I find more.

On the road to designing a world that doesn’t yet exist.

R E C E N T R E A D I N G

Anatomy of Spirit.
Carolyn Myss.

Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity. David Whyte.

Enchantment. Orson Scott Card.

Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind: How Intelligence Increases When You Think Less. Guy Claxton.

Driving Mr. Albert: A Trip Across America with Einstein’s Brain. Michael Paterniti.

The Consolations of Philosophy.
Alain de Botton.

[see previous months' books >>]

[ go to my favorite books]

M Y O T H E R S I T E S

Learnativity.com >> This site has original content on learning, personal productivity, organizational effectiveness, and learning objects. There are also ample links to magazine articles, books, and talks I’ve given at different conferences. Lots of great stuff! The site was listed by Fortune Magazine as one of the top-10 learning sites on the net and receives several thousand visitors each day.

LiNE Zine >> This New e-Magazine on Learning in the New Economy is a quarterly online publication introducing thought-leadership about learning, performance, and knowledge in the New Economy. Articles and interviews by some amazing people including John Seely Brown (Xerox Chief Scientist), Alan Webber (Fast Company cofounder), Reed Hundt (former head of the FCC), Etienne Wenger and Bill Snyder, Verna Allee, Wendy Coles (GM), and Esther Dyson. The Fall 2001 issue is on Leader Learning. Previous issues have been on Human Capital, eLearning, Design, Performance, and Balance.

Training FAQs >> These FAQs answer questions such as “I’m new to the training field, what do I need to know?” and “What organizations [web sites, newsgroups, books, etc.] do you recommend?” I’ve been writing these FAQs since 1993. They have been very well received from people all over the world. They’ve had several million visitors.


	Marcia’s Homepage
November 2001, Marcia L. Conner, [email protected]

			Learning in the New Economy e-Magazine (LiNE Zine)


		Learnativity.com