An AAR, aka After Action Review or hotwash.
“The Army's After Action Review (AAR) is arguably one of the most successful organizational learning methods yet devised. Yet, most every corporate effort to graft this truly innovative practices into their culture has failed because, again and again, people reduce the living practice of AAR's to a sterile technique.” Peter Senge
I learned to facilitate and participate in AARs while in the military but the process meets the requirement for formal or informal assessments, with yourself, one on one, or in a collaborative environment. I use it in assessments in my roles as a parent, student, employee, community member, with HS students, military students, peers, supervisors, and other participants after all types of events.
Some key points to remember if you decide to conduct an AAR with yourself, learners, family members, advocacy groups, and/or community groups:
Determine what participants have learned from the experience, exercise, event --
a. Solicit questions and explanations.
b. Ask questions and receive answers from the participants to encourage self actualization/awareness and identify other methods of doing things.
c. Provide immediate feedback in context to the material and correct misunderstandings.
d. Remain unbiased in the facilitator role.
e. Focus on learning and improvement.
f. Document recommendations, solutions, lessons learned and connect to next steps of learning, exercise, events and/or self improvement.
g. Follow through.
Wikipedia entry for after action reviews.
The US Army published a training circular (TC 25-20) in September 1993, A Leader's Guide to After Action Reviews.
Big Dog & Little Dog's Performance Juxtaposition AAR page. Provides definitions, diagram, steps to conduct, strategies, and references.
After Action Review Appendix G, FM 25-101, Battle Focused Training, 30 September 1990 (FM 25-101 superseded by FM 7-1)
The Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program provides links for references to AARs.
Do you conduct AARs? What do you learn from an AAR? Have you facilitated/participated in an event like an AAR with a different title or label?
Comments, recommendations, and feedback are always welcome.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Leadership Day 2010 - Call to all bloggers
For the 4th year, Dr. Scott Mcleod is calling all bloggers to participate in Leadership Day 2010 on July 30, 2010. Everything you need to know to participate is available in the Calling all Bloggers - Leadership Day 2010 blog post.
Dr. Mcleod provides you with prompts to spark ideas, a checklist, history of the Leadership Day blog challenge, a badge, and instructions on how to participate in the Leadership Day 10 blogger challenge post. Leaders come in all forms, all ages, and all levels of technology experience, we learn from you, because of you, or in spite of you.
For those who choose to "lurk and learn" review ISTE NETS-A, search for the official hashtag #leadershipday10, comment on someone's blog post, forward links to friends, tinker with something in technology, or NOT. For those who share knowledge, skills, and experience...thank you, continue doing what you do.
Last year for Leadership Day 2009, I did a blog post asking the question, "What are you doing? Leadership Day 2009", this year I continue to challenge you to do whatever you can...with and for our replacements...at some point you will be replaced.
Regardless of your role...you are a stakeholder, whether you work for, live near, pay taxes for a learning environment, whether you are one, know one, want to be one from a student, administrator, educator, parent, support staff, parent, guardian, business owner, community member, concerned citizen or a combination of the above...do something.
You play a vital role in the unity of a community, observe, assess, adapt, implement, overcome, self educate, encourage others to share what they know and from Steven Covey's 7 Habits, "Seek first to understand, then be understood".
Look how far Google Apps Education Edition has come in the last 4 years.
From the Oregon Dept of Ed and Google Apps presentation as Oregon became the first state to allow districts to implement GAEE:
The published slide presentation
The Question and Answer session
Oregon Department of Education Google Apps Case Study
Google Moderator Questions and Answers for the ODoEd webinar
Colorado and Iowa opt for Google Apps Education Edition (June 2010)
In June 2009, PBS Frontline Digital Nation did a piece titled, How Google Saved a School? Principal Jason Levy used Google applications and a 1-to-1 laptop program to turn around Intermediate School 339.
IS 339 Dot-to-Dot A digital celebration program June 16-19, 2010
Presentations from the 2009 Dot-to-Dot program
Follow Jason Levy, Principal of IS339 on Twitter
About Dot-to-Dot A Global Learning Reception FAQ
Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) Project Plans for Google Apps.
18th largest school district in US, 209 Schools, 129,500 Students, Over 22,000 Employees, Over 60,000 Computers. Change from previous presentations 20K more computers, 6K less employees.
Dr. Mcleod provides you with prompts to spark ideas, a checklist, history of the Leadership Day blog challenge, a badge, and instructions on how to participate in the Leadership Day 10 blogger challenge post. Leaders come in all forms, all ages, and all levels of technology experience, we learn from you, because of you, or in spite of you.
For those who choose to "lurk and learn" review ISTE NETS-A, search for the official hashtag #leadershipday10, comment on someone's blog post, forward links to friends, tinker with something in technology, or NOT. For those who share knowledge, skills, and experience...thank you, continue doing what you do.
Last year for Leadership Day 2009, I did a blog post asking the question, "What are you doing? Leadership Day 2009", this year I continue to challenge you to do whatever you can...with and for our replacements...at some point you will be replaced.
If our learners are our credentials...how is that working for you?
Regardless of your role...you are a stakeholder, whether you work for, live near, pay taxes for a learning environment, whether you are one, know one, want to be one from a student, administrator, educator, parent, support staff, parent, guardian, business owner, community member, concerned citizen or a combination of the above...do something.
You play a vital role in the unity of a community, observe, assess, adapt, implement, overcome, self educate, encourage others to share what they know and from Steven Covey's 7 Habits, "Seek first to understand, then be understood".
Look how far Google Apps Education Edition has come in the last 4 years.
From the Oregon Dept of Ed and Google Apps presentation as Oregon became the first state to allow districts to implement GAEE:
The published slide presentation
The Question and Answer session
Oregon Department of Education Google Apps Case Study
Google Moderator Questions and Answers for the ODoEd webinar
Colorado and Iowa opt for Google Apps Education Edition (June 2010)
In June 2009, PBS Frontline Digital Nation did a piece titled, How Google Saved a School? Principal Jason Levy used Google applications and a 1-to-1 laptop program to turn around Intermediate School 339.
IS 339 Dot-to-Dot A digital celebration program June 16-19, 2010
Presentations from the 2009 Dot-to-Dot program
Follow Jason Levy, Principal of IS339 on Twitter
About Dot-to-Dot A Global Learning Reception FAQ
Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) Project Plans for Google Apps.
18th largest school district in US, 209 Schools, 129,500 Students, Over 22,000 Employees, Over 60,000 Computers. Change from previous presentations 20K more computers, 6K less employees.
Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) has been Googlized and subsites of presentations at CloudCamp, CoSN 2010, Gartner 2009, NECC 2009, MICCA 2009, ASBO 2009.
Save the time and energy wasted on complaining, banning, and ignoring it and take some time to listen, understand, learn, then share it with someone.
Thanks to Dr. Scott McLeod for taking time from his own busy schedule to keep the Leadership Day blog call to action a positive and shared learning experience and thanks to everyone who does something to support Dr. Mcleod's reminder, "because , I promise you, if the leaders don't get it, it isn't going to happen" (2010).
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Diigo SB site and an Action Researcher's Tool?
For those new to bookmarking and social networking you may ask, "What is Diigo?" For those who are experienced social bookmarkers and experiment with digg, Del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, and the many other bookmarking sites such as the 125 Social Bookmarking sites addressed here. Diigo 5.0 provides some updates that you can use, regardless of your platform selection, and adaptable to a variety of audiences.
Read more about the Diigo 5.0 updates on their blog.
My favorite of the latest updates:
The new Android phone application called “Diigo Power Note” is being released as a part of Diigo 5.0, which enables Android phone users to collect, organize, sync and access a variety of information such as bookmarks, notes, and pictures. So you can jot down or speak your ideas and thoughts, and take pictures of things you like to be reminded to buy or research later, or business cards handed to you. With Diigo Power Note, you literally have a photographic memory.
So my new challenge is to use it to supplement the research for my dissertation whenever and wherever the opportunities arise. While this app may not be for everyone, I believe it should be a staple for individuals conducting any type of action research and particularly those pursuing degrees in fields of educational and instructional technology.
As with any changes to apps, systems, user interfaces, implementing the new tool will make it a habit. Whether you use Diigo as an educator, for personal and/or professional reasons you can see the opportunities to collaborate and gain the perspective the Blind Men and the Elephant on a research project, share the different perspectives, then have an archive for future reference.
Read more about Diigo on the About Us site. The evolution of Diigo:
Another Diigo favorite is Awesome Screenshot: Capture & Annotate by Diigo (3162) - 115,502 users - Weekly installs: 44,955 Capture the whole page or any portion, annotate it with rectangles, circles, arrows, lines and text, one-click upload to share.Check out all of the Chrome Extensions.
Do you have a favorite social bookmarking and screen capture and annotate tool? Whether you are a student in life, a formal classroom at any level, a community volunteer, the family data collector, what are your favorite social bookmarking and screen capture and annotate tools and sites?
Read more about the Diigo 5.0 updates on their blog.
My favorite of the latest updates:
The new Android phone application called “Diigo Power Note” is being released as a part of Diigo 5.0, which enables Android phone users to collect, organize, sync and access a variety of information such as bookmarks, notes, and pictures. So you can jot down or speak your ideas and thoughts, and take pictures of things you like to be reminded to buy or research later, or business cards handed to you. With Diigo Power Note, you literally have a photographic memory.
Information on how to download and install Diigo Power Note is available here. You can use the QR code and a bar scanner to be directed to the app or visit the Market on your Android phone and search for Diigo. The latest update to Diigo's Power Note adds Speech to Text and SMS functionality.
So my new challenge is to use it to supplement the research for my dissertation whenever and wherever the opportunities arise. While this app may not be for everyone, I believe it should be a staple for individuals conducting any type of action research and particularly those pursuing degrees in fields of educational and instructional technology.
As with any changes to apps, systems, user interfaces, implementing the new tool will make it a habit. Whether you use Diigo as an educator, for personal and/or professional reasons you can see the opportunities to collaborate and gain the perspective the Blind Men and the Elephant on a research project, share the different perspectives, then have an archive for future reference.
Read more about Diigo on the About Us site. The evolution of Diigo:
Another Diigo favorite is Awesome Screenshot: Capture & Annotate by Diigo (3162) - 115,502 users - Weekly installs: 44,955 Capture the whole page or any portion, annotate it with rectangles, circles, arrows, lines and text, one-click upload to share.Check out all of the Chrome Extensions.
Do you have a favorite social bookmarking and screen capture and annotate tool? Whether you are a student in life, a formal classroom at any level, a community volunteer, the family data collector, what are your favorite social bookmarking and screen capture and annotate tools and sites?
Comments, recommendations, and shared knowledge are always welcome.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)