Size Matters

Before cell phones became “smart,” we wanted them to be as small and unobtrusive as possible. Now, we want our phones to do everything from handle our calls, keep track of our kids and even order in dinner on occasion. But, when is a phone not enough? When you need a screen large enough to educate you. That’s where tablets come in.

Today, being mobile is all about having access to every bit of information you can. That means, in effect, carrying your PC with you wherever you go. Sure, tablets have still not achieved the ultimate portability of a laptop, but they’re getting close. For most people, having a smart phone AND a tablet is de rigueur, meaning that you can’t be fully functional on the go unless you have both.

When it comes to learning, a tablet becomes even more indispensable. It gives you the ease and convenience of having an Internet connection and the ability to access almost everything you could on a laptop – including online training courses. Plus, a tablet gives you that extra bit of “real estate” to comfortably read materials without having to content with tiny fonts on your smart phone. Hey – your phone will do in a pinch, but a tablet is ideal.

Be Smart About Your Choices

The key to getting the most from your devices when it comes to learning is to be smart about choosing them. Today’s student is likely to\ have all three: a smart phone, a tablet and a laptop for ultimate accessibility. Each device, however, has it’s advantages and it’s drawbacks. You have to decide which to use for specific applications to get the most out of your choices. And by the way – by “student” we mean learners in school and in the workplace. After all, education is a lifelong endeavor.

How do you prefer to access information? Are you a device junkie or are you monogamous when it comes to your devices? We really want to know!

Six Minutes? Yeah, Right

If you want to laugh and at the same time be horrified, check out this infographic on what Americans do on an average workday. Like the blog author, we want to know what the six minutes devoted to education consists of. Right now, I’m scratching my head about what I could possibly learn in six minutes that doesn’t involve peeling back the plastic on a Lean Cuisine meal and sticking it in the microwave. Other than that, I’m stumped.

We’ve all heard the saying that education is a lifelong process. And, education takes time. Unfortunately, too many people think they can be “superhuman” and do it all. Honestly, there is a time and a place for all activities, including education. But, we have to remember that shortcuts don’t get it done when it comes to learning. The six minutes working Americans supposedly spend on “education” could very well mean they are checking in on a favorite news site, watching CNN, or maybe flipping through a newspaper or book. That’s my take on what those six educational minutes most likely are. Last time I checked, a class is about 50 minutes long, sometimes more.

Like most people, I find it difficult to quantify every activity I perform as a working person. Some days, I spend more time on certain tasks, less on others. But, when education is part of the equation, you can bet that I spend a heck of a lot more time than six minutes on it.

How about we re-name the activity? Surfing the Internet or goofing off online sounds more accurate to me. If you happen to be learning something, even better.

If you have a spare six minutes in your day, how do you like to spend it? Really – we’d like to know!