Tag Archives: Words

How do stories work?

Posted on April 23, 2014 by

I’m just back from a weekend in the Netherlands, which included a visit to Efterling, one of the world’s oldest theme parks and home to the Enchanted Forest. As the name suggests, it’s a woodland setting for a range of … Continue reading →

Posted in Stories, Storytelling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Language

Posted on October 1, 2013 by

I’m in Singapore today, immersed in a culture that is so totally familiar to anyone English, yet so very far from home. United by a language and history, divided by the seas. As i sat in the taxi from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Ideas, Knowledge, Language, Learning | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tone of voice in learning: curating the experience

Posted on March 8, 2013 by

When i look along my bookshelf, i see academic textbooks, graphic novels, fiction, autobiography, books i’ve read multiple times, books i’ve never touched since they landed, every flavour and style you can imagine. Each one presented with it’s own tone … Continue reading →

Posted in Adaptability, Agile, Authority, Conversation, Curation, Experience, Identity, Instructional Design, Language, Learning Design, Message, Narrative, Rapport, Tone of Voice | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Words about learning: superlatives

Posted on May 10, 2012 by

It’s bigger, better, faster and more effective than ever before. Dynamic and engaging. Change is constant, but this new thing is the best ever. Superlatives are your best friend. But superlatives are without meaning unless backed up by real value. … Continue reading →

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Tone of voice in learning: the power of words and the texture of tone.

Posted on May 3, 2012 by

I remember how the ball bounced, just before it broke the window. The thing about those hard rubber balls is that they get quite a momentum behind them, unstoppable you might say, especially when thrown down a concrete floored corridor, … Continue reading →

Posted in Learning, Stories, Storytelling, Tone of Voice, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Words about learning: Fog

Posted on March 1, 2012 by

Driving this morning and finding it hard to navigate as the fog is so thick. As each sign looms out of the gloom, we have to make a rapid decision and react accordingly. When you don’t know the route and … Continue reading →

Posted in Navigation, Training Design, Usability, Words About Learning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Words about learning: Nervous

Posted on February 24, 2012 by

Some things are daunting. You are not sure where to start. You may fear failing. In short, you can be nervous. Being nervous is not a bad thing: it can drive us to do better. It’s a natural reaction to … Continue reading →

Posted in Learning, Love, Momentum, Nervous, Performance, Words, Words About Learning | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Why do we choose the words we do? Choosing your voice and creating identity in real and online spaces.

Posted on May 26, 2011 by

What’s in a word? Quite a lot actually. We choose the words that we use in the same way that we choose the clothes we wear and the colour we paint our lounge. Words are powerful, emotive and evocative. Their … Continue reading →

Posted in Identity, Language, Online Spaces, Words | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

What’s in a word? How do we choose the words we use in learning?

Posted on April 12, 2011 by

I’ve been doing some research into gender bias in business writing and came across an interesting piece of research into how Toy adverts use vocabulary that reinforces gender stereotypes (http://www.achilleseffect.com/2011/03/word-cloud-how-toy-ad-vocabulary-reinforces-gender-stereotypes/) It’s a nicely constructed piece of work that presents some interesting, although … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Communication, Gender, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment