Mind at Focus Research & Learning Lab

a wonderful video send by a colleague after we have held our first creativity and innovation workshop at his university. I truly love the message, but I wonder: Would the results be even better if there is no timeline? I have my doubts. Nevertheless please take your time and watch a brilliant story.

is the title of a wonderful collection of TED talks on creativity. Please visit http://www.ted.com/themes/the_creative_spark.html and listen and watch such thought-provoking speakers as Amy Tan, Rory Sutherland,  Tim Brown, Elizabeth Gilbert, Ken Robinson,  and Sunni Brown and many more. Get inspired and inspire others!

The chance favors the connected mind worth watching

Sal Khan | Most Creative People 2011 | Fast Company

The kids in Ms. Cadwell’s seventh-grade remedial math class at Egan Jr. High in Los Altos, California, are doing things differently this year. They solve problems at their own pace, using a computer program that gives them instant feedback, charts their progress, and rewards them when they get 10 correct answers in a row. Instead of listening to the teacher lecture about dividing fractions, they learn from short videos that they can pause and rewind. They progress very quickly — more than doubling their scores on an exit exam in just the first 12 weeks of this pilot project. Students earn badges for solving problems rapidly and accurately, and for working hard to master a concept. It’s “like a game,” says John Martinez, 13. “It’s kind of an addiction — you want a ton of badges.”

The man behind this remarkable venture is an unabashedly geeky former hedge-fund analyst and star high-school mathlete named Sal Khan. The mission of his not-for-profit Khan Academy is “to deliver a world-class education to anyone anywhere.”

Being in the top 10 is cool enough, though I would have loved to see him in the top 3! Congratulations! His Academy rocks and is a living example how simple, but engaging e-learning could be ….

In preparation to our own presentations I want to share some insights from the author of Presentation Zen “Garr Reynolds”, a look behind the scene, his talk at Google

and an overview given by him, basically to sell his book on Youtube

Thanks to Raf Stevens and the wonderful team of prezi.com please watch this presentation full of rich insights into Storytelling and the art of Corporate Storytelling: frame by frame.

I found an extraordinary prezi by Elliot Felix on Manging Innovation. Have a look. It is a full lecture on the topic. Great Design! 

I recommend the book Gamestorming by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown and James Macanufo. Actually I bought it (and read it), because of the title only. Being one of the co-founders of the Change the Game Initiative everything that has Game in its brand or title catches my eye, especially if the under title is “A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers.” Isn´t it a nice touch to find something in common with yourself and the products you purchase to impress others?

It is a comprehensive collection of the status quo of methods for creative processes, which should eventually lead to innovation (in most cases), for expert teams as well as some examples for large groups. I am not sure why the authors have taken on the metaphor of games and game design (so seriously) to explain the catalog of known and new methods, but it is a nice framing and a playful touch to the whole plot.

Nevertheless taking on another metaphor from music business: it is a great compilation and therefore a book you should read or at least arrange it on your shelf . Giving the idea of having something in common a second thought, I agree with the authors: The future of work will be more human …