Learning is for Everyone (LIFE)™ has been my personal and professional motto throughout my career. For more than 35 years, I have been preparing and facilitating professional development. Whether as public school administrator, association executive, or consultant, I have found that professionals who are engaged in learning as an integral part of their careers, create stronger employees and more dynamic teams; they also better serve clients, customers, students, members, taxpayers. Through quality continuing education, adults can be stretched intellectually and affirmed through networking. They can test uncharted territory to see if they want to take a new path.
With the explosion of online tools and resources, there are multiple opportunities for learning. To verify the quality of the online resource, I always recommend three questions: 1) who or what is the source? 2) what is their expertise or purpose in delivering the podcast or video or PDF? 3) does this presentation reflect best practice or is it simply a unique brain twister?
For content quality, look for a source who has education and experience in the topic or issue. Recognize if the purpose is promoting a product or solution; this may not diminish the quality of the content but consume with a cautious eye. Best practice can be reflected if the presentation contains attributes that you have observed in other research, authorities, or established entities, e.g., university or lab or association.
Learning is for everyone — especially from sources with quality content.
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