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Christy R. McKinney

Christy R. McKinney

Aspiring stay-at-home dog mom meeting learning and development needs with creativity and enthusiasm.

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Musings

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Why have a training program?
Musings

Why have a training program?

By

It’s simple: Employees desire opportunities. Learning and development allow employees to gain skills, acquire positive behaviors, grow knowledge, and become empowered in their jobs. Effective training, which HR professionals and training managers play a crucial role in, improves retention as employees feel that they can learn and grow in their roles. To be effective, training…

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Why have a training program?
Musings

Why have a training program?

By

It’s simple: Employees desire opportunities. Learning and development allow employees to gain skills, acquire positive behaviors, grow knowledge, and become empowered in their jobs. Effective training, which HR professionals and training managers play a crucial role in, improves retention as employees feel that they can learn and grow in their roles. To be effective, training…

Read More “Why have a training program?” »

Read More Why have a training program?Continue

Photo of Woman Using Laptop
Creative Tools | Media

Virtual Meeting Tips

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In response to the global shift to remote work in March 2020, the aim was to create an engaging and informative video that addressed common pitfalls of virtual meetings. The project sought to support the organization’s transition to a virtual environment by reminding employees of best practices and enhancing their remote work experience.

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Iconify: PowerPoint Icon Customization
Creative Tools | eLearning

Iconify: PowerPoint Icon Customization

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“Iconify It” was born out of a recognition of the underutilized potential of icons in enhancing PowerPoint presentations. Identifying this gap led to the initial concept—creating a training module to empower users to effectively select, customize, and incorporate icons into their presentations to maximize visual impact and audience engagement.

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Red Yellow and Blue Balloons
Creative Tools | Media

Powtoon Explored:

By

Diving into Powtoon, I stumbled upon an engaging tool that’s intuitive for crafting animated videos. Think whiteboard animations, spirited cartoon snippets, and micro-learning bursts. Let’s unravel this a bit further, shedding light on its user experience, cost-effectiveness, and a few areas where it might be found wanting.

Read More Powtoon Explored:Continue

Person Holding Black Pen Sketching Flower
Creative Tools | Media

Doodly Do? Doodly Don’t?

By

In today’s digital age, instructional design has become more than just presenting information; it’s about creating engaging and memorable learning experiences. Another creative tool entering the field is Doodly. As an instructional designer and self proclaimed tech-geek, I am thrilled to explore the features and benefits of Doodly and how it can enhance the effectiveness of instructional design.

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Musings

From Classroom to Screen: A Thoughtful Dive into eLearning’s Landscape

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The eLearning wave has profoundly hit the educational shores, but it seems there’s a bit of an underestimation in grasping its transformative scope. It’s not a fresh-off-the-boat concept, yet many overlook the extensive, sometimes radical, changes it can usher into the vast realms of knowledge transfer. As someone knee-deep in instructional design, I view eLearning…

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Musings

Iconify your presentations

By

In the world of eLearning, visuals play a pivotal role in making content both engaging and memorable. While photos, videos, and infographics have their place, icons are powerful tools to distill complex ideas into easily digestible visuals. Recognizing this, I embarked on a journey to create a comprehensive icon training module using Articulate Rise 360….

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Musings

From Learner to Leader: Navigating the Nuances of Coachability

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When I reflect on the role of a manager, fostering coachability within the team becomes paramount. To become effective coaches, individuals must first be adept at being coached. In our current business ecosystem, being coachable is not just a bonus—it’s a cornerstone. Holding onto the notion that there’s nothing left to learn is limiting and…

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instructional design | Learning and development | Training

Why have a training program?

By

It’s simple, employees desire opportunities.  Learning and development provide opportunities for employees to gain skills, acquire positive behaviors, grow knowledge, and become empowered in their jobs.  Effective training improves retention as employees feel that they can learn and grow in their roles.   To be effective, training initiatives must clearly define goals and objectives and communicate…

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Musings

What makes a good presentation?

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It’s the little things. What makes a good presentation?  Is it the speaker? The content?  The visual aid? What about all of it? Everything matters and contributes, but the little things will elevate your presentation to the next level. The speaker can detract from the content, just as poor/inaccurate content can take away from a…

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Musings

Communication

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Communication is more than speaking your mind. Being a good communicator is not the same as being a good speaker. A good communicator knows how to listen as well as speak. In fact, listening is one of the most important tasks for effective communication. It is not enough to just listen to what is being…

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Life lessons

Inspiration

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Today I headed over to Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop Inspiration Button. After several uninspiring, or I don’t know you like that, clicks I was inspired by the following prompt: When I grow up I want to be like… Let’s get something straight. I’m not growin’ up and you can’t make me. I hold dear my…

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Musings

Powtoon Explored: From Concept to Creation

By

Diving into Powtoon, I stumbled upon an engaging tool that’s intuitive for crafting animated videos. Think whiteboard animations, spirited cartoon snippets, and micro-learning bursts. Let’s unravel this a bit further, shedding light on its user experience, cost-effectiveness, and a few areas where it might be found wanting. First off, navigating Powtoon is a breeze. Its…

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Life lessons

Nantahala Life Lessons

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A few weekends ago, we spent a Saturday rafting the Nantahala with my oldest. For the past few summers, Juj has been a raft guide, and we have been able to join her on the water.  If you haven’t been white water rafting, it requires clear instructions, listening, and a coordinated effort to keep everyone…

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instructional design | Learning and development

Doodly Do, Doodly Don’t?

By

In today’s digital age, instructional design has become more than just presenting information; it’s about creating engaging and memorable learning experiences. Another creative tool entering the field is Doodly. As an instructional designer and self proclaimed tech-geek, I am thrilled to explore the features and benefits of Doodly and how it can enhance the effectiveness…

Read More “Doodly Do, Doodly Don’t?” »

Read More Doodly Do, Doodly Don’t?Continue

  • Why have a training program? Musings
  • From Classroom to Screen: A Thoughtful Dive into eLearning’s Landscape Musings
  • Iconify your presentations Musings
  • Another Look at Presenting Presentation
  • From Learner to Leader: Navigating the Nuances of Coachability Musings
  • Why have a training program? instructional design
  • What makes a good presentation? Musings
  • Communication Musings

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