ATD Blog
The Lowly Binder
Tue Sep 20 2005
Content
It is a symbol of "old school" training. It is a joke, a dinosaur, a deep sea anchor. It wastes billions of dollars of office space in filing cabinets and cubicle shelving. It is THE TRAINING BINDER.
It is a symbol of "old school" training. It is a joke, a dinosaur, a deep sea anchor. It wastes billions of dollars of office space in filing cabinets and cubicle shelving. It is THE TRAINING BINDER.
Content
We, the Learning Cognoscenti, "prove" our own credentials to the world by openly disdaining them. '"What to do about the classroom binder?' you ask. 'How about dig a deep hole and throw them all in!'" Then we chuckle and drink our cognac and tighten our smoking jacket.
We, the Learning Cognoscenti, "prove" our own credentials to the world by openly disdaining them. '"What to do about the classroom binder?' you ask. 'How about dig a deep hole and throw them all in!'" Then we chuckle and drink our cognac and tighten our smoking jacket.
Content
And yet...
And yet...
Content
And yet there are still a lot of them being produced. Almost every classroom experience, and there are a lot of them, support the activity with binders. Conferences do as well, I need hardly mention. I, as dutifully as the next speaker, turn in my PowerPoint stack for inclusion in whatever event I am part. I also helped build a workbook to support rolling out next-gen-sim Virtual Leader, which significantly increased usage.
And yet there are still a lot of them being produced. Almost every classroom experience, and there are a lot of them, support the activity with binders. Conferences do as well, I need hardly mention. I, as dutifully as the next speaker, turn in my PowerPoint stack for inclusion in whatever event I am part. I also helped build a workbook to support rolling out next-gen-sim Virtual Leader, which significantly increased usage.
Content
So it might be worth a few moments to, with appropriate humility and pragmastism, reflect upon what are some of the tools available that can make for a good binder.
So it might be worth a few moments to, with appropriate humility and pragmastism, reflect upon what are some of the tools available that can make for a good binder.
Content
Removable overviews, often in the front sleeve, that provide context and a map to what comes next, or a tip/cheat sheet to an application
Removable overviews, often in the front sleeve, that provide context and a map to what comes next, or a tip/cheat sheet to an application
Content
PDFs of the entire thing, available for download and storage; perhaps zipped files as well
PDFs of the entire thing, available for download and storage; perhaps zipped files as well
Content
Copies of slides, for people to take notes in real time
Copies of slides, for people to take notes in real time
Content
Color paper and/or tabs, to distinguish between sections and aid navigation ("Go to the yellow section...")
Color paper and/or tabs, to distinguish between sections and aid navigation ("Go to the yellow section...")
Content
Biographies, with face shots and contact information, of speakers and ideally participants, at the back
Biographies, with face shots and contact information, of speakers and ideally participants, at the back
Content
Appendixes, with articles and links
Appendixes, with articles and links
Content
CD-ROMS, with editable versions of slides and spreadsheets
CD-ROMS, with editable versions of slides and spreadsheets
Content
Clear cover and spine, with subject and dates
Clear cover and spine, with subject and dates
Content
Three-ring rather than bound, so that users can dynamically and deliberately add or subtract what they want or don't want.
Three-ring rather than bound, so that users can dynamically and deliberately add or subtract what they want or don't want.
Content
What are your thoughts? What should or should not be part of a well constructed binder?
What are your thoughts? What should or should not be part of a well constructed binder?