Firefly Group

Please Note
Because I have taken on a full time job, I have decided to suspend my consulting business. As a result, I will no longer publish the Firefly News Flash. I hope you will still read back issues which you can find on this page.

I always enjoy hearing what you have learned from my newsletter or what happened when you tried one of my activities. Please continue to let me know when you have been inspired or if you have a question about using an activity.

Your interest in my work and my ideas has been a real spark of inspiration for me. Thank you!

Brian Remer

 

Library

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2018

October 2018 - Quotidian Learning - Our final issue of the Firefly News Flash

September 2018 - How to Have Fun With Statistics

August 2018 - Your Stupid Brain - Dean Burnett's book, "Idiot Brain,"

July 2018 - Question Your Confidence

June 2018 - Fun is Where You Find It

May 2018 - A Trubute to Bernie DeKoven

April 2018 - It's April Fools: Time for Deception

March 2018 - Scarce Resources: Hoarding that's Habit Forming

February 2018 - Conversing about Questions: Who's asking?

January 2018 - Frozen by Fear: A second look at The Influential Mind

2017

December 2017 - Mind Control: A Review of The Influential Mind

November 2017 - Don't Kick 'Em Out

October 2017 - The Ascendency of Redundancy

September 2017 - Trouble Talking: Brain science for better communication

August 2017 - Two Team Elements for Instant Success

July 2017 - Culture Compass: Subtleties that shape behavior

June 2017 - Why We Don't Ask Questions: The problem with critical thinking

May 2017 - The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins

April 2017 - The Leader Who is Hardly Known by Steven Simpson

March 2017 - Half Belief and the Value of Pretending

February 2017 - Play Anything: A review of Ian Bogost's book

January 2017 - Ideomotor Phenomenon: From Ideas to Action

2016

December 2016 - Time Warped: The oddities of time perception

November 2016 - 52 Fathoms: Mysterious learning

October 2016 - Social Capital: The currency of community

September 2016 - The Circle-to-Square Continuum

August 2016 - A Sweet Relationship: Birds, bees, humans, and honey

July 2016 - Take Your Brain for a Creativity Spin

June 2016 - Man Bites Dog: Mix things up for new meaning

May 2016 - Before Happiness: Shawn Achor's book reviewed

April 2016 - Failure: Success from calculated missteps

March 2016 - Mind Block: The invisible barrier to innovation

February 2016 - Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing

January 2016 - Wood Stacking: Artfulness in everyday tasks

2015

December 2015 - Fog: Be still but be ready to move

November 2015 - Humans are Underrated: A review of Geoff Colvin's book

October 2015 - Mindwise: A review of the book by Nicholas Epley

September 2015 - Femtoseconds: An unusual way to think about change

August 2015 - Seeing What Others Don't: A Review of Gary Klein's book

July 2015 - Peer Conferences: Engage everyone for learning insights

June 2015 - Rich Earth Institute: A valuable resource in a surprising place

May 2015 - Affective Realism: Seeing is not always believing

April 2015 - The Power of Habit: A review of the book by Charles Duhigg

March 2015 - How We Learn: A review of the book by Benedict Carey

February 2015 - The Wheel of Life: by guest author Kate Lampel Link

January 2015 - Strandbeests: Reinventing life forms

2014

December 2014 - Focus: A review of the book by Daniel Goleman

November 2014 - Language for Education: Change expectations by changing your words

October 2014 - Movement and Learning: Activate your brain

September 2014 - Peerology: Thousands of experts surround you

August 2014 - The Power of You: Making a difference by being yourself

July 2014 - Powerful Questions: For the best answer, choose a great question

June 2014 - Hézuò: Cooperation is more than the opposite of competition

May 2014 - Mindset: Is your glass half full?

April 2014 - Dreamland: A review of David K. Randall's book

March 2014 - Shoveling Snow: Avoid Exponential Growth

February 2014 - Connect: Create a Culture of Appreciation in Your Organisation

January 2014 - David and Goliath: A review of Malcolm Gladwell's book

2013

December 2013 - Descrepant Events: Learn when things don't line up

November 2013 - Illusions Create Reality

October 2013 - Subliminal: A review of the book by Leonard Mlodinow

September 2013 - Photo Jolts: An image-based training resource

August 2013 - Dialogue Education: The political side of learning

July 2013 - Learning by Design: Two books to design better training

June 2013 - Suspend: A metaphor to examine your assumptions

May 2013 - Lou Russell: Goals, stress, and reducing rework

April 2013 - Credly: Online credit for continuous learning

March 2013 - Resiliency: Ready to Rebound!

February 2013 - Quiet: A review of Susan Cain's book about introverts

January 2013 - Procrastinate for Productivity: The advantages of putting things off

2012

December 2012 - SMART as Hell: An interview with Glenn Hughes

November 2012 - The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty: A review of Dan Ariely's lastest book

October 2012 - The Group Work Deck: The right attitudes for facilitators

September 2012 - The Biggest Impact: Educator roles for better learning

August 2012 - Bioluminescence: Shining a light on learning

July 2012 - Aromas, emotions, and learning with guest contributor Susan Otto

June 2012 - The Human Hand: Insights about Oppositional Team Members

May 2012 - Imagine: Comprehensive ideas about creativity's source

April 2012 - Foolish ideas are sometimes the most practical - and inspiring!

March 2012 - Are you paying attention? It's International Listening Month!

February 2012 - The Love Hormone: Use it to your advantage

January 2012 - The Myth of Choice: Why your decisions are not made as freely as you think

2011

December 2011 - Organizational Constellations: A new perspective on complex systems

November 2011 - Zoom: How empty space provides a whole context

October 2011 - Hurricane Irene's lessons: Using chaos to become organized

September 2011 - Change Anything: Willpower is over rated in the process of change

August 2011 - Death by Meeting: Making Meetings as productive as possible

July 2011 - An Interview with Michele Deck: Memory Beads to keep thoughts in order

June 2011 - The Opposable Mind: How to integrate polarities into new solutions.

May 2011 - Do away with deadly, dull presentations: Discover the Prezi presentation tool.

April 2011 - The Truth About Computers: A review of The Man Who Lied to His Laptop by Clifford Nass.

March 2011 - Speed Stacking: Efficiency, learning, flow, and developing a whole brain.

February 2011 - The Y Ball: Exploration, curiosity, and asking silly questions.

January 2011 - Where Good Ideas Come From: Creating innovative flow.

2010

December 2010 - Story Cubes: The role of randomness in telling stories.

November 2010 - Conversation Starters: An interview with Jen Stanchfield.

October 2010 - Tagxedo: Open space for thinking.

September 2010 - RAPT: Attention and the Focused Life.

August 2010 - Carpenter Bees: The risk of "covering" your subject.

July 2010 - Miniature Metaphors: Learning from the little details.

June 2010 - Chat Pack Stories: The multiple functions of stories.

May 2010 - The Speed of Trust and an interview with Kurt Nemes.

April 2010 - Talking Pictures: Training tools that use pictures.

March 2010 - Drive: Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose

February 2010 - The Brain That Changes Itself: Thinking about your own brain.

January 2010 - The Answer to Oil Spills: Learning that's hair raising.

2009

December 2009 - The Fun Theory: Will people be better citizens if they are asked to play?

November 2009 - Free Diving: Hold your breath for a change!

October 2009 - Comic Relief: Exercise your funny bone and learn more.

September 2009 - Reinventing the Wheel: Stay in sync at work or home.

August 2009 - The X-Ball: A skeletal Icosidodecahedron for fun and learning.

July 2009 - Mind Mapping tools to visualize your work.

June 2009 - Start Goofing Around: A review of Play by Stuart Brown.

May 2009 - CATS: The Nine Lives of Innovation: A review of the book by Stephen Lundin.

April 2009 - Great Meetings! Great Results: A book by Dee Kelsey and Pam Plumb.

February/March 2009 - The Arrival: Learning by crossing cultures.

January 2009 - StoryMatters: Using stories to spark deep conversations.

2008

December 2008 - A Matrix of Possibilities: Using empty space for learning.

November 2008 - Chaos: A good start for learning and creativity.

October 2008 - The Taste of Success: Is chocolate the best teacher?

September 2008 - The North American Simulation and Gaming Association: A playful group that takes learning seriously.

August 2008 - Zoomorphs: Construct animals but create metaphors.

July 2008 - Ball of Whacks: A creativity workshop in a ball.

June 2008 - The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: An unusual career guide by Dan Pink.

What people are saying about the Firefly News Flash

I always enjoy your two contacts each month. The perspectives are fresh and your activities are such great examples of effective facilitation. I believe these are two of the distinguishing factors between knowledge that leads to learning or knowledge that is quickly forgotten."

Stephen Schumann

 

"When I take the time to carefully read your newsletter I am always amazed and happy to realize once again how good you are at what you are: writing, explaining, humour, being clear about how to, and above all sharing… Thank you from us all"

Liliane Liliane Lessard, M.Ed., ISPI CPT LLA inc.

 

"I have found the Firefly to be very inspirational. Thank you!"

Lenore Zietsman
Multi Mode Learning
South Africa

 

"It is always a happy moment when one of your newsletters pops into my Inbox because they make me stop and consider my craft."

Linda Linda Keller
Director of Learning
Envison EMI

 

"I want to thank you for sending out the most consistently fabulous newsletter on training that I receive. You have a very unique perspective and the format of your newsletter is beautifully crafted. I thoroughly enjoy it and it always gets me thinking about what I will do and recommend that those I coach do additionally when they're at the front of a room. Thanks again."

Steve Schumann
Director of Faculty Performance
National Seminars Group
A Division of Rockhurst University
Continuing Education Center, Inc.

 

"More than anything I notice that it aims to be immediately applicable, and short. This latter quality is critical in today's megamarket of words and ideas, and something I am coming to value (and need to work on myself). Maximum idea in a small space."

Gillian Martin Mehers
Focal Point, Commission on
Education and Communication
Switzerland

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