Top 10 Blogs for Corporate Trainers

One of the easiest ways to get yourself up to speed on – well, anything, really – is to read the blogs of those who are living your field of interest and making things happen there. It can feel a little strange to break into a new space and start reading, but the best bloggers invite you to join in the conversation. And before you know it, you’re part of that group of people who are making things happen in your field of interest.

Whether you’re new to eLearning or a seasoned pro, the blogs we’ve highlighted here have something to offer. Take a look – and be sure to share any blogs you feel we’ve missed in the comments.

The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) Learning Circuits blog focuses on one “big question” each month. Anyone is welcome to submit a post on that question – and the results are some of the best minds in the training world sharing thoughts and ideas. Not only will you find great questions and answers, you’ll undoubtedly discover some great new thinkers as you see what others have to say.
Clark Quinn’s Learnlets features small, concentrated bursts of knowledge. Read Learning Experience Design thru the Macroscope for a taste. Also don’t miss his post on how he became a learning experience designer (a term he prefers to instructional designer).
Cathy Moore’s Making Change promises “ideas for lively elearning” – and she delivers. True, she hasn’t posted much this year – but the archives. Oh, the archives. Check out Do we really need narration? from 2010 – and don’t forget to read the comments, too. Cathy’s been blogging less but tweeting more lately, so consider following her on Twitter if you like what you see.
If you’re interested in the theory behind social learning, take a look at Jane’s Pick of the Day, by Jane Heart. Her monthly roundups highlight the great thinking going on in this community, and if you’re not into twitter, you’ll appreciate her new approach to blogging: summarizing her tweets for the day into one easy-to-read post. (By the way, if you are into twitter, these summary posts are a great way to help ease some of your readers into that new medium.)
Tom Kuhlmann writes the Rapid E-Learning Blog. Don’t let the fact that he works for Articulate fool you – this isn’t a corporate mouthpiece blog. Tom gets into the heart of what works – and what doesn’t – in elearning. If you only have time to read one post, go for 7 Tips for Better E-Learning Scenarios.
Tom Gram blogs at Performance X Design and seems to read everything that’s published in the learning and training space. Take a look at his still-relevant e-Learning: What’s Hot and What’s Not from 2009 – but don’t miss out on his more recent comment.
At MinuteBio, Jeffrey Goldman discusses tools and strategies for optimizing e-learning. You’ll find some laughs (Signs of Being in e-Learning Hell), and some very thought-provoking conversations as well.
Life in Perpetual Beta is the excellently-written blog of Harold Jarche. Read The Relevance of the Learning Profession, then read the followup piece. When you have time, go back and read everything else he’s written, too – but those two are the must-reads.
Ready to push towards free online learning? Then head over to elearn space, written by George Siemens. His posts on open online learning keep you current with what’s happening – and his straightforward style is easy to read.
The E-Learning Curve Blog by Michael Hanley is admittedly more academic than most blogs – but hey, we’re talking about learning, right? And it’s not stuffy, boring academia – it’s exciting and enriching information. If you’re just getting started in instructional design, start with Part 1 of Michael’s ongoing series.

Now it’s your turn. Wheat blogs fill your RSS reader? Where are you commenting these days? Let us know!

Image by Sam Churchill.