Over the past week I've learned a lot about Instructional Design (ID), knowledge and learning objects, online delivery and all manner of things related to the design and delivery of online curricula; however, rather than reflect on the learning I did online over the past week I'd rather reflect on the learning I did onhill.

Every day for the last 8--I've been to the local ski hill to practice my snowboarding.
I've been snowboarding for a few years and recently bought a new 'board. Prior to this most recent purchase, I've been riding a race board I bought 2nd-hand a couple of years ago.

Race boards are unidirectional--designed to be riden in one direction and are typically narrower than freeride boards. Snowboard racers also wear hard boots. This type of snowboard boot is more like a ski-or hard-shell mountaineering-boot than what most people think of when they think of snowboard boots. Using hard boots on my freeride board came about when I found that the soft boots I bought with the board didn't fit.

Anyway, back to what I learned about riding, over the past week I learned that:

• You can ride a freeride board with hard boots
  
• You can make "skidded" turns on a board in hard boots
  
• I prefer heelside turns to those on my toeside
  
• Body rotation is the key to turning your board
  
• Edging--amount and timing--is nearly as important a part of turning
  
• Snowboarding is a great way to take your mind off work and school
  
• I'd rather be onhill than online
  

One thing I wonder about...can you teach 'boarding online? Probably
not...but you might be able to present some principles and provide a
background to build on. Maybe approximate the "baseline" or "introductory"
learning advocated by Wendy Collins in her
chat session on the ASTD site.

What about a software/hardware "simulator" kit for my personal computer?
I plug in my USB-connected "'board cradle"^TM into the back of my PC
and I'm "live" onscreen? Why not?
Stranger things have happened in the world of electronics.

Besides, wouldn't it be great to take a virtual ride of a mountain you were planning to visit?