About Tom Lascher

Infrequently Asked Questions:

What did you learn as an instructional designer?

Real learning is as neat and tidy as a toddler eating an ice cream cone. 

When they say don’t call the baby ugly they probably mean it.

Sometimes learning is just realizing what you already know.

How many times have you gone looking for Nick Offerman’s negatives? 

I don’t know. Too many.

How did this learning thing start for you?

My principal started pushing education books at me. Somehow, I ended up sitting on the school board at age 16 as a student member. Which was fascinating, except when it was tedious.

What do like most about how the world has changed in your lifetime?

I love the explosion of knowledge. More books, more ideas, more insights drawn from research. There will never be enough time to appreciate what we have at our fingertips.

As an undergraduate, what was your greatest learning?

Sitting in my dorm room at Bennington, reading Edward Weston’s journals and realizing that, for him, seeing was more than having eyesight. “Seeing” was an open doorway. As I began to take that in, the world grew.

What is your greatest fear?

At the end of a tortuous war, stupid will vanquish smart.

Where would you most want to live?

That’s hard. Part of me would like to spend a year here and a year there. I’ve lived in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, and here in Silicon Valley. I wouldn’t say this is the best place, but I love hiking in the redwoods.

Do you miss photography?

Sometimes, sure. My medium from then is gone, except as a curiosity. Film. Black and white. Printing by hand in the darkroom.

Why this whole “Put Learners First” thing?

Mmmm.

Maybe because our learners deserve better.

Or because I only enjoy changing things that resist change.

Or maybe it’s just the path that opened up in front of me.

Should I hire you to work with my team?

Well, yeah. Please do so.