Cyberheaven - Training Tips

Enhance Your Internet Search Skills

2009-09-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

How up to date are your Internet search skills? Taking the time to learn some advanced, yet simple techniques can really enhance your search skills, including when looking for new work opportunities. Here is an interesting set of Internet search tips:

http://whitepapers.virtualprivatelibrary.net/SearchTips.pdf

The 10 Commandments Of Job Search

2009-09-12T19:00:00.003-07:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

The 10 Commandments Of Job Search

View more presentations from applicantblog.

Ten Job Search Attitudes that will Get You More Interviews

2009-09-12T19:00:00.001-07:00

An Interesting Summary of Attitudes:

Ten Job Search Attitudes that will Get You More Interviews

View more presentations from Brian Massey.

Technology Tool - Digital Camera

2009-03-28T19:29:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite technology tools is a digital camera. I have used this device for a variety of application and creation of learning aids, including:

Taking photos of flipchart notes and sending students the images rather than trying to transcribe the images.

Taking short video clips of training highlights during a session and then inserting a link to the video into PowerPoint. I would then end a session with a couple of these clips to use for reflection of what we covered in a longer course.

A simple graphic can be created with colored pens and post-it notes. You can then take a picture, insert it into PowerPoint for a colorful diagram.

Technology Tools for Trainers and Students

2009-03-24T18:12:00.000-07:00

As an example of how one can use a blog for instructional and learning purposes, I have made the point of creating this blog post. In using a variety of technology tools for training and communication, I have found the following applications of value.

Note: This information is not meant to be all-inclusive, but rather act as a starting point to assist the use of tools and resources for training and presentations.

1. PRESENTATIONS AND VISUAL AIDS

Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds http://www.presentationzen.com/
It's the Story, Not PowerPoint http://www.searls.com/present.html
PowerPoint as a Photo Editor http://www.aroup.com/en/news/2007/06/13/powerpoint-as-a-photo-editor/
Rethinking the Design of Slides http://www.writing.eng.vt.edu/slides.html
E-Learning Handbook on Presentations http://c4lpt.co.uk/handbook/presentations.html

2. DIGITAL STORYTELLING

Art, Storytelling, Technology, Education (Jason Onohler) http://www.jasonohler.com/storytelling/
Bringing Digital Storytelling to the Classroom http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/learnshops/digital/examples.php
Centre for Digital Storytelling http://www.storycenter.org/index1.html
Digital Storytelling Resources http://www.teachingteachers.com/index.htm
Educational Use of Digital Storytelling http://www.coe.uh.edu/digital-storytelling/
Tools for Digital Storytelling http://www.coe.uh.edu/digital-storytelling/tools.htm
Tabblo (a new way to tell stories) http://www.tabblo.com/studio/doc/whatisit/

3. COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION TOOLS

Meebo Instant Messaging Tool http://wwwm.meebo.com/
Yahoo Messenger http://messenger.yahoo.com/
Skype (Free Voice Over Internet Messages) http://www.skype.com/
The Information Guy's Training and Technology Blog http://www.cyberheaven.blogspot.com
Will at Work Learning blog (Will Thalheimer's research-based commentary on learning) http://www.willatworklearning.com/
ZapitUp Training Blog http://www.zapitup.blogspot.com/
Simple Machines Forum http://www.simplemachines.org/
Topica Discussion Listserv http://lists.topica.com
Create Your Own Poll http://www.dpolls.com/
Survey Monkey (Free and Paid Survey Tool) http://www.surveymonkey.com/

4. PRODUCTIVITY SOFTWARE TOOLS AND RESOURCES

MW Snap (Freeware version of screen capture program for training documentation) http://www.mirekw.com/winfreeware/mwsnap.html
Irfanview Graphics Editor (Freeware) http://www.irfanview.com/
Moodle Learning Management System http://moodle.org/
Jane's E-learning Pick of the Day http://janeknight.typepad.com/
Using Technology – Education World http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/archives/technology.shtml
Top 100 Tools for Learning – 2008 http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/recommended/top100.html

MS Equation Editor for Training Documentation

2008-08-05T22:13:00.000-07:00

Recently I was preparing some training documentation and I was challenged in typing in a complicated equation in MS Word 2003 and MS PowerPoint. After a little research, I found out about a nice feature that is available via MS Office. Using the Office CD-ROM installation disk, you can install Equation Editor.
To do so if you are using Windows XP:

Click Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel.
In the Currently installed programs box, click the listing for Microsoft Office or the individual Office program, depending on whether you installed the program as part of Office or individually, and then click Change.
On the Maintenance Mode Options screen, click Add or Remove Features, and then click Next.
If a Custom Setup screen appears, select the Choose advanced customization of applications check box, and then click Next.
On the Advanced Customization screen, in the list of features to install, click the expand indicator (+) next to Office Tools.
Click the arrow next to Equation Editor, and then click Run from My Computer.
Click Update.
Restart the Office program you were using.
Then in Word, you can access this tool by Insert > Object > MS Equation Editor.

Several sites that provide instructions for using this tool are listed as follows:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint/HA011327531033.aspx

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/msword_equation.htm

http://callcentre.education.ed.ac.uk/downloads/quickguides/word/WordEquationEditor.pdf

Excellent Portfolio Site

2008-06-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a site that I ran across with a wealth of information and links for creating and using a portfolio:

http://amby.com/kimeldorf/portfolio/

Tools for Online Portfolios

2008-06-10T20:25:00.000-07:00

In the past, I have written about the value of portfolios as a powerful tool for job seekers and for documenting your work achievements for performance reviews. People have asked me for information about the creation of portfolios, particularly online portfolios.

I highly recommend the tools and resources provided by Dr. Helen Barrett at her website. She provides a wonderful set of suggested tools and specific examples for creating and using online portfolios. If you are interested in enhancing your career through the use of such tools, be sure to check out her website at:

Creating ePortfolios with Web 2.0 Tools - http://helenbarrett.com/web20portfolios.html

By the way, although it is somewhat dated, one of my Labour Market Information classes created a comprehensive set of website links available, via the Resources page at my website, as an Adobe pdf file. Click on the following link to directly view this list of portfolio websites:

http://www.theinformationguy.com/file_lmi_portfolio_2006.pdf

Why pdf?

2008-06-01T18:46:00.000-07:00

Recently, participants at several workshops that I have delivered have asked about the value of pdf files, for such things as portfolios and resumes. In describing the value of converting files from MS Word or PowerPoint, I realized that having a good website or two to refer people to would likely benefit them. So here are several sites explaining the value of this file format and several products to convert electronic files into pdf files:

What is a pdf file article:
http://www.software-partners.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=58&Itemid=35

How do I create a pdf file from a Word document article:
http://www.computeroffice.law.cam.ac.uk/using_law_pwf/how_do_i_create_a_pdf_file_from_a_word_document.php

PDF 995 software (create pdf files for free):
http://www.pdf995.com/

Cute PDF file creator (freeware):
http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp

Using the Internet Efficiently for Job Search

2008-04-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

In teaching a recent course about using labour market information, I came to realize that many career practitioners and job seekers are often overwhelmed with the amount of information available on the Internet. It almost becomes "mental dazzle", whereby people stop looking after awhile because there are too many options to consider in deciding which Internet sites to visit.

One strategy you could adopt is to find several good starting points that serve as portals, whereby someone else has found a series of useful labour market information sites. This could save you considerable time searching on the Internet. But, how the question becomes, where do we find these so-called starting points.

Well, here are a few to get you going:

The Job Stores.com Labour Market Information Sites List:
http://www.thejobstores.com/lmi_links.asp

BC Ministry of Advanced Education Career Planning and Labour Market Information Site:
http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/labourmarketinfo/labourmarket.htm

WCG Labour Market Information:
http://www.wcginternational.com/labour_market_info.html

Service Canada Labour Market Information Site:
http://www.labourmarketinformation.ca/standard.asp?pcode=lmiv_main_q1&lcode=E

PowerPoint for Trainers - Using it to Overcome Fear of Public Speaking?

2008-03-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

People often wonder why many PowerPoint presentations fail to inspire or generate real interest in the topic. I believe that the reason lies more in the way PowerPoint is used by trainers and presenters, rather than the software application itself.

As I have noted before, PowerPoint is simply a software tool, much like a word-processing program. Just because you know how to create a presentation in PowerPoint does not assure you that the topic will come alive when you deliver the presentation.

Some people have come to rely on bullet slides in PowerPoint as a crutch to deal with their fear of speaking in public. They feel more comfortable knowing all their speaking points will be there on the screen for all, including the presenter, to see. People used to use text-laden overhead transparencies in the same way.

To become more proficient in presenting information, consider an alternative approach to relying on PowerPoint to deliver your message. Instead, plan and carefully consider the structure and content of your message and specific topic. Become familiar and comfortable with the key components of your presentation. Consider ways to ensure that your audience will share your interest in your key points. Then and only then, think about how you can and if you should use PowerPoint to support your presentation as a visual aid.

Spend most of your time working on your presentation content and delivery of that content. And then in the remaining time, consider ways to incoporate some dynamic PowerPoint visuals to support your message. That will go a long ways in improving your presentation and avoid your audience being "slide-swiped"!

PowerPoint for Trainers - Powerful Tool or Major Barrier?

2008-03-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

PowerPoint seems to have become the standard tool for business communication and meetings. It seems that by default you are expected to make a presentation using PowerPoint. While you can learn how to use PowerPoint to create a presentation, very few people are taught how to use PowerPoint to deliver an engaging presentation.

I agree with the view of many PowerPoint presentation specialists, that the software is not the problem. It is how the software is used. Just like using Microsoft Word or any other word-processing program does not make one an excellent writer or author, using PowerPoint does not necessarily make you an excellent communicator or presenter.

In addition to using PowerPoint, one must deliver an engaging message. Take care to avoid using PowerPoint as a crutch or rely on it solely to prepare your presentation. Instead of spending all your time on the computer preparing your PowerPoint show, spend the first 20 to 30% of your time in thinking about the message you wish to deliver and your audience. Then plan how best to get that message across in a memorable way, rather than simply using PowerPoint to read your bullet list of points to the audience.

Again, plan your delivery and presentation first and then consider what visual aids will support that message. As Dave Paradi noted: PowerPoint is a wonderful addition to a well crafted message but it can never substitute for the message.

People often fall into the trap of using the principle of least effort when designing a PowerPoint presentation. While it takes hard work and considerable effort to develop and deliver a powerful, well crafted presentation, your audience will appreciate this effort.

PowerPoint for Trainers - Why Use It?

2008-03-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

In working with individuals and corporations to enhance their presentations and training sessions, I have developed a variety of approaches and strategies regarding the effective use of visuals aids, particularly via PowerPoint. For the next few blog posts, I will share some more of these ideas:

Presenters can improve their presentations by planning first and PowerPointing second. That is to say, consider the following in planning your presentation before you even open up PowerPoint on your computer:

What type of presentation are you creating? There is a full spectrum of presentations ranging from primarily information giving, like a content rich training course to those that are mainly inspirational presentation, such as a key message for a team in which you will focus on several key points for the audience to remember.
How much time do you have to deliver your presentation? In one hour, how much information can people realistically absorb and more importantly remember two weeks, two months or two years from now?
What recall aids can you develop to help your audience to remember your message?
What learning styles are you planning to address in your presentation?
What can you do to maximize the accessibility of your presentation? For example, is there a possibility that people with visual and hearing challenges may be attending the session?
How will PowerPoint support your presentation? This is a key question in that you and your audience form the most important component of your presentation and not PowerPoint. It is a visual AID, it should not be the centre of attention in your presentation. Simply remembering this tip and planning your discussion accordingly should greatly enhance your presentation.
Can you use PowerPoint and other visual aids in an effective manner? That is, can you avoid using PowerPoint as a glorified electronic teleprompter??
What dynamic images or photographs and headlines can you use instead of all titles and bullet lists to attract and maintain the audience's attention? The use of powerful images will help you to describe a story and emotional connection with your audience in a way that titles slides full of bullet lists cannot achieve.

And on that note, I will sign off. Stay tuned for more discussions in future posts regarding specific techniques to use PowerPoint as a superb training tool.

Very Interesting Job Search Technology Presentation

2008-03-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Career Development Conference in Vancouver, BC. During the two day conference, I attended an interesting and very relevant presentation, delivered by Emma Hamer. She spoke with considerable passion about the effective use of web-based tools and resources to assist one's job search.

She kindly agreed to put her presentation on Slideshare at:
http://www.slideshare.net/Echamer/job-hunting-in-a-web-20-world

Emma's presentation provided great tips for job seekers in terms of using social networking and media tools to enhance one's career pursuits. Emma's company is a career and performance group of consultants, based in Vancouver, BC. Having attended numerous CDC conferences over the years, I have found her sessions to be engaging and informative. For more information about her services, feel free to visit her website at: http://www.hamer-associates.ca/

In this day and age of information overload, it is refreshing to have professionals such as Emma, share some key tips to access relevant and timely job search techniques.

Looking for Some Communication Tools

2008-03-03T21:25:00.000-08:00

If you are interested in some useful and free communication tools, think about trying some freeware and even better open source software. For example, the BearWare site states:

BearWare listings are some of the best freeware and open source programs available. The rating system is simple: if the program is listed, it has won the Official BearWare Top Freeware Award in category. The most outstanding programs are marked with my paw print. Programs that may not work well in Vista are tagged with (xp).

Here is a sample of some useful programs:

SideSlide - Stretch Your Desktop at: http://www.northglide.com/sideslide.html
Convert Tube: Download videos to your PC at: http://www.converttube.com/
Libra Organizer for Collections at: http://www.getlibra.com/
Screen2Exe Screenrecorder for demos at: http://www.screen-record.com/screen2exe.htm
Picasa Photo Organizer at: http://picasa.google.com/
Sunbird Calendar Program at: http://www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/

That is just a sample of some of the valuable resources available online.

Bookmarks to Some eLearning Websites

2008-02-21T18:17:00.000-08:00

Over the past few months, I have been adding to my list of website bookmarks for technology-related tools and resources.

For information regarding some interesting sites you are welcome to review my online bookmarks for the following categories:

eLearning: http://del.icio.us/Infoguy/elearning

Web2 tools: http://del.icio.us/Infoguy/Web2

ePortfolios: http://del.icio.us/Infoguy/ePortfolio

Podcasts: http://del.icio.us/Infoguy/podcast

Training and Facilitation: http://del.icio.us/Infoguy/training

What is the quality of your website?

2008-02-21T18:13:00.000-08:00

With the prevelence of the Internet and websites for business purposes, it is important to reflect on the quality of your own site. Here is a link to a comprehensive list of considerations for your website evaluation written by CarstenCumbrowski: http://www.searchenginejournal.com/50-questions-to-evaluate-the-quality-of-your-website/6400/

Learning and Training Resources

2008-01-31T07:28:00.000-08:00

For the facilitators and trainers out there, here are some more links to learning and training resources:

Mike Will's Learning Service: http://www.mwls.co.uk/resources/
Business Balls.com (with lots of useful resources): http://www.businessballs.com/
Learnativity.com: http://www.learnativity.com/

Thanks to those who provide such valuable resources for others on the Internet.

Free to Use Information

2008-01-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

The Adject Learning Blog contains a useful tip when looking for information such as photos, etc. to freely use without worry about copyright infringement. It states that:

"I knew that Yahoo had a Creative Commons search capability, but I hadn't realized that the same functionality exists in Google's Advanced Search: Our "Usage Rights" feature helps you find published content -- including music, photos, movies, books, and educational materials -- that you can share or modify above and beyond fair use. If you set the search filter to "free to use or share," you'll get results that you can copy or redistribute. If you set the filter to "free to modify," you'll get results that you can use, share, or modify. (Please be sure to select "even commercially" if you want to use a work commercially.) If you leave the filter at "not filtered by license," you'll simply get standard, unfiltered Google results."

Interesting Approach to Presentations

2007-12-04T07:41:00.000-08:00

A colleague of mine sent me a link to a very creative approach to presenting information using a technique called papercraft. For a very simple and engaging explanation of various tools such as blogs and wikis, check out Common Craft at
http://www.commoncraft.com/

This is a first rate example of combining low tech and high tech tools to create an excellent resource.

Storytelling Resource Blog

2007-11-19T10:56:00.000-08:00

In preparing for a couple of technology tools workshops, I ran across a wonderful resource in the form of a blog regarding teaching and storytelling. The blogger, Tommy Wong provides a host of interesting ways to use technology to develop and delivery engaging stories.

Check it out at: http://techszewski.blogs.com/

The Power of Stories

2007-11-06T12:03:00.000-08:00

All too often, I forget about the simplicity and value of stories to explain key training concepts. During a recent training session with a wonderful group of First Nations individuals, their willingness to share some of their past experiences formed a great way to exchange information.

It is from the richness of such stories, that learners and instructors can link what they know to new ideas in a meaningful and memorable methods. For more information about the art of storytelling, here are a couple of useful links:

The Story Factor by Annette Simons: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465078079/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top/102-0007509-8096120

Story Telling in Organizations:
http://www.stevedenning.com/ReadStorytellingInOrganizations.html

Training Tips 2 U

2007-10-18T18:29:00.000-07:00

Today, I have the pleasure of delivering a train-the-train session on behalf of a social service agency with a superb group of participants involved in conducting program information sessions around the province of British Columbia.

The exchange of information and training tips during the session reminded me of several key learning principles that have really helped transform and enhance my own presentations and workshops. These principles include:

Keep people engaged through a variety of interesting, applicable and relevant activities to maintain interest and encourage deeper understanding of information.
Be willing to share the facilitation experience in that workshop participants have a wealth of information and knowledge. So my challenge as a workshop leader is to find ways to bring their knowledge out in a positive and supportive environment.
Use visual aids and presentation media like PowerPoint to support your presentation not be the presentation. The correct use of PowerPoint and graphic aids will enable better connections with an audience. Misuse of PowerPoint will cause a disconnect and may cause people to disengage in the discussion at hand.
Passion in a presentation and enthusiasm are essential components to make a presentation more memorable.

Wonderful Training Book

2007-09-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

As the Information Guy, I am always on the lookout for great training resources. I was reminded when looking at my resource library recently of an excellent overall guide for training and facilitation: "The Art of Teaching Adults: How to Become an Exceptional Instructor and Facilitator", written by Peter Renner from Vancouver, BC.

This book has served me very well in enhancing my training sessions and engaging participants. I highly recommend it and you can order it directly from Peter's website at http://www.peter-renner.com/books.html

Training Tips

2007-09-23T18:03:00.000-07:00

For a wealth of information regarding engaging and lively training sessions, be sure to visit Thiagi's website (Canada's guru of training) at http://www.thiagi.com/. I have adopted quite a few of Thiagi's tips and techniques with great success in turning lecture style training sessions into active engagement sessions with loads of fun and learning.

WordNerd Meets the Information Guy

2007-08-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting the Word Nerd, Ms. Robyn Matthew, during a book signing at Chapters Bookstore in Coquitlam. Robyn was promoting her new book, "Language Logic: Practical and Effective Techniques to Learn Any Foreign Language". Upon looking through the book and discussing with Robyn about the challenges for immigrants in finding work in Canada, I ended up purchasing the book. It looked like several chapters may assist people new to the country learn the language of our workplace more effectively. The book provides many useful tips and a system to help people learn a language faster and more effectively.

Thanks to Robyn for providing a tool that could be quite useful for the career development field, particularly for newcomers to Canada.

The Jing Project - Video Tool

2007-08-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

I ran across reference to an interesting tool for trainers wanting to create video tutorials particularly of computer-based applications. It is called the Jing Project and enables users to create videos of computer program applications. Rather than creating a static set of screen captures, you can record in the video all the steps taken for a specific procedure. Think of it as an electronic job aid.

Check out this free resource at: http://www.jingproject.com/

Humour Me with Myers Briggs

2007-08-08T22:34:00.000-07:00

For an alternative and not-so-serious look at another form of the Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator, check out this version:

http://www.xeromag.com/fun/personality.html

Be forewarned, some of the terms may be somewhat over the top!

Improve Your Presentations Dramatically

2007-08-02T21:04:00.000-07:00

If you are serious about improving your presentation visual images, such as in PowerPoint, then may be interested in the following information.

It occurred to me that while many people may realize the value of using dynamic visual images and sounds to enhance their presentations, they may lack the understanding of key principles to create such media. With an interest and courses taken in watercolor artistry and photography, I have learned a fair amount about key elements of visual images, including composition, line, shape, form, texture, patterns, and color. By learning one or two key principles for each of these key elements to an effective visual image, you can dramatically improve your ability to see and design creative images.

Consider taking a beginner photography course just to gain a sense of composition and see if your presentation graphics change in a very positive way.

Innovative Discussion Forum System

2007-07-30T21:53:00.000-07:00

Looking for a simple, effective, and elegant method to set up and conduct discussions via a free web-based tool? Then look no further than Simple Machine Forums at:

http://www.simplemachines.org/

As noted on this website:

Simple Machines Forum — SMF in short — is a free, professional grade software package that allows you to set up your own online community within minutes.
Its powerful custom made template engine puts you in full control of the lay-out of your message board and with our unique SSI - or Server Side Includes - function you can let your forum and your website interact with each other.
SMF is written in the popular language PHP and uses a MySQL database. It is designed to provide you with all the features you need from a bulletin board while having an absolute minimal impact on the resources of the server. SMF is the next generation of forum software - and best of all it is and will always remain completely free!

Creating Great Training Documentation

2007-07-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

Over the past five years, I have been asked by a variety of clients to prepare training documentation on their behalf. One of the challenges that I enjoy in doing this type of work is the need to rely on a variety of skills, including design and formatting using a wordprocessing program such as MS Word, graphic design for the images and photos, curriculum design for the structure and content, facilitation considerations such as active learning methods, and learning outcomes to ensure suitable learning by the participants.

While a professional looking document will go a long ways in helping to prepare training documentation, one must be careful in focusing too much on the formatting. Much like many presentations are too presenter-centered, it is essential to avoid the tendency of documentation being author-focused.

Before going too far along in the outline and planning stage of documentation, it is important to determine what is it you want the learners to be able to achieve as a result of your training guide and under what situations or in what environment do you want them to achieve those results. Good training documentation provides suitable information for the learners to become competent in the skills desired; but great training documentation enables them to reflect on their learning and practice their skills well after completing the training.

Your Presentation Attitude

2007-07-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

Even when the presentation environment is not ideal, your attitude and enthusiasm can show a lot of "wonderful color" and brighten up the classroom environment. Don't underestimate the value of a positive attitude. Yes, technology can help in terms of supporting your presentation, but it is the manner in which you present that really makes a difference.

Just like this flower in the rain, don't let some wet weather stop you from sharing your information.

Technology and Training: What Not Save Time and Money?

2007-07-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

If you were offered $1,000 of tax savings for spending one day of volunteer work, would you take up the offer? Then, if you were offered the chance to become more productive and save your company $1,000 or more, by doing one day of volunteer work? Would you do it? Well, what if you could save your company $1,000 or more by learning to do your job more effectively and efficiently? Would you take the time to take some training to improve your computer skills?

I have been surprised at the number of people who use a computer as part of their job, particularly those using it each day on a frequent basis, who will not take the time to learn some basic time-saving features. For example, learning how to use styles in MS Word can be a real time saver and more than make up for the short time required to learn how to use styles?

Knowing that a few basic techniques can make your computer work much more productive, what is holding you back. Just start by learning one basic technique a month for using technology and take it from there.

Stock Photos for Dynamic Presentations

2007-07-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

A fair amount of people have asked where to find good stock photos for enhancing their presentations. Realizing the value of incorporating stories into their presentations and in PowerPoint, they are keen to find suitable photos.

Instead of relying on stock photo sites on the web or clip art packages, with the popularity of digital cameras and the relatively low cost of reasonable point and shot cameras, you can access a wonderful source of photos: your own. Next time you go for a walk or hike take along your camera and look for some simple subjects, such as flowers and animals that may reasonate with you and create the idea for a story in a presentation.

For example, while walking near Pitt Lake, I was lucky enough to photograph a blue heron who kindly posed for me. What type of story regarding leadership or management could you create from such an image?

BugMeNot Registration Site

2007-06-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

Tired of being forced to register at websites where you only want to access one particular document?

Then, check out the BugMeNot site, which allows you to bypass compulsory registration. People all over the internet add their usernames and passwords for sites like The New York Times, The Washington Post, Law.com, etc., so that you don’t have to create your own. If you want to return the favour, you can submit your own details in just one step. BugMeNot does not allow you to bypass registration on websites that are pay-per-view, such as The Economist.

Wondering how to speed up your use of the Internet and still remain safe, then consider the BugMeNot website.

How To Start A Blog Video

2007-06-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

I ran across an interesting and simple video on YouTube on how to start a blog using blogger.com. To view it, click on the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU4gXHkejMo

Imagine the Possibilities

2007-06-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

In walking through the garden area near our home, I realized that we often overlook the wonders of nature around us. Whether it is the poetic sound of birds, the amazing grace of butterflys in motion, or the fabulous colors created by nature in its tapestry of vegetation - I all too often walk right by such sights and take them for granted.

For training, nature provides a rich source of stories to relate key concepts in the business and education world. It is just a matter of working a little to make the connections meaningful for our audience, rather than simple reading off a PowerPoint list of bulleted text. For example, a single flower just after sunrise can represent several key ideas, including the care and attention needed to cultivate it is similar to the care and attention needed to encourage people in contributing to a company organization.

Why A Small Red Berry in a Profusion of Green Leaves is Like a Presentation

2007-06-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

In walking through a forested path, I noticed that my eye was drawn to a small bright red berry in a mass of green vegetation. I then realized why my eye was taken by the berry and noticed in amongst the other vegetation. It was the complementary color to the green leaves and was different, so since we notice patterns visually, the berry seemed to stand out.

This reminded me that in presenting information, it may be that one little gem that stands out for people, so don't overlook the importance of providing an idea that is slightly different than the rest of the presentation. It may often be that one little idea that captures people's attention.

Presentations Challenge

2007-06-17T18:57:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have had the pleasure of attending a variety of presentations and workshops. It is great to learn from others, as well as pass along ideas to participants at my workshop. One of the challenges that I face is that many of the presentations that I attend do not reflect the quality of information that the presenter has to offer and the wealth of ideas that could be shared. I have thought about this issue and potential barrier to effective communication long and hard. What I have come up with are several potential causes for the inability of people to present information to the best of their ability:

Faced with time constraints, presenters are most concerned with providing the information they feel is essential to the audience. The content becomes the focus of the presentation rather than the manner is which it is received and understood by the audience.
Technology tools like PowerPoint are not used effectively. While presenters may find it easy and helpful to create PowerPoint presentations in terms of not having to memorize their presentation, many people fail to use their visual aids effectively.
People are not aware or concerned with the most powerful method of presenting information with emotional content, that is through stories.
Speaking in public can be challenging, so just getting through the presentation of information is a major concern on to itself.
Most presentations uses PowerPoint and it is almost expected as a business standard to given a text-based slide show.
Finding and editing suitable dynamic visuals may be thought of as too time-consuming to be used for enhancing presentations.
Unless the pain is too much or benefit perceived as quite large, people may resist change.

Regardless of the reason, the best piece of advice I have for presenters is to do a search on the Internet as there are a fair amount of useful and information articles regarding ways to make presentations much more meaningful.

Speaking is a Performing Art

2007-06-13T20:59:00.000-07:00

After attending a conference sponsored by the ENET Society today, I began to think about the characteristics of a good public speaker. I then ran across an interesting blog post, which begins with ...

My buddy Doug Lawrence has been a professional singer, music director, and speech coach. He is a highly respected concert artist having sung for almost forty years in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Bowl, and throughout Europe with conductors like Leonard Bernstein and Michael Tilson-Thomas.
In the last forty years, in addition to singing, he’s done tons of speaking in front of groups of all sizes. Here’s the big surprise: Singing and speaking have everything in common—except for maybe really good tunes. The main goal is to engage your audience and make them listen to you, so everything a singer does, a speaker ought to do too. Here are the absolute necessities of an engaging performance or presentation that Doug compiled for me:

And the article goes on to describe a good list for all speakers to consider. For more information, check out the list at: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/guykawasaki/Gypm/~3/124274172/speaking_as_a_p.html

What Do I Write on My Business Blog???

2007-06-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

John Jantsch is a veteran marketing coach, award winning blogger and author of Duct Tape Marketing - The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide. He recently wrote a very good post on creating content for a business blog. The original article can be viewed at:
http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/weblog.php?id=P1064

An excerpt from this article notes:

Creating content has always been a good idea, if you've got a business, at least one that wants and needs customers, then you need to create lots of relevant content - a blog just happens to make the process a whole lot easier. So, stop thinking about it so much and start writing.

Write what? - everything that happens to you is content if you let it be.

Everything you think, say, read, see, smell, taste, hear, encounter - it's all there waiting for you to turn into something useful for your business. All you have to do is apply it. Life practically presents you content fully at your feet if you just pay attention. Start paying attention with this new radar and watch what happens to your brain.
It's not enough to sit down in front of a computer and think - what should I write today, that's why you're stuck, it's just too hard to create from scratch like that. You've got to start actively taking mental notes all day long. Carry a notepad to record your ideas for the blog.
Do this and all of sudden you will find that you can:Turn something you overhear on the bus into a lesson your readers can relate to.
Fully explore the answers to questions your prospects pose over and over again
Tell the story you read on another blog and make it fit a solution you provide
Tell your readers all about the conference you attended
Paraphrase the lyrics of song you heard on the drive home to drive home a point
Share the moments of truth you discovered reading a new book
Introduce visitors to a symphony that's just right for the office

When you begin to look at content creation in this way you will start to filter much of what happens all around you in ways that matter to your clients and prospects - team that with getting your filtered thoughts down on a blog routinely and you'll be amazed at how many ways you grow personally and professionally.

Start recording and present your stories.

Active Learning Reminder

2007-06-06T19:47:00.000-07:00

Today proved another interesting learning insight while attending a professional development workshop at Douglas College. The topic was active learning in the classroom, which was quite inspiring to hear how other instructors are using this approach rather than straight lectures. One of the highlights was hearing a couple of new mantras for this approach:

"Lecturing ain't learning"
"Hands on activities, minds on"
and one that I just thought of:
"Hands on activities, minds activated"

I used to believe that content was everything but in the last five years, I have come to realize that reflection and integration of content through active engagement is much more important. My students certainly agree with that!

Technology and Training 3

2007-06-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

Looking to fill in the time just before training sessions for participants that came early or for during the breaks in a training session. Well, by taking some interesting photos, you can add some sound and the images in PowerPoint and create a visually interesting multimedia slideshow.

Technology and Training 2

2007-05-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

Here's today's tip for using a relatively simple technology tool to enhance your presentations.

- If you are challenged in finding interesting backgrounds for your PowerPoint presentations, think about taking some interesting photos with a digital camera. Even simple images, such as peebles on the ocean or beach can be inserted into PowerPoint, can create wonderful images to enhance your presentation. Remember though, your images should be visual aids to support not overwhelm your key message.

Technology and Training

2007-05-26T18:15:00.000-07:00

The next few posts will provide examples of simple ways to use technology to enhance your training.

After purchasing my first point and shoot digital camera, a Fujii F30, I have found a variety of ways to use it in the classroom, including:

- Taking a picture of the flipchart brainstorming or posters prepared during a course and then simply sending the photos as jpg image files via email to the participants. Saves having them to write out all the information.

- Using index cards or post-it notes to create a colorful simple diagram, which is photographed and then inserted into a PowerPoint slide to create an electronic version of the diagram. So participants at a meeting can develop a storyboard or cluster/concept map without having to know the drawing tools in Word or PowerPoint.

- Using the digital camera to act as a video recorder and record a brief segment of an interesting learning activity. Then as a debrief or wrap up you can play back this recording via a notebook and projection system to remind people of that activity.

Stay tuned for more ideas.

Freeware Products

2007-05-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

I was reminded of several wonderful products to enhance your training documents and handouts. First among this is a product called MS Snap, which enables you to capture screencaputures with amazing ease and versitility. The product information for this product notes:

MWSnap is a small yet powerful program for taking scren captures of a desktop, an active window,menu, or a specified part of the screen. The program supports BMP, JPG, TIFF,PNG and GIF formats, with user selected color depth and quality settings. It also includes a zooming tool, a screen ruler and a color picker as well as system wide hotkeys and preset selection sizes. A very nice program, one of the best - if not the best, you can currently find for free.

This is one product that I have used over and over again. You can find it at:

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/mwsnap.html

Blogging Considerations

2007-05-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

Recently, several people asked me what it takes to be a good blogger. I suggested that above all providing insightful and useful posts on a regular basis are important. As well, being prepared to blog over the long term is important. Before starting to blog, be clear about the basic objective for blogging.

Involving Learners Rather Than Teaching

2007-05-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

Recently, I taught a 30 hour course at Douglas College about Labour Market Information. Now for most adult students starting this type of course, they have perceptions about the nature of labour market information being a very dry and dull topic.

However, within the first couple of hours of this course, the students quickly came to realize now only the value and benefits of labour market information, they began to look forward to learning about this topic. What happened to make them change their perception and attitude about this topic?

In large part, I have spent considerable time learning about the value and the approach to actively involving participants in whatever course or workshop that I now deliver. I have really tried to become a facilitator of learning rather than a teacher of information.

With the students becoming directly engaged in the course, they really took ownership in their learning. So, in essence, it was a case of developing activities that would make learning about the topic interesting and engaging, more than focusing on the actual content that would be delivered.

Some of the activities that the participants completed included:

Mock career consulting interviews to help their "clients" with collecting labour market information
A field trip to collect labour market information at one of the local quays
Computer labs to practice finding labour market information and assist mock "clients"
A scavenger hunt or web quest to find key labour market information on the Internet
Creation of a wiki to compile a list of labour market information websites for immigrants
Creation of quiz review questions, which were given to the class for review
Considerable discussions regarding current labour topics, many of which were selected by the participants on the basis of newspaper articles
Cooperative teaching of specific sections of the text to one another (jigsaw)
Think pair share question and responses
Several assignments to develop labour market research tools

As it turned out, the students learned through engagement much more than through traditional lecture style approaches to delivering this course, which was confirmed in their reflections.

Excellent Software Tips and Techniques from Carol

2007-04-27T16:53:00.000-07:00

In reading through Carol Bratt's archive of her newsletters regarding MS Office software tips, I was very impressed with the free resources that she has made available. Her archive newsletters can be accessed at http://www.carolscorneroffice.com/free_home.html , the April 2007 edition containing some great tips for Excel and PowerPoint.

For people wanting to improve their computer productivity, just reading a few tips like those provided by Carol, and then immediately trying them out, is time very well spent. It is resources like this that I finding on the Net.

Saving Versions of Your Electronic Files

2007-04-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

I ran across what seems to be a very useful tool for people interested in saving a variety of versions of electronic documents, while working on them: File Hamster.

The free software is described as:

What is FileHamster?
FileHamster is a version tracking application focused on meeting the needs of content creators.
FileHamster provides real-time backup and archiving of your files while you work. It enables you to monitor specific files on your hard drive and automatically create incremental backups whenever those files are modified. It also enables you to store notes about the changes that have been made, allowing you to quickly locate a specific revision or provide a detailed account of the work you've done on a project.
Best of all, FileHamster is FREE!

Check it out at: http://www.mogware.com/FileHamster/

Labour Market Information - Website Links

2007-04-13T15:47:00.000-07:00

In preparation for a Labour Market Course that I am teaching, here is a set of useful website links for British Columbia resources:

411 Telephone and Fax Search
http://www.411.ca/

AYN's Pathfinder Employment Centre! (includes resume builder and other tools)
http://pathfinder.ayn.ca/homeSeeker.php

BC Workfutures On-line
http://workfutures.bc.ca/article.cfm?site=graphic&lang=en&article=home

BC Workinfonet (Career Planning)
http://www.workinfonet.bc.ca/webdirectory.cfm?cat=1

Business in Vancouver
http://www.biv.com/

Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners
http://www.career-dev-guidelines.org/

Canadian Top 100 Internet Sites for Learning and Employment
http://www.jobboom.com/conseils/top100A.html

Careerbabe Resource Site (funky site for young adults)
http://www.careerbabe.com/

Federal Government Job Postings On-line
https://psjobs-emploisfp.psc-cfp.gc.ca/psr/applicant/applicant.helpcareerchoices?toggleLanguage=en&psrsMode=1

First Nations Employment Site
http://www.firstnationsemployment.com/

First Nation Information Project
http://www.johnco.com/nativel/

HotJobs.ca – Quick Job Search Site for Canada
http://ca.hotjobs.yahoo.com/

Job Shark Canada – Job Search Site
http://www.jobshark.ca/caeng/index.cfm

Jobs.ca Job Posting Site
http://www.jobs.ca/e-login.asp

Monster.ca Job Search Site
http://www.monster.ca/

National Occupation Classification On-line
http://www23.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/2001/e/generic/welcome.shtml

O’Net on-line (American Occupational Information Network)
http://online.onetcenter.org/

Quintessential Webpage (Variety of career resources and Information)
http://www.quintcareers.com/

Red Book On-line (Database of Social Service Firms in Lower Mainland
http://www2.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/DBs/Redbook/htmlPgs/Search/rbSearch.html

Service Canada BC/Yukon Main Website
http://www1.servicecanada.gc.ca/en/gateways/where_you_live/regions/bc-yk.shtml

Service Canada Labour Market Site
http://www1.servicecanada.gc.ca/en/bc-yk/59/jwtc/lmi/menu.shtml

Vancouver Public Library Electronic Career Resource Guides
http://www.vpl.ca/branches/LibrarySquare/bus/guides.html

Whatskey.org – What's Key in Labour Market Information in BC
http://whatskey.org/

Update Your Software

2007-04-05T22:02:00.000-07:00

I ran across a very interesting service that will check your computer, without sending out any personal information, and indicate which of your software programs have available updates. This is a particularly useful for programs that support your graphics card and other peripheral devices. Check it out at filehippo at: http://www.filehippo.com/updatechecker/

Wonders of MS Word

2007-03-30T16:35:00.000-07:00

I ran across this very useful article about the Styles features in MS Word. I can attest to the value of learning to use styles on Word. Here is an excerpt from this article, written by Carol A. Bratt, which can be accessed via her website at http://www.carolscorneroffice.com/
**************************

Styles in MS Word is a very powerful tool. In fact, Word's entire hierarchy is built on Styles.
The most efficient way to create a document in MS Word is using Styles. Using Styles is the quickest way to format a document.

Once you have taken a short tutorial and learned how to properly use Styles, I doubt if you will ever create a document without them again because Styles make life so much easier!
In MS Word, a style is a collection of formatting instructions that are used to format the paragraphs in your document. It behooves us to format each kind of paragraph in our documents so that they are consistent.

Word provides us with dozens of built in styles, but by default, only shows you a few of them. To view and use all the styles, you need to see the full list.

To display a list of all the styles:
-- On the Format menu, click Styles and Formatting. Word will display the Styles and Formatting task pane on the right-hand side of your screen.
-- In the Show box, select Custom.
-- In the Format Settings dialog box, under Styles, click Show All and then click OK.
-- In the Show box, choose All Styles.

You will see an icon next to the name of each style which denotes what type of style you are seeing. In Word there are four varieties of styles.

Paragraph styles are the most important styles. They are called paragraph styles because when you use a paragraph style, Word formats an entire paragraph of text at a time.
Paragraph styles are identified by a pilcrow which is a paragraph symbol.

Character styles are used to format a few characters within a paragraph. They are identified by an a sign.

Table styles and List styles are used only in Word 2002 and above. Word identifies them with table and list symbols.

The most commonly used style is paragraph style. When you use the paragraph style, you need to designate whether the paragraph style is the title, body text, heading, caption, etc.

You can modify styles to reflect your own tastes in formatting if you do not like the default style. In Word 2002 and above, on the Format menu, click Styles and Formatting. Word will display the Styles and Formatting task pane. Right-click the name of the style you would like to change and select Modify or you can use the drop down arrow to select Modify.

In earlier versions of Word, on the Format menu, click Style and Modify. Once you have modified your styles so that they are exactly the way you want your paragraph to appear, you can save them so that they are always available to you for future documents. In the Modify Style dialog box, in the Formatting section, click the Add to template box.

Every time you open a new document in Word the default style is the Normal style. Word attaches a style to every paragraph in your document. If you do not tell Word what style you want to use, it will use the Normal style. You can even create your own new styles in MS Word such as a block quote, your own body text, etc. You can use styles to create spaces between your paragraphs.

All you have to do is modify your style with a space before or space after. Then when you press Enter you only have to press it once. Getting the picture here of how you are getting more efficient and saving keystrokes?

Basically, once you have defined your styles, you can just type your text without worrying about formatting. After you have finished typing, simply select the styles you want.
To apply a paragraph style to one paragraph, put your cursor in the paragraph.
To apply a paragraph style to more than one paragraph, select the text you want formatted.
To apply a character style, select the text to format.
There are also keyboard shortcuts that you can use as well:
On the Formatting toolbar you can click on the Style box and choose a style from the drop down list.

Typing CTRL + SHIFT + S takes you to the Formatting Toolbar's Style box, where you can use ALT + Down Arrow to select from the list.
Word has built in shortcut keys for Heading styles and Normal style.
To apply Heading 1: ALT + CTRL +1.
To apply Heading 2: ALT + CTRL +2.
To apply Heading 3: ALT + CTRL +3.
To apply Normal Style: CTRL + SHIFT + N

You can promote or demote heading paragraph by using SHIFT + ALT + LEFT ARROW to promote and SHIFT + ALT + RIGHT ARROW to demote.

You can even create your own shortcut keys. It's absolutely worth the time it takes to be adequately trained to use Word and once you have been properly trained, you may find yourself musing. Reveal what?? The billable time that you may give up to be trained will be regained with all the time you save creating your documents in the future.

Oh yes, one more point that Dr. Hubrick noted -- Word will not independently format your document unless you tell it to. You simply make sure that Automatically Update Styles is not checked when you create or modify your styles. Most users do not use the Show/Hide feature of Word that is found on the Formatting toolbar and when they copy and paste text they are confounded when the pasted text doesn't look anything like the other text in their document. This is simply because all of your formatting in Word is saved in that pilcrow (paragraph symbol) at the end of your paragraph. So it would behoove you to have your Show/Hide feature activated so that when you copy text to be pasted in your document, you copy only the text and not the pilcrow. Personally, I couldn't even think of working without this valuable feature in use.

Carol A. Bratt, MCP
CBA Consultants

Email Overload

2007-03-22T07:16:00.000-07:00

For most people in today's office environment, one of the most challenging workday issues is dealing with email. While email has decided advantages, it can also be quite counterproductive if not managed properly.

For some interesting stats and tips on how to better manage your email, check out Itzy Sabo's Email Overload blog at:

http://email-overloaded.com/

This interesting blog contains a variety of useful tips for dealing with email. By the way, one of the best tips for improving your productivity is to turn off your automatic check function in your email program and select three to four specific times in the day when you check your messages and then decide how to respond to them. Take control of that Inbox!

Fighting Endless Meetings by Jon Miller

2007-03-21T07:29:00.001-07:00

In reading through some information about training and communication, I ran across an interesting and useful article about fighting endless meetings, written by Jon Miller in his blog on better ways to make things better at: http://www.gembapantarei.com/2007/03/nine_rules_for_fighting_endles.html

The tips contained in this blog post are quite useful, given that companies like Toyota have only 60 minute meetings, with 10 minutes of that to get to the next meeting.

What is the Difference Between a Blog and a Wiki

2007-03-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

Increasingly I have been asked what is the difference between a blog and a wiki. Here are some websites that grapple with this question:

http://www.econtentmag.com/Articles/ArticleReader.aspx?ArticleID=16900

http://traction.tractionsoftware.com/traction/permalink/Blog372

http://opencontent.org/wiki/index.php?title=When_to_use_a_blog_vs._wiki

http://blizzardinternet.blogs.com/blizzard_internet_marketi/2005/11/the_difference_.html

http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/faq/faq.php?id=235 which indicates a simple difference:

What is the difference between a blog and a wiki?A blog is an online journal that allows the owner to post entries that are generally displayed in reverse chronological order. Many blogs allow readers to comment on these posts. A wiki is a type of website that allows multiple users to collaboratively create and edit pages.

One of the best ways to learn the differences is to spend some time viewing examples of blogs and wikis.

CDC Conference 2007

2007-03-16T04:41:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a very interesting couple of days in Vancouver. On March 15, 2007, I had the privilege of presenting a morning workshop on technology tools for communication and collaboration at the Career Development Conference sponsored by the Career Management Association of British Columbia. The workshop was co-facilitated with Michael Yue from Network to Work and Ken Bellemare from Communication Magic. Our workshop appeared to be well received and attended. Several of the interesting items that emerged from the workshop included the following:

Many of the participants at the workshop were concerned that while technology may have considerable value in the workplace, it could take time away from their increasing workloads to learn new tools and techniques. Therefore, it was important for people to be shown effective use and applications for such tools
Quite a few of the participants used the word "frustrating" when asked to describe their feeling about technology in one word.
The value of effective storytelling and use of dynamic visuals and audio presents a very new and exciting tool and process to use with clients in the career development field.
In light of the innovative approach to using PowerPoint for presentations, participants saw considerable value in how it could be used much more effectively.

A copy of the presentation package is available for download from my corporate website at http://www.theinformationguy.com/Resources.html

Another topic of interest, or it least it should be, to anyone with a wireless connection is the issue of security. For an interesting and timely discussion regarding the security concerning your wireless connection, check out the article at:
SmallNetBuilder - http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/content/view/24239/98/

New Approaches to Leadership and Personal Development

2007-03-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

A colleague of mine recently told me about superb facilitator, Dawna Jones, who specializes in a variety of interesting fields related to personal and business development. Having looked at her website at: http://evolutionaryprovocateur.typepad.com/ it is obvious the passion that she has for this field. She has posted some very interesting articles and has a comprehensive blog.

Storytelling in Your Career

2007-03-08T22:29:00.000-08:00

For the last couple of years, I have been considering the value of stories and business narratives in the business world. In considering suitable applications, it occurred to me that job seekers rely on powerful stories to find work without realizing it.

For example, one of the main questions in a typical job interview is: "Tell me about yourself." If ever there was an opportunity to know how to tell an effective story with meaning and relevance to the potential employer, then this is it. By thinking about "who am I" and "why am I here", one can frame an effective story within a couple of sentences in a way that can set an effective tone for an interview.

Stories enable us to connect with one another on an emotional level, whereby what someone says can be much more memorable than a chunk of data. So for those interested in enhancing their job interview skills or in general communication skills, then look at the topic of stories on the Internet and see what you can do to enhance your ability to communicate using this powerful tool.

Working with Remote Teams

2007-03-04T08:19:00.000-08:00

With the emergence of working online with people in different locations, besides learning to use the collaboration software, such as wiki tools, it is also important to consider effective methods for communication.

The "webreakstuff" weblog provides some tips for working as a remote team at:
http://blog.webreakstuff.com/2007/02/working-with-remote-teams/

While technology provides some very useful applications, it is still all about people and their ability to communicate that is at the heart of tools and applications.

Storytelling

2007-03-02T13:52:00.000-08:00

The other night I had the chance to watch an inspiring photo essay of wildlife and nature images in B.C. sponsored by a digital camera club. While technology in the camera world has dramatically changed in the last 10 years, with the advent of digital cameras, what impressed me about the presentation was the manner in which people have learned to control and use the technology without the technology controlling them. That is to say, the best photos still require careful consideration of composition, design, layout, lighting, etc. Even with high technology cameras, the basic principles of taking good photos still apply.

I only wish that more presenters and educators would take this approach to understanding the use of technology, such as PowerPoint, as a tool to deliver effective communication. I have seen too many presentations that PowerPoint becomes the only method for delivery of content with many basic principles of communication and training ignored. No matter what tool is used, if any, to deliver a presentation, the basic purpose and objectives of communication should be considered.

Stay tuned for more details on what those objectives are!

Freeware Software - Reviews and Recommendations

2007-02-22T14:16:00.000-08:00

In browsing through some discussion groups on the Internet, I ran across a link to a very well laid out site that provides reviews and recommendations for freeware software, some of which are free clones of some very useful and essential software for home and small business software users.

Feel free to check out the Freeware Genius Site at: http://www.freewaregenius.com/

Please note as with all my blog posts regarding freeware and/or other software applications, I am not responsible for any alterations or consequences to your computer system by trying out those applications. This information is provided for general information purposes only.

Storybook Creator

2007-02-21T08:51:00.000-08:00

Last night I attended a very interesting seminar at a digital photography club in Port Moody. The presenter demonstrated a wonderful product that I realized had considerable applications for documenting and displaying information, particularly dynamic visuals. The software product and associated printing service is available via "Storybook Creator", which can be viewed at the following website: http://www.creativememories.ca/MainMenu/Our-products-and-services/Digital/StoryBook-Creator.

In summary, you can download the software for free to easily create professional quality fully illustrated books using a considerable amount of templates. You would use your own digital images (from a scanner or digital camera) to create your book after which you would use the software to upload your completed book to the Creative Memories website. They will publish and bind your book within about 7 business days and send you the completed product. The cost of the book is quite reasonable and looking at some samples I was most impressed with reproduction of the images and text. Best of all the software is very easy to use!

I was left quite impressed with the service and the possibilities for different applications of such books from a personal and professional sense.

Sharpcast to Share Your Photos

2007-02-19T12:49:00.000-08:00

Looking for an interesting way to organize your photos and other image files and perform some basic image editing. Sharpcast Photos seems like an interesting and free way to do that as well as share images via the Web. At present, this website provides 5 GB of space for free for your online photo storage. Seems like an easy way to create your own online portfolio.

Check it out at http://www.sharpcast.com/.

One really interesting feature is the program's ability to automatically update your data, so any change you make to a designated photo collection gets shared among the various PCs and mobile devices you use to access your account.

Take Your Presentations to the Next Level

2007-02-12T16:23:00.000-08:00

Ken Bellemare and I just finished facilitating a Creating Great Presentations workshop at the University of Victoria for a wonderful group of talented trainers. What was unique about this workshop is that we provided an approach to doing presentations and training that incorporated the best concepts and practical tools for use low and high technology, particularly PowerPoint, along with active learning activities to make sessions truly memorable.

My passion in work is to free people of having to use traditional approaches to presenting information and content, such as with lectures and pointless PowerPoint presentations. One of the most powerful activities during the weekend involved enabling the workshop participants to develop a sample dynamic visual with a captivating caption using just paper and a collection of magazine images. The end result was truly inspiring. The participants realized immediately the value of using this approach combined with effective storytelling to create a much more effective presentation.

For those readers who are somewhat skeptical or would like to know about the value of powerful visuals, check out Neil Squillante had to say in his blog article:

Take Your PowerPoint Presentations to the Next Level at http://blog.technolawyer.com/2006/06/take_your_power_1.html

Collaboration Tools - Instant Messaging

2007-02-07T17:44:00.000-08:00

Looking for a great tool for collaboration in the office or at home? Rather than try and use several different Instant Messaging systems, such as Yahoo Messenger, consider checking out Meebo (www.meebo.com), considered one of the premier web-based Instant Messaging (IM)services that lets you sign-in to a variety of common messaging systems simulataneously. It is a very good alternative to running multiple IM clients.

Training Supplies

2007-02-02T08:20:00.000-08:00

For anyone involved in training or facilitation, here is an interesting online training supply site with some unique props and supplies: "The Trainer's Warehouse"

Moreover, this site provide some tips for training.

Additional Interesting Resource for Job Seekers

2007-01-23T21:47:00.000-08:00

If you haven't checked out Craig's List for Vancouver, by all means have a look at this innovative website. In addition to offering a variety of daily classified ads, it includes job postings for cities around the world, including Vancouver.

Check it out at:

Craig's List Home Page for Vancouver

For example, under the Human Resources jobs section, the following positions were listed on Monday, January 22, 2007:

Employee Development and Services Coordinator (Vancouver)
Director of People Resources- Canada (Vancouver BC)
Client Relationship Manager (Relationship PRO Wanted!) (Richmond)
Human Resource Assistant Job#915CO (Vancouver, Downtown)
Live-in person needed (northvan)
Human Resources Administrator (Downtown Vancouver, BC)
Staffing Coordinator (Downtown Vancouver, BC)

Encouragement to Job Seekers

2007-01-13T17:34:00.000-08:00

Having just taught another course regarding employment counseling, I am continuously impressed with the challenges that immigrants coming to Canada have to face in trying to find work. It is unfortunate that their skills, talents and education often go unnoticed when trying to find work. To deal with our impending labor shortage, it would make sense to focus our efforts on better utilizing the expertise of such workers.

Just a thought.

Online Storage

2007-01-05T16:23:00.000-08:00

Well, after an extended break due to being on the road, I am pleased to continue providing information about training and technology tools and resources. For an effective way to store and share information, you may wish to consider online storage space. Streamload is an example of a free/paid service. The free service allows you to store up to 25 GB online, as well as share this information if you wish. This website notes:

Free Online File Storage

Store files securely on the web. Get 25 GBs of FREE online storage.
MediaMax, powered by Streamload, gives you online file storage so you can upload, store, access, and share videos, photos, music, files, and work-related documents. Get safe, secure, and free web storage for all your files.

Upload Files and Store Files

Upload videos, photos, music, and more to your private MediaMax account. After you upload files, they are easy-to-access on the web, organized, and backed up.
Enjoy free internet storage with MediaMax. You get MP3 storage, audio file storage, music storage, video storage, photo storage, and more - all in one service.

Free Storage and Backup

Once you upload videos, photos, music, and files to MediaMax, you can rest assured that theyre super-safe. MediaMax is always secure, backed up, and private. You never have to worry about misplaced or damaged videos, or failed hard disks again.

Presentation Tips - Blank Screen

2006-11-29T10:33:00.000-08:00

Looking for a professional way to enhance your use of PowerPoint and presentations. Ensure that you don't have a slide projected on a screen too long as it takes people's attention away from your oral message. Instead, simple presss the "B" button on your keyboard while in PowerPoint to instantly change the screen to black or the "W" button to change it to a white screen. Then discuss your key items and when you are ready to return to your PowerPoint presentation, hit either the B or W button (depending on which you originally pressed) and you are back at that slide.

SPAM Here Again!

2006-11-19T11:48:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I have noticed a lot of SPAM messages showing up in my SPAM filtered and unfiltered email folders. I was wondering why the sudden increase after things some under control. Even though I run a firewall, anti-virus program and three anti-spyware programs, I still receive some SPAM messages, albeit nowhere near what other people receive.

In reading through the most recent edition of the Business in Vancouver publication, I found an interesting article on the recent rash of SPAM messages. It seems that a new generation of SPAM generation devices has emerged that is able to slip by many of the spyware filtering programs out there.

Bottom line: be sure to keep your operating system up to date with checking for security releases, obtain a reputable spyware program, and update that regularly and don't open any email that you are unsure of the origin or sender.

At this rate, an alternative operating system like Linux is looking more attractive all the time.

Salary Calculators

2006-11-06T18:40:00.000-08:00

One of the most challenging items to obtain regarding labour market information is the average salary for particular occupations. To assist you in finding such information, here are several links to salary calculators and reports:

PayScale
http://www.payscale.com/default.asp
American based database of salary levels with coverage in Canada.

Search for Classes Salary Calculator
http://www.searchforclasses.com/SalaryCalc.aspx
American based database with coverage in Canada

JobStar Central Salary Reports by Profession
http://jobstar.org/tools/salary/sal-prof.php
Comprehensive list of salary reports categorized by professions

Monster.ca Salary Wizard
http://salary.monster.ca/

Workopolis Salary Wizard
http://salary.workopolis.com/

Salary Calculator
http://new.homefair.com/find_a_place/calculators/salarycalc/index.asp?&cc=1
Estimate relocation costs, cost of living and real estate

Loads of LMI Portfolio Links

2006-11-04T14:47:00.000-08:00

The participants in the CDP LMI Course at Douglas College collected a variety of great portfolio website links. Look forward to a post of those links coming soon to this Blog.

Happy LMI Day!

Wikispaces - Quite a Tool!

2006-10-28T18:30:00.000-07:00

A colleague of mine, Michael Yue, has for some time been extolling the virtues of a simple, yet very effective tool to use for online collaboration. He pointed out the ease with which one could sign up at Wikispaces for an account. He suggested that it provides a very easy to use tool for various people to comment on a variety of topics on a common website space.

Well, I am pleased to say that I have checked out this service and found it very user-friendly and was able to sign up for an account within a couple of minutes. I hope to use this tool to generate a list of portfolio websites for career development practitioners and job seekers. I will use the help of participants in a course that I am instructing and will ask them to provide information during a computer lab using the wikispace to compile lists of suitable links.

Stay tuned to hear how this experiment goes. Wikispaces seems a great tool for a group of people to use a web-based site to plan a trip rather than endless rounds of emails to confirm various arrangements.

Wiki away!

Advice for Consultants - Great Workshop

2006-10-13T21:36:00.000-07:00

This week The Information Guy attended a very informative and useful workshop conducted by Kevin Eikenberry. I found several key items from the workshop of particular interest and wanted to share those with others via this blog. By the way, I highly recommend going to Kevin's website and blogs for excellent resource information for small business owners and consultants.

1. Kevin reminded us about the importance of writing down our goals for our business growth and development. Writing goals down clarifies, verifies, and describes our actions.

2. In business, don't underestimate the value of asking good questions. All too often we assume we know our client's problems without finding enough background information. Kevin stressed the benefits in not rushing into action without a clear idea of the problem.

3. Kevin used a very simple but effective diagram to indicate the difference spectrum of roles that a consultant, or for that matter an employee or manager, may have in providing a service. When planning or beginning to start an assignment, be sure to take the time to identify your role in conducting that work. It may turn out that while you assumed your role in a project was as a subject matter expert, the client or your supervisor wanted you to take on a facilitation role in the project.

4. The consulting business is first and foremost all about developing and maintaining relationships, particularly with clients. One's ability in terms of effective interpersonal skills play a major role in determining the success of a project conducted on behalf of a client.

5. Something that I have realized when working as a consultant for other firms, but had not focused on enough in operating my own business, was the need to prepare and seek approval for a clear statement of work. Taking the time to put this together and getting approval/agreement from the client or your manager will make conducting a successful project much more likely.

Thanks to Vancouver ISPI for sponsoring this event and special thanks to Ken Bellemare, The Interaction Guy for bringing this workshop to my attention.

Abject Learning

2006-10-07T06:44:00.000-07:00

This week proved a very interesting week for the Information Guy! On October 4, I had the pleasure of attending a workshop on the value of blogs, wikis and e-portfolios sponsored by Douglas College in New Westminster, BC. The presenters at this workshop were Sarah Stephens and Brian Lamb. Both provided some very good insights and information regarding the value and benefits of these technology tools for educators as well as other individuals.

Some of the highlights from that workshop are noted as follows:

1. Sarah pointed out the elgg resource site, which contains online education discussions including e-portfolios and wikis in the classroom.

Related to elgg.net is the the Social software elgg available through elgg.net.

The description about this innovative educational software notes:

Elgg is an open source software platform designed to allow people to easily connect and share resources. Established in March 2004 by Ben Werdmuller and David Tosh, Elgg allows you to create a social network and host it on your own infrastructure, modifying the features to fit your specific needs.

Users establish personal digital identities and connect with other people, collaborate with them and discover new resources through their connections. Plugins allow users on different social networks to collaborate, and provide specific functionality for tasks like project management, mobile browsing and collaboration through user-controlled wikis.

01/12/05 Miles Berry, St Ives School writes:

"Elgg provides the tools necessary to set up �personal learning landscapes�. It includes tools for online journals (blogs), an e-portfolio in which pupils can store and showcase their work in a range of formats, and software to support resource tagging and social networks. It works well at a school level, again installed on our webserver, encouraging our pupils to write for pleasure and for one another, as well as reflecting on their experiences inside and outside school. It would work even better within a group of schools where communities of shared interests could be established, and work could be shared with an even wider audience. We�ve found that it works best when pupils have a focus to their writing, such as a book review, or an evaluation of a unit of work. It's still in the early stages of development, but it's got huge potential and is well worth exploring."

I like that term, “personal learning landscape”. As we move to the use and consideration of different social learning tools, such as elgg, we look to new terms to describe the diversity and integration of various technologies and management systems.

2. Brian Lamb's presentation really captured my interest as he pointed out some great uses for wikis and blogs, including applications for educators and career development specialists. Brian's blog provides a wealth of information regarding these tools. Be sure to check it out!

Greetings from the Wine Country

2006-09-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

Today, I am writing from the home of Sam and Ruth, who have kindly given us a wonderful tour of the local wineries. In thinking about friends and family, I realized that one of the key things in our career development is often overlooked. Two things really matter to us in this world: our health and our relations. So when considering career changes or maintaining a good balance think about how your decision will affect those two key areas in a positive way and you will be on the right track for making a good decision. So it is off to the Grey Monk winery in Winfield for an afternoon of wine tasting.

Here we are working with my young computer expert, Jeremy, who is full of wonderful advice about computers. His way of trouble-shooting is the guess and test method. Not the best way to learn, but it does give me job security.

A Wonderful Training Consultant - Joyanne Landers

2006-09-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

Today, I had the pleasure of meeting a superb facilitator that specializes in teambuilding workshops in the Lower Mainland/Vancouver area. Joyanne Landers really impressed me with her wealth of knowledge and skills. Look for her website coming soon to the Internet shortly.

Joyanne shared one interesting tidbit regarding effective communication skills that I wanted to pass along as a thought for the day:

Over the years, Joyanne has observed in the workplace that when managers force themselves to truly listen to their employees, employees invariably feel valued and therefore go away and solve their own problems. Because they have developed their own solutions, they are committed to making them work.

Having a Great Time in a Technology Tools Workshop in Vancouver

2006-09-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

Original Post: "Today, the participants in our workshop devised a variety of interesting tools for using blogs and helping job seekers."

I had initially sent out this message during a workshop in which I led a brainstorming session and workshop with close to 60 Career Development Practitioners about various technology tools that could be used for helping clients and job seekers. The group came up with some very interesting applications and ideas, which I will document and distribute via my website in the next couple of weeks.

In particular, career development practitioners are realizing the value of such tools applied in the appropriate manner. Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks for several posts regarding some specific examples of such tools.

Career Management: Living with Purpose

2006-09-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

You may wish to read some of Steve Pavlina's articles on personal development. In reading through one of his articles, entitled "The Courage of Living Consciously", I began to relate some of his thoughts about fears holding us back from what we really want to achieve. In particular, the fear of failure or success has challenged me in the past in terms of pursuing the development of my small company for training and facilitation. While I still struggle with such fears, I try to keep moving forward in spite of them with the pursuit of my dream and passion in helping others through my company, The Information Guy Consulting Inc.

Check out Steve's article and see if it reasonates with you!

The Internet as a Job Search Tool

2006-08-25T17:41:00.000-07:00

For an interesting overview of the Internet as a Job Search Tool, check out the article as posted on the Black Collegian website. A portion of this article notes:

Beginning a Job Search

We all know that the job search process usually means creating a resume, looking for jobs and then submitting that resume with the hopes of getting a “bite.” The Internet now allows you to post your resume on hundreds, if not thousands of Web sites across the world with hopes of getting, not just one, but several “bites.” This new method of job searching still shouldn’t replace some vital steps in developing skills necessary to be competitive in the job market. The skills and abilities learned throughout your college career will be necessary to be competent, however, your job search skills should also be top notch to land that winning job. Employers expect and demand not only that you have the necessary college degree they seek to meet the expectations of the job, but they also expect that you have knowledge about all aspects of the job search process… especially Internet job searching.

Encryption Software

2006-08-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

Concerned about the lack of security on your computer in the event of theft? Then you may be interested in computer software encryption software to effectively hide sensitive data on your computer or flashdrives. A free software encryption program can be found at the AxCyrpt site.

Online Collaboration Tools

2006-08-13T09:56:00.000-07:00

After reading some great posts at the Knowplace.ca Openweekend regarding technology tools, I wanted to pass along a link to a free online collaboration page with the ability to create Microsoft office files, like MS Word or Excel style files.

Feel free to check out ThinkFree online at: http://www.thinkfree.com/common/main.tfo

2006-08-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

Looking for a great summary of useful freeware software tools! Then look no further than Miguel Guhlin's article on the Web with a great summary of such tools. The Information Guy himself has used some of these tools for personal use and found them quite helpful.

Freeware Site - Freeware Arena

2006-08-02T16:09:00.000-07:00

Looking for a starting point to discover freeware that may be of benefit? Then check out the Freeware Arena, which provides truly "freeware" with programs reviewed and checked by the Webmaster.

This site also provides links to other useful collections of freeware products.

Learn More, Forget Less, Study Better!

2006-07-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

On July 24, 2006 I had the pleasure of attending a workshop sponsored through the Vancouver School Board, which was taught by Terry Small. Terry provides a variety of very informative training and education sessions for children, teens and adults on topics including speed reading, better study habits, writing essays and term papers, and setting life goals. Having attended several of his workshops in the Vancouver area, I can highly recommend such sessions as they are very informative and practical. For more information about Terry's workshops and to receive his monthly education and learning newsletter, feel free to visit his website

We-Learning

2006-07-18T21:41:00.000-07:00

For an interesting couple of articles regarding social software and e-networking, go to the following website on We-Learning: Social Software and E-Learning written by Eva Kaplan-Leiserson. In this article, the author points out that:

Early e-learning traded technology for human interaction. Now, the personal element is being added back in. New social software tools borrowed from business and the younger generations combine tech and touch for the best of all possible worlds (including virtual ones).
In their rush to jump on the e-learning bandwagon, many companies created what is derogatively termed by some as shovelware: text-heavy content dumped online without much thought given to its usability or interactivity. Fortunately, that’s changing slowly. More companies are using real-time learning events, virtual classrooms, and interactive simulations to reintroduce the human (or almost human) element into learning technology.

Several interesting blogs related to technology include:

Vitrual Business Cards

2006-07-13T06:31:00.000-07:00

The Productivity Profile website has an interesting article on how to create and use v-cards or virtual cards - an interesting form of business cards via email programs such as Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Outlook Express. This provides an interesting way to promote yourself and/or your business. The Productivity Profile website provides an easy to follow set of instructions.

Greetings from Quadra Island

2006-07-08T06:55:00.000-07:00

Here I am writing to this blog from the wonderful Quadra Island, near Campbell River in B.C. While here on a short family vacation, I could not resist signing in early in the morning to remind all my blog readers of the need to back up your data, including email messages and attachments on a regular basis.

A client of mine recently had here hard-drive crash on a two year old computer. She could not understand why the hard-drive crashed on such a "new" computer system. Unfortunately, computer hard-drives are not infallible and can even crash after one to two months use. So take preventative measures and back up your data, preferably using several media types, such as CD/DVD disks as well as an external hard-drive, which you should store offsite or in a fire-proof chest. Finding an easy way to back-up your data and determining which data to back up and where it is located can be challenging, but let me tell you it will be worth the effort.

In the next few blog postings, I will provide advice regarding this critical issue.

Photo and Image Viewer

2006-06-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting tool, particularly for those people with a digital camera for sorting and organizing electronic image files. FastStone Image Viewer is a fast, stable, user-friendly image browser, converter and editor. It seems to have a nice array of features that include image viewing, management, comparison, red-eye removal, emailing, resizing, cropping and color adjustments.

Group Email Management

2006-06-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

For people requiring an email application to assist with the management and distribution of mailing lists, particularly if you regularly send messsages to large groups of recipients, then check out, GroupMail Free Edition 5.0.0.818.

Project Management Software

2006-06-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

Looking for a free alternative to Microsoft Project to plan your major initiatives? Then check out the open source software product, called GanttProject.

As noted on this product's website:

What can I do with GanttProject?With GanttProject you can break down your project into a tree of tasks and assign human resources that have to work on each task. You can also establish dependencies between tasks, like "this task can't start until this one is finished". GanttProject renders your project using two charts: Gantt chart for tasks and resource load chart for resources. You may print your charts, generate PDF and HTML reports, exchange data with Microsoft(R) Project(TM) and spreadsheet applications.

Career Advice - What Employers Look For When Hiring

2006-06-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

As a result of facilitating several employer panels and focus groups, I compiled a variety of useful tips in terms of what employers look for when considering potential job candidates. These tips are available from The Information Guy's website as an Adobe pdf file.

Great Labour Market Resource and Website

2006-06-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

Looking for an easy place to find current trends, current affairs and LMI statistics for British Columbia. Then check out Marion Tansey's website, which she describes as an electronic filing cabinet. Note the weblog in the top left corner with some very useful information.

Thanks to Marion for supporting the career management field with this great resource. The Information Guy considers Marion's website to be an excellent example of a technology tool for job seekers and career development practitioners.

Job Search Technique - Volunteer Work

2006-06-09T23:04:00.000-07:00

Volunteering is an excellent job search technique, particularly if you are unsure if you are suited for work in a new industry or field. Go Volunteer is a very good resource to find volunteer opportunities in BC and Alberta. This site is well laid out and enables you to search via keywords, volunteer categories, or location.

The New Illness of the 21st Century: Information Obesity

2006-06-08T03:09:00.000-07:00

Do you find yourself struggling to keep up with all the information available in print, in media and on the Internet? I am increasingly becoming interested in and turning my professional attention to the problem of information overload. Here is a link to an article related to this topic, which provides some insights regarding some of the challenges facing us in today's content rich environment.

I have used a variety of techniques over the years to effectively manage the information that I review and keep on my computer system and plan to help others in that regard. Managing information flow is a great way to enhance your productivity.

Productivity Notes - MS Outlook 2003

2006-05-31T08:41:00.000-07:00

Looking for ways to be more productive, particularly in your use of MS Outlook. Then check out the concise and useful list of tips for MS Outlook 2003. This list of tips includes:

Mail tips such as: How to set a reminder to reply to an email message. Right-click the message you want to set the reminder for, point to Follow Up, and then click Add Reminder. In the Due By list, click the date when you have to complete the reply. In the second list, click a time. In the Flag color list, click the flag color you want, and then click OK.
Calendar tips such as: Automatically add holidays to your Calendar On the Tools menu, click Options, click Calendar Options, and then click Add Holidays.
Task tips such as: a) Quickly mark a task complete Right-click the task and then click Mark Complete on the shortcut menu. b) Quickly assign a task Right-click the task, and then on the shortcut menu, click Assign Task and type a name in the To box.

Wiki - Quick Quick Notes

2006-05-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

Looking for a fast and easy way to share information and brainstorm ideas on the Internet with others. Then check out Wikis.

The Wikipedia notes:

A wiki (IPA: ['wi?.ki?] or ['w?.ki?] [1]) is a type of website that allows users to easily add, remove, or otherwise edit all content, very quickly and easily, sometimes without the need for registration. This ease of interaction and operation makes a wiki an effective tool for collaborative writing. The term wiki can also refer to the collaborative software itself (wiki engine) that facilitates the operation of such a website (see wiki software), or to certain specific wiki sites, including the computer science site (and original wiki), WikiWikiWeb, and the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. When used to refer to a specific site, wiki is often capitalized.The word wiki is a shorter form of wiki wiki (weekie, weekie) which is from the native language of Hawaii (Hawaiian), where it is commonly used as an adjective to denote something "quick" or "fast" (Hawaiian dictionary). In English, it is an adverb meaning "quickly" or "fast".

Check out PB Wiki for a free password-protected wiki tool.

High Opportunity Occupations in BC!

2006-05-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

I encountered a very interesting and current labour market report prepared by the BC Ministry of Advanced Education, entitled: High Opportunity Occupations in BC (April 2006). This short paper provides a good indication of good opportunities for skilled job seekers in BC.