Working From Home

Well I have worked from home for the last two days. I have been working on some projects that I need to do in an interruption free environment. They are not complicated, just detailed.

I work in an office with two other people. They have all kind of knowledge so people are asking them questions all day long.

Soon I will get questions also. But for now, my roomies can have all of the questions!

My job gave me a computer that I had never heard of, an MSI. Turns out it is Micro Star. I wanted a lighter laptop for my commute. I have a MSI U120 that I am sort or testing. It has a 10″ screen and I guess could be classified as a netbook. I love it. So far it runs Microsoft Project, Adobe Captivate, microsoft Office, Visio, Documentum, and Xyleme, so i am happy. I need an external monitor at work, but it is a perfect size for subway commutes and travel.

 

Teamwork and Elearning

I worked with a great group of people for the last three days. We were “sequestered” and working on developing an elearning module using Captivate, Presenter, PowerPoint, video, audio, document data files, and graphics.

Our group was past forming, storming, norming, and were defintely performing. We have many lessons learned and will be documenting them asap. All of the personalities meshed and everyone learned something new.

Our secondary goal was to see if given the dedicated time could we accomplish the goal. We still have a little work to do on our product, but it is definitely high quality. I believe if given the same amount of time and information, and a little more technical know how, we could finish a product in the given time.

So, this weeks activities have left me with some questions:
Could I develop an elearning module by myself in the same amount of time given most of the assets?
What is the best way to present information in elearning?
Are recorded webinars effective learning since the words are in the screen and mostly being read (in most of the ones I have seen)?
Will instructor led training be displaced by elearning? (I doubt it!)
How can you represent some topics through graphics?
Will all of the rest of the teams I work with be as pleasant?

 

Philadelphia Museum of Art Membership

My husband and I recently went to Philadelphia. During that visit we went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I don’t remember why we went to the PMA, but I am so glad we did! During that time there was a special Cezanne exhibit in progress. The tickets were sort of pricey so my husband and I decided to purchase a Supporter level membership. This membership would get us into the museum, the exhibit, a discount on parking, and entry into 50 other museums around the country.

I am so glad we did this. The Cezanne exhibit sparked an interest in art in us. I have always enjoyed looking at the “pretty” pictures, but while looking at the art, something changed. The exhibit included artwork from Cezanne but then it also included art from other artists that were influenced by Cezanne. The other artists’ works ranged from works that were very similar to something more modern to more abstract to one that was a big blue swath that was to represent the water in the original painting.

As we viewed the art the spark of interest started. I was so fascinated by the original works and the interpretations. I now want to learn more about the artists lives and why they painted a particular painting. Why is the painting dark, how did they make the veins in Socrates’ feet show up, why does the head in look so crazy, why didn’t they put clothes on those ladies, was chubby in vogue during those times, were all of those men really that muscular, how did they make the colors so vivid, did they really just throw paint on a canvas, why do I like this picture?

As we go on our museum and art journey, I hope to find the answers to those questions and explore a whole new world which is accessible to all.

 

Jumble of Thoughts

This evening I am a jumble of thoughts on so many topics like: my subway stop needs two additional sets of stairs; the RNC Chairman needs to find out what health care plan he has so that he will know when asked in an interview; people should keep their committments; flights to Paris are expensive; I wish my iPod Touch had a microphone and camera; how could I use Google Wave; why can’t Verizon have iPhones; I need a smaller laptop; can I really learn to draw without the raw talent; and mostly…how can I turn off my thoughts for the night so that I can get some sleep?

 

100 Extra Calories Per Day

My husband, the personal trainer, just said that 100 extra calories per day can put 10 pounds on you in a year. I guess this means I need to really think before drinking that daily Chai Tea Latte.

 

My Subway Ride Home

OK, I am riding the subway home and there is a set of teenagers playing on the subway. I am use to the tourist with young kids that run all over the subway and I can understand that. I am having difficulty understanding 15 year olds sitting on each other, swinging around the poles, bumping into each other, making lots of noise, and other goofey things with the adult (parent) approvingly looking on. Am I a grouch or something? No, not really, I am quite pleasant. I am just having an understanding issue today as I am witnessing this.

 

Grateful for Two Jobs

Last week, while on vacation in New York City but staying in Jersey City, we talked to a waiter that had served us the night before. He told us that he was “grateful to have TWO jobs.” As I heard that I had to step back and say that I am a little spoiled. I personally like one job with a decent salary and here is this young man grateful for two low to average paying jobs. I was speechless, I didn’t know what to say, I could only nod my head in agreement and let my husband talk. I really couldn’t verbally agree, because I couldn’t really process the the situation.

He was grateful to have two jobs that basically have him working all days of the week and not by choice. He was grateful in these economic times to be able to have two jobs. I have been through a college credit card induced “hard time” where I had the padding of parents and an IBM buyout save me, but never in the situation where I needed two jobs.

I am thankful to God for the job that I do have. I am also thankful that if I had to work two jobs I think I could mentally adjust and do what I would have to do.

I pray that this young man prospers and that the second job becomes the source of something like savings for a years worth of emergeny funds or retirement savings and not just the source of day to day living income on top of the income from the first job.

 

Direction

I am sitting outside of the Apple store in the Columbia Mall trying to decide in what direction my life should go. I want to write, but I’m not really a writer. I could be a web designer if I honed those skills. I could be a bookkeeper if I refreshed those skills. I could be a technology pro if I refreshed those skills and took a few classes. I could be an e-learning pro, well that’s sort of what I do now, just not an expert yet. I could be an ISD professional, oops, that’s what I am. OR I could go in a whole new direction totally unrelated to anything I do now. I think it is time to specialize. I have a very varied set of KSAs that are wide but not all are deep. It’s time! But specialize in what is the question.

 

COVAAC Presentation

The links that we will use for today’s presentation are posted below:

http://www.gmail.com

http://www.youtube.com

http://www.facebook.com

http://www.linkedin.com

http://www.wikispaces.com

http://covaac.wikispaces.com

http://www.blogger.com

http://www.wordpress.com

http://covaac.wordpress.com

http://delicious.com

http://www.dcastdpodcast.com

http://www.google.com/reader

http://www.twitter.com

PowerPoint and Handout:

PowerPoint from Today’s Presentation

 

Hurricane Gustav and Social Networking

The ReadWriteWeb blog had an interesting article which demonstrated how social networking tools are being used to provide up to date information on the storm. It was interesting to see the way that Twitter is being used to provide updates from organizations such as the Red Cross.

clipped from www.readwriteweb.com On the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we watch as Hurricane Gustav once again batters the Gulf Shore. Today, many of us are glued to both the TV and the web to keep track of the ongoing coverage of the storm. Beyond just traditional media outlets, there are also a number of other resources on the social web that you can use to keep up-to-date with Gustav news. Social networks, blogs, live news video, and, of course, Twitter, are all being used for up-the-minute coverage. In fact, Twitter even had a breakthrough moment on CNN as reporter Rick Sanchez referred to it on air and used it to gather news.