See on Scoop.it – M-learning, E-Learning, and Technical Communications
caption id=attachment_7910 align=alignleft width=138 Mayra Aixa Villar/caption
I had the opportunity to interview Mayra Aixa Villar, instructional designer and thought leader in the mobile lear
Way to go, Mayra! Check out Mayra’s feed on Twitter (@mayraaixavillar) or her ScoopIt feed. She always has excellent content. Glad to be her "amiga"!
See on www.bottomlineperformance.com
See on Scoop.it – M-learning, E-Learning, and Technical Communications
How updating the communication device known as a “diploma” will help students acquire the right skills and help companies hire the right talent.Every year, millions of Americans embark on
I found this thanks to Adriane Hunt, who had posted it on LinkedIn. I think the author of the article makes a very good point, that with a changing economy and workplace, having a degree means different things to different people, and the curriculum of many "standardized" degrees of yesteryear don’t cut it when looking for employment. I was fortunate that the program where I earned my Master’s degree in technical communication is always trying to stay ahead of the game, as it tries to involve its students and alumni who are out in the field to provide some insight so the program can continue to be useful upon graduation. The issue of credentials and matching skills is going to be undergoing a revolution in the next few years, I think, and that’s much of what this article talks about. I think making education more affordable and making sure that actual skills that can be used in the workplace are going to have a stronger emphasis going forward.
I know that this is something that’s very much on my mind, because I’m still debating whether to pursue another graduate certificate, another Master’s degree, or perhaps even going for a PhD. My husband was supportive of the idea, but the first questions he had were why I wanted to do it, and what would I be able to achieve with the new credential once I had it? Would it help me with my career or find a specific kind of job that I wanted? Valid questions, and they are ones that are worth asking. This article definitely complimented that discussion–at least at my house.
–techcommgeekmom
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A little more than a month from this writing, Adobe will be hosting an Adobe Day event at the 2013 LavaCon Conference on Social Media and Content Strategies. It will feel a little sentimental for me, because I felt like I had come into my own when attending the same event last year. I remember my excitement at hearing all the speakers and learning so much information from them as a newly-minted technical communicator. All the information that I soaked in during last year’s Lavacon Adobe Day was put to good use, as I was able to use the information when speaking at interviews when I was job searching. I’m confident that the information I learned at the event helped me get the job I have right now.
Now, I’m excited that Adobe is bringing the event back to Lavacon this year. I think I’m just as excited as last year, to be honest! Having now attended two Adobe Day events (the other being the one at the 2013 STC Summit), I know I’m in for a great time.
Adobe has adopted a theme around the location of the Lavacon Adobe Day, namely around Portland, Oregon’s nickname of “The City of Roses.” I got to thinking about this, and it seems totally appropriate. If you think about it, technical communicators are the gardeners and landscapers of content and technical communication. We need to sow and care for our documentation as if they are our gardens and plants. I know that I grow with each event with my own knowledge, and that’s why I like attending them.
And how is it that we describe growing roses? I believe the expression is that roses are “cultivated”, which implies to me that they aren’t just grown, but they are carefully tended to, bad stuff weeded out, and they are pruned until they are just right, much like technical communication should be. If these steps are done correctly, diligently, and thoughtfully, rose plants should bloom in full. The same applies to our documentation–our gardens! The speakers at Adobe Day will be helping us learn the tools and methods we need to make our “gardens” grow!
I’ve seen many of the speakers listed for the event before, speaking about different topics. They always have fantastic insights. I’m also looking forward to seeing some other presenters that I haven’t heard from before. The great thing about Adobe Day events is that isn’t never the same thing twice. Topics change and shift with the times, and the talks reflect of that reality. World-class experts helping us all learn how to make our “gardens” grow on a global scale? Priceless. The fact that the event is FREE and that it’s not a big info-mercial for Adobe is an added bonus. Adobe makes a very concerted effort to make sure that the event is topic-centric, not software endorsement-centric. Their goal is to help technical communicators grow in knowledge, and the thought leadership they gather for each of these events are top notch. Who wouldn’t want to go to something like that?
As I said earlier, I feel that I grow each time that I attend an Adobe Day event. I’ve already seen how it has helped open my mind, and that knowledge has given me a boost both in job interviews and in the workplace. I bring back the best ideas to help me not only grow my own career, but to also help the company I work for grow with the times as well. The last thing any company needs is to be in the weeds, and these talks definitely help with the weeding process of what best practices are to be used. The best ideas are cultivated and presented to us!
So, if you are going to Lavacon this year, or if you are going to be in the Portland, Oregon area on the morning of October 20th, I strongly encourage you to attend this great event. I’ll definitely be there in full force, and I’ll be covering the event live through my Twitter feed as well.
If you do decide to go, be sure to register at the link below, so they know you are coming. They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but that’s included in the event, too, so sign up here:
http://adobedayatlavacon2013.campaignsandevents.com/
See you there!
See on Scoop.it – M-learning, E-Learning, and Technical Communications
We all make mistakes. You might even be making these dumb blogging mistakes. Why not take a look at find out?
I know I’ve made some of these mistakes, but I do try to work at not making them. How about you?
–techcommgeekmom
See on www.bloggingpro.com
See on Scoop.it – M-learning, E-Learning, and Technical Communications
Don’t swallow Apple’s marketing lines that 64-bit chips magically run software faster than 32-bit relics. What the A7 in the iPhone 5S does do, though, is pave the way for Apple’s long-term future. Read this article by Stephen Shankland on CNET News.
Interesting article about the real power and purpose of the new A7 microprocessors in the upcoming new iPhone 5S.
–techcommgeekmom
See on news.cnet.com
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