Write Technology

Almost there

I get a lot of hits on my article about Google Calendar. My biggest complaint about "gCal" is that there is no way for me to truly synchronize with Outlook. Outlook manages my life and I'm too far gone to convert now. But there are many advantages to using gCal as well. You can EXPORT from Outlook into gCal and there are tricks to import into Outlook from gCal, but I'm looking for true synchronization. Once I get that, then I can synchronize with my Blackberry (which syncs easily with Outlook) and all will be well in my world.
Well, we're halfway there. I still can't find a method for true synchronization with Outlook (let me know if you do). There is, however, a method for those of you who need to sync gCal with your phone. If I wanted to go strictly from gCal to my Blackberry, this would be perfect. I realize I could sync gCal with my phone and then my phone with Outlook, but that would lead to crazy complications similar to what I once did with Outlook, iCal, and my Palm. Everything was duplicated or missing or just somehow wrong. I need something much more straightforward.
For those reasons, I haven't tried out this little app. However, it is true synchronization (it works both ways) and for those of you with a supported phone, it may be just the thing. If you use it, feel free to post a comment about how it works.

Related Links:

• GCalSync
• Google Blog: Its About Time

Technorati Tags: google calendar, gcal

Lacking in Flare

I've been trying to write this post for a week. I have mixed emotions about the whole thing. I'm uncomfortable with how I feel regarding Madcap Flare. Despite my earlier enthusiasm, I can't currently recommend that you run out and purchase this product. There's a caveat to this. I don't think you should run out and purchase RoboHelp either.

RoboHelp is in a state of limbo right now. We don't know what Adobe is going to do with the product. They may kill it completely. Alternatively, Adobe may resurrect RoboHelp so that it is better than ever.

If you must purchase a Help system, hold off until fall. At that point, perhaps we'll know more about RoboHelp's state. Fall, I believe, is also when Madcap will release Flare 2.0. While I can't encourage you to run out and purchase 1.1, I hope that 2.0 will offer significant improvements over the existing software.

More than Instructional Design

So many elearning designers have never designed instructor-led training or have no experience developing training at all. They are just thrown into elearning design unexpectedly, a new responsibility in their job. Other elearning designers have only designed for instructor-led and they have learned, usually the hard way, that one method does not always effectively translate to the other. Then there are those of us who are fascinated by how people learn, what stimulates learning, and all the theories behind it. I love hearing about ISD theory and the practical applications. (That probably makes me odd.) No matter how you look at it, I think we all need some help with our Instructional Design. (Consider the blurb here.) Our methods need to be challenged, if only because it makes us think and expand from where we are now.

There's a course coming to the US and I'm incredibly excited about it. Those of you who have heard Neil Lasher speak at conferences (Lectora conferences, ASTD, ELN, and so forth) know that Neil gives a great speech. This is more. He's coming to Atlanta to teach his new instructional design course! Not only that, it's incredibly affordable. I believe he is only charging $550.00 (USD) per person, with a discount for two or more from the same company. (Even small companies like mine can afford that!) The course outline (available here) includes everything from basic ISD principles to applying what you learned in your own psuedo-course.

Whether you're interested in theory, eLearning, or instructor-led, this course will help improve your delivery and your development. What a great opportunity! I always enjoy Neil because he tends to think outside of the current theories. Whether I agree with him or not, I always learn something new about myself and about instructional design.

Course Outline
Registration
Hotel (quote "Trainer1" to get blocked room price)
Thoughts on Neil Lasher/Trainer1, 2006
Thoughts on Neil Lasher/Trainer1, 2005

Technorati Tags: instructional design, ISD, instructional design course, instructional design workshop, learning, elearning, Neil Lasher, Trainer1

What Kind of Smart Are You?

Here is a fun little way to start your morning. I usually keep things fairly serious on this blog, but really, this is so appropriate to our subject matter and silly at the same time, I thought I'd post it. Do NOT take this quiz seriously.

Here is my result for the "What Kind of Smart Are You?" quiz offered by the learning geniuses over at Quiz Galaxy. It is, I must admit, scarily insightful. Enjoy!

All-Around Smart You are all-around smart.  Essentially, that means that you are a good combination of your own knowledge and experience, along with having learned through instruction - and you are equally as good with theoretical things as you are with real-world, applied things.  You have a well-rounded brain. 0% applied intelligence 20% natural intelligence

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

Technorati Tags: quiz, fun, learning