Editing Posts into Book Format--A Challenge

Editing posts into book format is a challenge.  I've been working with Blurb.com's software and, while cumbersome, I'm about 1/8th of the way through my posts.  I have everything copied into Microsoft Word as well, though that appears even harder.

One of the challenges is that the labels (tags, categories) I have included in my blog don't make it into the version used for editing--at least not in the same format.  Microsoft Word captures the html code, though not for printing.

I've edited the first fifty plus posts out of 244.  The page count is already over three-hundred.  I know from reading books that people of my age and beyond need Arial font and 12 point typestyle or higher.  That's what I'm using for the body of the book.

I have to see how to get the book ready for publication at a reasonable cost and availability.  My 95-year-old mother is interested in reading my drafts.  (She read my draft dissertation three times almost 20 years ago.)

Avatar Movie--Ideas for Innovation in Learning Event Design for Adults

In the world of technology visualized in the recent blockbuster, Avatar, it is amazing to see how much emphasis is still being placed on "talking heads" in learning and training environments.  People are excited to have a visual image of a person side-by-side with a PowerPoint Presentation, then add the possibility of text chat and/or voice-over conversation and people think they are experiencing a rich presentation.

The key to learning is engaging in positive learning activities, then in reflecting on these activities.  The avatar (cartoon images displayed in 3D in many 2D and 3D "virtual worlds") does not hold a candle to the avatar bodies shown in Avatar--and those were computer-generated graphics with lots of visual reference points gleaned from the real actors the graphic avatars were portraying.  A true avatar the incarnation of a deity changes in the consciousness of a culture.  Quetzalcoatl is an example of an avatar in the ancient legends of Mexico.

The point is this, technology needs to engage the learners, getting them involved in positive learning activities.  The 3D technology that was part of Avatar (the 2009 film) was intended to draw the viewer into the movie.  It does a good job of this.

We need to do the same kind of thing when designing learning events, especially for adults.  They need to be drawn into the action and to apply the skills and knowledge they are developing in the learning event to real challenges, then to reflect on how they're doing and be given time to improve. 

In the Avatar film, the characters make recordings into a video log (like a blog).  This is a reflective component that people need to do in an actual learning event.

The Business of Getting Noticed by the Right People

In the 2009 economy in the USA, much time on the internet is invested in trying to get noticed by "the right people."  Who are the "right people?"  That depends on the goal.  If I want a job, I want to be noticed by people who are hiring.  If I am looking for contract work, I want to be noticed by the people who are looking for someone to fill the contract.  If I want to find consulting work, I want to be noticed by organizations who would like to use me as a consultant.  Sologig.com and Fulcrum Network both focus on identifying opportunities for contract or consulting work.

How do we go about getting noticed in this age of social networking?  We post resumes to job boards, fill-out profiles on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and other locations.  We create web sites, blogs, create podcasts, put out promotional pieces on YouTube--and hope for the best

Many people are in the business of helping people get noticed.  In fact, there are almost more people trying to help others improve their resumes than there are people hiring for jobs. 

We do need to get noticed by the right people--for the right reasons--and for the right "investment" of our time and energy.