Membership Report – 2022 Q4

By Marcia Shannon, Membership Manager

We’re ready to welcome to a new year of challenges and opportunities. Wait a minute, that’s every year, isn’t it? Yes, it is, and we have another chance at making good choices. Choosing to be part of the tech comm communities is one of those good. 

First of all, thank you, everyone who joined or renewed your membership in STC and IDL. Welcome or welcome back to the many aspects and variations of being a technical communicator. If you have not renewed or joined for the first time, do not despair, you can join right now, or next week or whenever your circumstances favor you taking that step. 

When I was thinking about what to report to the IDL Community about the fourth quarter of 2022, these questions popped up: Who are we? Who are these folks who are interested in instructional design? Where do we live and work or work remote from? What hints do our job titles give to explain what we do in our careers? How long have we been involved with STC? As membership manager, I ran our roster through several data filters to discover the answers to those questions. I hope you benefit from these quick views of the IDL community members.
Continue reading “Membership Report – 2022 Q4”

Membership Report – 2022 Q3

By Marcia Shannon, Membership Manager

Another quarter, another change of season. I’ve always felt that Autumn is my personal new year/start fresh time. The shift in the landscape from green to brown feels like a natural time to take stock and make changes. 

September is the opening month of STC membership renewal season. December 31, 2022 is the deadline to renew your membership. It’s a good time to check out how you use membership benefits. Consider increasing those benefits by becoming more involved through volunteering. Continue reading “Membership Report – 2022 Q3”

Shhh…  Librarian Goes Online with Live Polling

By Carrie M. Macfarlane, IDL SIG Member

As a librarian, I teach students how to do research. Like any good instructor, I always try to anticipate my students’ needs. What knowledge, skills, and beliefs will they carry with them when they walk in the door? What should they be able to do when they leave?

If you’re familiar with the librarian stereotype, you might be surprised to hear that once I’ve identified my students’ needs, I use technology to meet them. Yes, I love books and I wear glasses. The librarian stereotype definitely applies to me. But the stereotype needs to be updated, and I’m here to help. That cardigan-clad woman cradling an armful of old books? She likes technology!

In my previous essay about the librarian stereotype, I described how technology allows me to interact with students before a research workshop. Here, I’ll discuss how technology helps me to interact with students after a workshop begins. I learned this technique from a coworker–I’m far from the only librarian who teaches with technology! If you’re a technical trainer, you might want to adapt it to your workshops, too. Continue reading “Shhh…  Librarian Goes Online with Live Polling”