vdill, Author at STC IDL SIG

December 16, 2015

IDL Progression – Urgent Call for Proposals

Hello IDL SIG Members,

Yesterday we received exciting news: our IDL Progression proposed for the 2016 STC Summit has been approved!

Now we need proposals from our members to fill four session slots within that progression. The timeline is very short – we must submit our lineup early next week.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT A PROGRESSION TOPIC AT THE SUMMIT, WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

Please respond ASAP by email to manager@stcidlsig.org with as much of the following information as possible:

First Name
Last Name
Email Address
Phone Number
Company/School
Twitter Handle
Public LinkedIn Profile
Session Title
Abstract (a marketing pitch for the Summit catalog)
Session Proposal (how your session will work; what you plan to do)
Audience Skill Level (beginner / intermediate / advanced / all)
Audience Prerequisites
Session Keywords (i.e. training, adult learning, interactive, etc.)
Audience Keywords (i.e. Manager, Everyone)
Bio
Speaking Experience
Examples of Presentations (short descriptions of previous presentations)

Progressions are 20-minute small-group sessions with attendees able to switch and select two sessions (out of five choices) during a 45 minute time slot. These are quick and good for discussions, problem solving, and quick case studies (as examples). Generally the presenters also have handouts with quick tips or supporting material (to summarize the big points). Flipcharts are provided for progression sessions; projectors are not.

Don’t wait – let us hear from you right away. If you have questions or aren’t sure about your topic, please write to Manager@stcidlcig.org and ask us!

Our 2015 Summit Progression was a great success, so let’s do it again.

Happy Holidays,

Robert Hershenow and Mellissa Ruryk

IDL SIG Co-Managers

manager@stcidlsig.org

December 5, 2015November 17, 2016

December 12, 2015 Virtual Progression Webinars

Saturday, December 12, 2015

10:30 PST, 11:30 MST, 12:30 CST, 13:30 EST

UPDATE: This webinar was a huge success! See the recording on our Free recordings of IDL SIG webinars for members page. (requires password. Contact programs@stcidlsig.org if you did not yet receive your password.)

Please join the STC Instructional Design and Learning SIG for our first ever Virtual Progression – a new adventure in delivering bite-sized learning to our members and other interested attendees at a time and place that suits you.

A regular in-person progression lets you pick two or three of a number of simultaneous sessions and you have to miss the other “x” number of sessions. If you have attended the STC Summit you also know that these sessions are not recorded so once they have happened, they are history. Our virtual progression offers an advantage over this model, because if you attend one session or two sessions in the “progression” you will receive links to recordings for all four sessions.

How does it work?

We will have two presentations happening simultaneously, followed by a second set of two presentations. Instead of asking our presenters to repeat themselves, these sessions will only occur once… but again, even if you attend only one, you can listen to all four!

We recognize it’s a busy time of the year, so this will be short and sweet; over the holiday period, you’ll have lots of time to catch the other recordings.

Schedule

The schedule starts at 10:30 AM Pacific (11:30 AM Mountain, 12:30 PM Central, 1:30 PM Eastern) – log on a few minutes early so we can start on time. When you register, pick one of the two EARLY options and one of the two LATER options. Each session will last 20-25 minutes with time for Q&A afterwards.

The second session starts at 11:15 AM Pacific (12:15 PM Mountain, 1:15 PM Central, 2:15 PM Eastern)

Pricing

Sessions are FREE for IDL SIG Members; $10 per session for non-SIG STC members; $15 per session for non-STC members. (Remember, it’s only $10 to join the SIG if you are already an STC member… what a great time to join our SIG!)

Session Descriptions

Mellissa Ruryk presenting on 9 Things You Didn’t Know (you need to know) about Word

This is a presentation suited for beginning technical writers or more advanced ones who keep getting stumped by Word’s idiosyncrasies. We can almost guarantee everyone will learn at least one thing about Word, no matter how long you’ve been using it. Mellissa is co-manager of the IDL SIG and has worked with Word since version 3.0 (and before that she was a Wordperfect maven. At plenty-nine, she’s been around for a while!).

Robert Hershenow presenting on Audio Editing Tips: 3 Easy Steps to Improved Voice Recording

You might have recorded audio before for some of your training videos and been a bit disappointed in how you sounded. Or, you’ve never recorded before but want to learn tips so you know what to do right, from the very start. Robert can help you! Robert is co-manager of the IDL SIG and learned his audio chops as a radio engineer, recording studio owner and musician – including appearances as one of the Rough Drafts (at the STC Summit 2013 and 2014).

Scott McCoy presenting on The Mentor Board (cue echoing fadeout: MENTOR BOARD MENTOR Board Mentor board mentor board)

You’ve heard about the Mentor Board before but think it doesn’t have much to do with you. In fact, the Mentor Board won’t function without you, and it’s one of those cases (again) where you get back way more than what you put in. Mentoring is a way to grow – not just the next gen of technical communicators but also yourself. (Ever heard the adage that you don’t really know something until you can teach it to someone else?) In addition, others have already registered as mentors and you can gain more than you can imagine when you connect as a mentee (one who is mentored). Either way, listen to Scott as he tells you the whys and wherefores. Scott is the Mentoring team lead for the SIG.

Robert Hershenow presenting on the STC Body of Knowledge (TCBOK)

Here is the quick’n’dirty guide to becoming published in (or at least, increasing the odds of contributing to) STC’s BoK: our storehouse of knowledge of all things Tech Comm). He is going to cover what you need to know to get started, and where you can learn more. Robert is a member of the Technical Communication Body of Knowledge (TCBOK) task force.

Register now

Register now and bring a friend – there will be lots of room for everyone. One lucky registrant, drawn at random, will win a $25 AMAZON gift certificate simply for registering and attending. See you there!

November 12, 2015

Last call for nominations for SIG Co-Manager

Please consider letting your name stand for election as an assistant co-manager of the STC Instructional Design and Learning special interest
group.

Your term as assistant co-manager would begin January 2016, followed by assuming the Co-managerial position in January 2017 and serving until the end of 2018.

If you are willing, please send a short biography and a recent headshot for posting on the election survey, before midnight PST on Sunday, November 15, 2015.

Voting begins early next week.

Thank you.
Mellissa Ruryk and Robert Hershenow,
Co-managers

November 12, 2015November 17, 2015

Current IDL SIG Volunteer Opportunities

We need you, IDL SIG Members:

Our IDL SIG is a very special group of people within STC, consistently recognized as a fun community to belong to, as well as one that is beneficial to our careers. The old saying “you get out what you put in” is so true, but I would say you get back *more* than what you put in. Even the smaller volunteer tasks make our community more valuable to each of us. Invest a bit of your time and see!

The SIG has volunteer openings in the following areas. These tasks are listed with an estimated minimum time commitment. You can always do more, but we ask that if you step up, you commit to seeing the job through.

Programs

Talent Scout: Locates persons to present webinars on topics of interest to instructional designers, teachers, instructors, curriculum developers and others in our audience. Books dates, prepares Letters of Agreement (a form letter that outlines the terms and conditions for the presenter to be paid), and works closely with the Programs Team lead to set up webinars and ensure they run smoothly. We usually host 4 webinars a year (but more are possible) and it usually takes two or three emails per presenter to set everything up in advance– so be prepared to devote about 1 hour a week for a month per webinar. WIIFY*: You have an excuse to contact and form a relationship with anyone in the Tech Comm sphere of influence (asking them to present) and you get to attend the webinar for free! Plus, earn our undying gratitude.

Programs Team Lead: The Programs team lead attends a one-hour monthly meeting with the co-managers and other team leads, which includes reporting on actions, accomplishments, and current and future plans and needs. Works closely with the Talent Scout and Webmaster. Updates the SIG website with event details and sets up the event on EventBrite, which includes creating scheduled messages to attendees. Liaises with Treasurer to make sure presenter is paid. Attends the rehearsal and the webinar (for free, of course!). Keeps records of webinars for Community Achievement Award. Optionally (in conjunction with the Social Media team lead), tweets and posts about the webinar to advertise it. Supplies STC Notebook listing about upcoming events. This is a time-intensive volunteer position; expect to spend about 1-2 hours per week, year-round, on your volunteer activities. WIIFY*: another chance to practice your awesome time management skills, work with fun people, find out if you want to take on a more senior role in the SIG, possibly receive a stipend to help defray Summit attendance costs. Plus, earn our undying gratitude.

Content Curator: this is a new position, so you will have some license in working with the co-managers and other team leads to create the role. One of our responsibilities to the STC is to gather and pass along knowledge about instructional design. The content curator would keep current on the IDL SIG’s Mailman discussion list and other social media (such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook) to gather all input on a topic of discussion started by a SIG member, and refine it for publication on our website and newsletter, and then for submission to editors of the STC Body of Knowledge (TCBOK) database. Expect to spend up to several hours once a month, as topics arise that provoke discussion. WIIFY*: This could be an extremely interesting position for an academic who is pursuing a post-grad degree. You will be among the first to know of trending topics in our bailiwick. Plus! Earn our undying gratitude.

Member Liaison: Working closely with the Membership chair, profiles one member in our community per month by asking them to complete a questionnaire (which you would create, with help from the co-managers, membership team lead, and newsletter editor), for use on the SIG website/in the SIG newsletter. This could take 2 to 3 hours a month. WIIFY*: Best if you’re a real people-person with insatiable curiosity; you will learn more about our members and share that information to make our virtual community more warm and fuzzy.

***We always need people who will write and submit articles for our website and newsletter. Any topic of professional interest to our members, any time, virtually any length. Articles are submitted to the newsletter editor for editing and approval prior to publication. WIIFY*: You can say you’ve been published! List the articles in your resume! Possibly end up as a contributor to the STC BoK! And, earn our undying gratitude!***

Website volunteers: We need persons with a little experience in WordPress (or willing to be schooled – it’s not hard to learn) to take ownership of a specific page or section of the website and make sure content is updated, verified, and valuable. You could spend an hour to 5 hours a month on this. WIIFY*: Learn more about WordPress, help our members stay current by providing timely, accurate information. Wait! There’s more: earn our undying gratitude.

Educational Resources listings: We have the ability to list any number of Instructional Design and Learning courses, institutions, colleges, universities, and organizations that offer education or support for IDL members. Our Scholarship chair has already compiled a list of over 100 institutions and contact information. The volunteer would update our (WordPress) website with these resources using a form, and annually help update and verify the information. WIIFY*: Learn more about WordPress; provide a valuable service to members and possibly attract new members, helping us thrive. Plus, earn our undying gratitude.

Business Directory listings: We also have the ability to create a business directory of member Instructional designers who offer their services as contractors. The volunteer would create an email asking IDL SIG members if they wish to be listed, gathering the necessary information and company logos, and posting them on our (WordPress) website using a form. Annually, the volunteer would also verify that IDs whose businesses are listed are still IDL SIG members, or pay a fee to remain listed. WIIFY*: Learn more about WordPress; provide a valuable service to members, possibly attract new members (helping us thrive), and earn income for the SIG. And hey, you’d earn our undying gratitude.

Advertising Liaison: As above (Business Directory), but for advertisers. Update and maintain http://www.stcidlsig.org/discussion-lists/advertising-rates-policies/, and conduct a campaign to find advertisers (LMS providers, Madcap, Adobe, etc.) WIIFY*: Learn more about WordPress; provide a valuable service to members, possibly earn income for the SIG. Additionally, you just might earn our undying gratitude.

General Website Help: We need a volunteer (or four) who has done some work with WordPress to update several pages on the SIG website as outlined below. Each task is approximately one hour time commitment. WIIFY*: Learn more about WordPress, help our members stay current by providing timely, accurate information. Aaanddd: earn our undying gratitude.

Obtain the remaining volunteer team leads’ bios for http://www.stcidlsig.org/about-idl-sig/idl-committees/
Update http://www.stcidlsig.org/about-idl-sig/sig-awards/ with our annual awards and DSSA recipients
Update, develop, and maintain our Mentor page as a resource for people wanting to learn more about mentoring and why they should register for the STC Mentor Board
Update and maintain http://www.stcidlsig.org/discussion-lists/ with information about Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook
Create a page to help members understand how to use the STC IDL SIG discussion list
Update and maintain http://www.stcidlsig.org/discussion-lists/list-policies-etiquette/
About a month before Summit (April) in 2016, clone the #STC15 Summit page (http://www.stcidlsig.org/news-and-events/conference/) and update with information your research about the 2016 Summit activities.