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IDL SIG General Meeting Theme Contest (deadline 16 March 2016, 11:59 pm EST)

SIG members,
During the annual STC Summit, our SIG conducts an annual general meeting during which  members learn about what we did the past year, and what we plan to do the following year. Since we are a virtual community, the Summit is the only formal time when we can see each other in person.

To encourage as many current and potential members as possible to attend, we started building our meetings around a creative theme. For instance, last year’s theme was the Teddy Bear Breakfast in which (almost) everyone arrived in their pajamas. Co-manager Mellissa Ruryk even conducted the meeting in a teddy bear costume!! At the end of the meeting, all attendees received a goody bag with fun teddy-bear themed items including a teddy bear and stickers!

This year, we’d like to get ideas from you! We are hosting a contest where we invite you to share a cool theme/idea for our meeting. This year’s Summit is May 15-18 in Anaheim, CA.

If we select your idea, you will win one registration for any one (1) STC Live Web Seminar (generally priced at around $60 for STC members) in 2016. Find out more about the live web seminars http://www.stc.org/education/online-education/live-seminars  that STC offers (link opens in a new window).

SURVEY LINK & DETAILS: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DK58DYL

DEADLINE: 11:59 pm EST on Wednesday 16 March 2016.

We will review all submissions and announce our theme by late March/early April.

Even if you are not attending the Summit this year, you are still welcome to complete the survey as long as you are a current IDL SIG member.

–Jamye

Jamye Sagan
IDL SIG Surveys & Social Media Committees

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In Remembrance: Janice Watrous McCabe

Photo of Jan McCabeIt is with profound sadness that we share this news.  Janice Watrous-McCabe, senior STC member and an active member of the IDL-SIG passed away on October 25, 2015 shortly after being diagnosed with cancer and just a few months after she retired from Allina Health, where she managed a group of eLearning specialists.

Speaking about her, Carol Widstrand, a former IDL-SIG Programs Manager who also worked with Jan at Allina said, “Jan was kind, compassionate, and persuasive. She would bring together a diverse group of people and keep them involved. Her evaluations of training materials were thoughtful and she always took the time to discuss why things are done a certain way in instructional design.” Jane Smith, a former IDL-SIG manager wrote, “She contributed to the e-Learning evaluation session at the conference and helped with membership mailings.  She was very knowledgeable about ID… very competent.” Jan also presented a well-received webinar, Developing a Curriculum, in May, 2010.

Jan was born on May 15, 1949 in Independence, Iowa and grew up in Waterloo, Iowa. She graduated with a degree in Education, but went to work as a sales representative for Northwestern Bell in Nebraska. She moved to the Twin Cities as Director Marketing and was part of U. S. West. After U. S. West she joined Health Partners as a technical writer and after completing her Master’s Degree in Distance Learning from Capella University, she joined Allina Health where she won the Uncommon Caring Award of Excellence.

Jan is survived by her husband Robert, son David, and sister Sarah Berner, and two huskies.

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Student Volunteers Receive Free Summit Registration

by Sally Henschel, STC Academic SIG

Cap & Diploma

Summit 2016: Anaheim, California, May 15-18, 2016

Volunteer position descriptions and requirements:

  • See document posted to the Academic SIG website: http://academicsig.org/
  • This document will help volunteers to know what will be expected of them before they complete the application and come to the Summit

Volunteer application:

  • See application, which is posted to the Academic SIG website: http://academicsig.org/
  • Note the dates and times when volunteers are needed

Deadline: Applications need to be submitted by April 6, 2016 (See Application for instructions)

Benefits:  Volunteers receive complimentary registration (a $200 value) for the Summit. This enables them to visit the exhibit hall, attend all the receptions, enjoy the coffee breaks and other networking events. In addition, like the other attendees who pay the full price for the Summit, volunteers will receive complimentary access to the Summit Playback. This will enable them to view the sessions they might have missed due to their volunteer responsibilities.

Questions: Liz Herman, Student Volunteer Coordinator at liz@lizherman.com   or  Elaine Gilliam, STC’s meeting manager at elaine.gilliam@stc.org

Back to IDeaL: Design for Learning

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There’s still time! Renew your STC and SIG membership today

Although the official STC member renewal period has expired, it’s not too late to renew your membership for 2016! If you have not done so yet, you can renew today to reactivate your membership, and once again enjoy all of the benefits of being part of STC and our SIG, including

  • Discounts on many educational opportunities, such as webinars, courses, and our annual STC Summit conference.
  • Access to the STC salary database and “first look” access to the STC job bank.
  • Opportunities to network, build your skills, and grow professionally with colleagues both in person and virtually.
  • Opportunities to be recognized for your work through competitions, awards, and honors.
  • Mentoring and being mentored.
  • The right to vote in the annual STC election, which starts on February 29.

As an IDL SIG member, you can now attend our webinar programs FREE, on top of the many other benefits of being part of our community.

To renew your STC and SIG membership for 2016, go to http://stc.org/membership, select your membership type, complete the renewal form, and submit your payment. If you renew as a Gold member, your SIG membership is already included! If you renew as a Classic, Student, Retired, Corporate Value, or New Techcomm Professional member, be sure to select the IDL SIG as one of your communities. You can be a member of more than one chapter or SIG.

Stay with us in 2016! Take a few moments now to renew your STC and SIG membership. We look forward to having you as a part of our community.

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March 2, 2016 – STC Multi-Community Techcomm Showcase Round 2

Recording

The event recording is available free at
http://stc.adobeconnect.com/p65lsf93in3/

 

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 from 6:45 PM to 8:45 PM (EST)

Register on Eventbrite
eventbrite-142

 

Join the IDL SIG, STC Twin Cities chapter, and Greater Pittsburg STC chapter for another Virtual Chapter Techcomm Showcase.

This multi-community STC educational event is offered virtually to IDL SIG members. We encourage you to host a viewing party to provide opportunities for networking. Note that all times are Eastern Standard.

Each hosting community is providing a speaker for the event who will provide a brief presentation and a question and answer period.

About the programs and speakers 

STC Certification: Why, and Where are we Now? presented by Alan Houser

STC re-launched its certification program in 2016. Alan will discuss the design of the STC certification program, lessons learned from the original certification program, who might consider certification and why, and steps to become a Certified Professional Technical Communicator.

Alan Houser is a technical publishing consultant and trainer with Group Wellesley, Inc., a Pittsburgh, PA-based company that provides authoring, content management, and workflow services to technology-oriented businesses. Alan is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, where he earned an MA in Professional Writing and a BS in Electrical Engineering.

Alan is a Fellow, former member of the Board of Directors (2011-2014), and a past international President (2012-2013) of the Society for Technical Communication.

Audio Editing Tips: 3 Easy Steps to Improved Voice Recording presented by Robert Hershenow

Robert Hershenow’s affinity for audio recording spans not only decades but also diverse technologies, and over the years he has developed efficient methods for producing high-quality recordings on the cheap. This session explores the editing steps that are critical to professional-sounding recordings. Examples will focus on voiceover and will use Audacity (the free, open-source audio recorder and editor), but the concepts are applicable to any recorded content and any editing software.

Robert Hershenow is an independent technical communicator, recording engineer, and musician who has years of experience in sharing knowledge with others.

He is Co-Manager of the STC’s Instructional Design and Learning SIG and resides in Berkeley, California.

The Science and Psychology of Persuasion presented by Barbara Beresford

A successful technical communicator not only manages deadlines and deliverables, but also manages his or her influence with coworkers and superiors. If you have strong writing and editing skills, but are not as schooled in the soft skills needed to understand and positively influence the people with whom you work, attend this presentation on psychology and persuasion:

Learn about recent research on the conscious/unconscious minds that affect our behavior and decision-making

Identify how well people know themselves and what they want

Learn to use this information to understand and influence others

Barbara has been a technical writer and editor for 23 years, the last 12+ at MorphoTrust USA, Inc., where she writes user documentation for finger, face, and iris biometric technologies. Her minimalist writing style reflects her preferred approach to helping users quickly identify why a specific software system is used, what tasks are performed with the system, and how the tasks are successfully completed. She also advocates for the end user by working with developers to improve GUI design and usability.

Outside of work, she enjoys the arts community in the twin cities, especially the theater, and plays the violin in a community orchestra. In the warmer months, she tends a large garden, featuring native plants and boulders.

Register today and then join us online on March 2nd. 

About the in-person meeting: (register on the Rochester STC chapter’s site)

  • 6-7 PM Networking
  • 7-8:30 PM Presentations
  • 8:30 PM Wrap-up

Light refreshments will be provided.

Rochester Location Barnes & Noble at RIT (upstairs in the community room) 100 Park Point Rochester NY 14623

Walk-ins are welcome.

 

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