Evernote everywhere

It's awhile since I promoted a web tool in this blog - but I've become a convert to Evernote, not just because the folks at Evernote proudly promote it with a video showing Jack and Jill (Jill's the smart one with Evernote, Jack's got sticky notes all over the place and is totally disorganised!).

Evernote is widely used for grouping your Notes (free text) in Notebooks (folders of related notes) across platforms on a PC or Mac and synchronised to your Netbook/ laptop, iphone (apparently - I don't have one of those yet) and tablet/ ipad (ditto).

It's really useful in the planning stages for a project or learning task because you can collect links and files together with your Note, and tag your notes (to search by subject tag later, when your collection of Notes and Notebooks has grown). You can also record some audio - that's right - just click the little microphone icon to record your thoughts/ comments and the recording is then attached to the Note.

Let's Google it!

It seems that not only has 'Google' entered the English language as a verb describing the most ubiquitous web searching tool/ process on the planet, but its other components are becoming equally obligatory work tools.

This year is the Year of Google Documents: not only can you share your docs in the cloud but you can invite others to collaborate, that is, to edit them anywhere anytime - even simultaneously whilst you're working on the very same one!

Other must-have features include: a neat Revisions History that reveals each editor's edits in a different colour, text chat Comments in a sidebar so you can have a running commentary about content and immediate autosave (though I'm not sure if you can ever get access to previous versions...).

Of course, as your collection of docs in the cloud grows, you'll need to Organise them - this entails adding them to - you guessed it - Collections (rather than folders).

The Ten Step Wiki Plan

Now that we've nearly finished our round of initial site visits to the 11 centres involved in the E-mentor project in 2011, it seems that the Ten Step Wiki Plan originally developed for staff at Carlton Neighbourhood Learning Centre (CNLC) last year to identify component e-skills has universal and immediate application for a number of centres.

If you're thinking of starting and developing a wiki for students or for staff, or even generally building people's e-skills for producing internet-ready teaching resources, then this stepped plan will be useful to you.

I've uploaded it to Google docs now so that any changes will be 'live', that is, you can access them too. Also as I'm learning about the features of Google docs, you can now comment on the doc and I can incorporate any feedback or improvements suggested by you. I like the idea of an evolving document - a truly collaborative effort. So let me know what you think of it for application in your centre: either by replying here or in the doc itself (of course, if you haven't already got a 'google identity' you might not be able to comment in the doc - not sure about that...)

Just in! ***Wiki Training Camp*** 

I found this new resource at the wikispaces blog and it looks really easy to follow. Print Training Camp worksheet pdf as a 'takeaway' to study on the tram.

Mindmapping tool

As you work through your e-plan you may want to mindmap some of your ideas to assist with the layout or design. There is nothing worse than starting the site and changing your mind half way through or forgetting to insert a page!

Ann likes mindmapping as a technique as it is essentially creating a storyboard where I create connectors that will become my pages or external links.

Michael has been using the free tool called FreeMind Portable. This is a mindmapping tool that allows you to effectively brainstorm your ideas, linking your thoughts and expanding on your ideas. It runs on any system that has java installed (a web plugin) - mac, windows or linux.

Example mindmap from the induction day:

Relevant links:

• Freemind web site.
• Download files page (freemind).
• Links to a portable version of freemind, for your usb stick (windows only, depends on java).

Other links (enthusiasts only):

• Lifehacker gives their top 5 mind-mappers (not all free). 
• Here are michael's "Diigo bookmarks" on the topic.
• ..and wikipedia has dozens more.

September 15 and 23 Induction sessions: ideas for possible projects

Jill starts: 

I really enjoyed meeting the new project participants today, and, of course, seeing a few who are continuing from last year.

In the short time available to brainstorm the vast realm of everything 'e', we mapped our different students and contexts, identifying immediate needs and a range of 'wish list' skills and possible projects.

Centres and course covered: vocational and pre-vocational certificates, VCAL, ESL Certificates and a range of short courses (too numerous to mention). Needs included:

• communication technology for web conferencing (online staff meetings, verification meetings, VCE holiday intensives, PD drop-in, skill-focused workshop)
• some sort of course management system (CMS) for secure e-lodgement of assessments (eg. Moodle, Wikispace with custom permissions,

E-projects in 2010: 'North West Cafe' opens for business

Just to give an idea of what happened last year, the following organisations participated:

ACE NING North west Cafe Group

• Olympic Adult Education (OAE)
• Australian Vietnamese Women's Association (AVWA)
• Carlton Neighbourhood Learning Centre (CNLC)
• Span Community House (in Thornbury)
• Yooralla (Flinders Lane, City of Melbourne)
• Thornbury Women's Neighbourhood House (TWNH)
• Diamond Valley Learning Centre (DVLC)

Participants explored a number of tools via the Victoria-wide web conferencing workshops that we conducted on: wiki for content management, Moodle course management, voice technologies and Flip video. We also arranged some site visits to come out and discuss projects and assist with specific tasks. We had a group in the ACE NING, a virtual meeting place like this, but with a Forum and a few other additional features.