Get Organized!: Common Craft

Showing posts with label Common Craft. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Web Search Strategies in Plain English

The Common Craft Show provides a wealth of short, understandable videos related to technology. This one gives tips on searching the web and would be understandable from upper elementary school students and beyond.

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Phishing Scams in Plain English

The Common Craft Show produces short, understandable videos on hot technology topics. This video explains phishing scams and how to avoid them.

Friday, December 05, 2008

44 Blogs in 5 Minutes

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I just counted...44 blogs. That's right, 44 different blogs that are of enough interest to me that I want to read them regularly.

Our school district has two main blogs. Most of our schools have at least one active blog. Our junior high band has a blog. Today, I found that our junior high gifted program has its own blog. I like to follow the blogs of several principals in other parts of the state or other parts of the Unites States. In addition to education, I enjoy several of the blogs others are writing on personal productivity, organization, and time management.

Want to take a guess at how long it takes me to check all 44 of those blogs and read the new posts? I am afraid the title of this post has given me away.

That's right. Five minutes. How? Glad you asked. Bloglines. Bloglines allows you to "subscribe" to your favorite blogs. From there on, you simply go to one site, Bloglines. All of your "feeds" are listed down the left side. Any feed with new posts shows up in bold print. Click on the link and you are ready only the new posts.

Bloglines is free. For a tutorial on how to set up an account and get started, click here.

Bloglines is on example of an "RSS reader." RSS stands for "really simple syndication." To learn more about this concept, go here for a short video from the Common Craft Show.

Comments from Workshops

This morning when I returned to the office I did my first ever drag and drop to my calendar on Outlook - wahoo! The tickler file will come next week!

One of the most informative sessions I have been to in 5 years.

I saw your presentation at the ASCD conference in New Orleans and was blown away. Please send me your monthly email essays

Practical down to earth user-friendly content. Excellent!

One of my professional goals is to be more organized and to manage time more effectively. This hit the target.

Thank you. These are tools I can and will use! WHEW!

Practical, down-to-earth user-friendly content. Excellent!

Dr. Buck did a great job. I learned LOTS of things about Outlook that I did not know.

Where have you been all my life? This is a great idea! Thank you so very much.

FANTASTIC! One of the best I’ve been to! I could have stayed longer.

I was in your organization session yesterday. It was excellent. Came back to work today and set up my tickler file! I also moved all my messy (and vague) to-do lists into my iCal program and synced it to my Blackberry. Progress!!! Thanks for a very clear and applicable session. I'm excited to keep making the ideas come to life for me!!

Awesome ideas to get my life on track. Thank you so much!

You changed my life!

Great workshop. Fabulously well informed and entertaining presenter who shared his knowledge in a readily understandable format. Helpful handout. Thank you – well worth the trip from Ottawa.

I really loved the presentation!! Dr. Buck very thorough and entertaining. Great, practical ideas and the Faculty Club was a great setting! Well done!!

Great presenter. Was very informative, practical info to apply right away.

I loved this seminar!! Very, very well presented. Clear, logical, Dr. Buck was enthusiastic and witty. Very practical information that I will put to use immediately.

As a new administrator, I found this workshop to be extremely helpful. I got affirmation on some of the things I was already doing and many great new ideas! Thank you. Would definitely recommend to others. Frank Buck provided many ideas that will make my job as an administrator 10 times easier.

This might very well be some of the most useful, timely and necessary professional learning I've done in years. Thank you!

Excellent presentation.
Dr. Frank Buck is friendly, interesting, and knowledgeable. Well done! This seminar was amazing.

I will put it unequivocally: yours is the first workshop for professional development I have been to that has had a daily effect on lowering my stress levels and being more aware of the things I need to do on a daily basis. I cannot thank you enough. Everyday is now easier knowing I know where my day is going and not worrying over where everything is. The simplicity is almost embarrassing – how come I never thought to do this 10 years ago? My answer to that is that we sometimes don’t realize that a slightly more open mind can reap benefits we didn’t imagine possible. Thank you again. I waited about 6 months to let you know, but this only proves that I’m walking proof your techniques work long term.