Told You I was Talking to Myself

Although we still average about 70-73 readers per day, we’ve had three comments in the last week from readers. I am beginnig to think that the 35,000 hits for this site are looking for the lyrics for, “I ain’t as good as i once was”, by Toby Keith, not from interested genealogists. Surely the 73 must have a respose to something I write. Even an emphatic “Hog Wash” would help.

Co-op Conferencing:

 

To an outsider like me, some things are mystifying. Take for example the lack of co-operation among the three genealogical societies in this valley I live in. Each one has an executive comprised of competent leaders. Each one has demonstrated the ability to host excellant small seminars and workshops,  but their memberships seem crippled when it comes to supporting each other, though they are between 45 and 90 miles apart.

Involving Your Audience; Keeping Control

If you are still gaing confidence in teaching and lecturing,  asking for unscripted student participation seems like an easy way to spin out  of control.  There is an alternative way that can help some people feel more involved.

Blogging:Talking to Oneself Aloud?

Useless Information Department. The most widely read posting in the last 30 days was this gem.  But you will see only one comment. Almost 300 visitors and just one comment. I am talking to myself most days. I really am open to comments and critcisms and discussion.

Society Membership Decline and Program planning

Regular Reader Randy Seaver had some interesting comments on this topics I think bear some careful scrutiny.

Check them out at http://randysmusings.blogspot.com/2006/08/if-genealogy-interest-is-so-high-why.html

You might think about Dick Eastmans comments on genealogy societies and conferences too. Look at

http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2006/07/expanding_the_r.html#more

What do you think?

Workshop Registration and Pre-workshop Learner Assessments

For a few days now i have been wanting to comment on these two issues, workshop registration and pre-workshop learner assessment. These are two tasks that are occuring somewhere on th continent as we speak. Local societies hosting events know just how hard smooth registrations are to attain. And speakers and teachers desperately need to learn more about how to get the pre-assessment info early enough to make meaningful adjustments to course/worshop content. There is help on the web for both of these tasks. Let’s look at these.

Involving Your Lecture Audience

Sometimes we fall into the trap believing that because we’re speakers, we have to speak for the
whole presentation. Rubbish! There are times, I believe when it’s much better to
leave it to your audience to say it for you. Maybe its time you and I reviewed our lectures looking for places where we can draw on members of the audience to teach the point.

Can your program evaluation form be a marketing tool?

I came across this idea on SpeakerNet News the other day. The suggestion was to put a question like, “I’d like to learn more about ______.” That seems like a pretty simple idea.

National Institute for Genealogical Studies West Coast Road Show

My friend, Louise St.Denis, Managing Director of the National Institute claims she’s having a vacation on the west coast of British Columbia. Utter Hogwash. Consider her schedule and you tell me if Louise is on vacation.

Physical Frailties and the Idea of Hiring an Apprentice/Intern

My current health problems have interfered with my manual dexterity. So I am considering hiring and training hands and brain. An apprentice would need almost constant supervision according to one friend. I realize that. Another wondered what I’d pay. So i mentioned it to a local genealogist. She said she’d jump at the chance to work as my apprentice for free. The response surprised me! We’ll discuss this later. But in the meantime, what do you see as being my tasks in trainig and apprentice? What do you pay an apprentice? Are there apprentice tasks I should expect him to doon his time?

What do you think?