Writing Good Content

So frequently, my web editors at Fontbonne will ask me "What makes good web content?"

While this is a legitimate question, one could easily retort, "What's the meaning of life?" "Why is the sky blue?" or "Why do good things happen to bad people?" (That last one was an intentional juxtaposition, btw.)

Content, it would seem, varies on the message. Sometimes, one needs to convey a complicated message, hence, more interesting, dynamic copy. Often, however, a short message or idea should be conveyed ... well ... shortly.

I stumbled across a great slideshow on SlideShare today. (Check it out here if you can't see the video below.)

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Next, we have the *very* energetic Sage Lewis discussing the same topic - tips for good web writing. Don't let Sage's boisterous attitude or excitement about the topic scare you off - this is a good, succinct resource. He and his partner, Rocky, know their stuff - and it's short, sweet, and right to the point. (Check out the video if the embed isn't working on your computer.)

Making Life Easier

So I've recently stumbled across some sites/programs/technologies/God-sends - call them what you will - that have the potential to make one's professional (and frankly, personal!) life a bit easier.

That's what technology is really all about, right?

In the spirit of being upfront, I have to confess - I love all things Google. It's search engine is by far my favorite search engine on the web, I've been a G-Mail user since it's first weeks in beta-testing, and I have long been completely enamored of Google Earth, which shows an earth view from space. So really, it's no major surprise that when I saw Google Notebook, it was love at first sight. (Just for fun, a neat video that highlights some funny/strange things found on Google Earth.)

Let me explain this new love affair - Google Notebook makes your life easier. It's that simple. In short, this really fantastic tool (pictured with this entry) basically helps you keep notes online (including links, photos, etc.), organize them, and should choose, share them with others. Best of all, there's a neat little download that you can use to add Google Notebook features to your main web browser and integrate it into your daily life. I know I will!

Also, somewhat like a wiki, users can even share notebooks among groups, and allow other group members to add or subtract information from a group notebook. Users can create headers, and even easily move information from one section to another with the click of a button. Honestly, and again, I'm biased (but not stupid, or easily impressed!) I found nothing wrong with this tool - I really liked it, and will certainly use it a great deal in my personal and professional life. (I can't wait to start building my recipe book online!)

Alright - the gushing will cease. At least temporarily.

The next organizational application I check out was Stu.dicio.us. Honestly, I chose this because it's name was so similar to de.licio.us that I figured it must be good. Sad - I went to Stu.dicio.us' site - and it's currently down and preparing for beta testing.

I moved on to Backpackit. Okay, in short, Backpackit offered many of the same features of Google Notebook - that said, I found it a bit "less natural" to use. I had to read a bit of the help files and instructions to really dig into Backpackit - so one strike already. On a positive note, it offered group calendar organization, which I loved, and a fun task-list looking organizational style that I found pretty visually appealing. I like both tools, but I'm still a bigger fan of Notebook.

Use one of these tools - please! They'll ... well ... make your life easier.

Technology in Education

Technology fits with education like a hand in a glove!

Recently, I've had a good bit of fun using social bookmarking, particularly on del.icio.us. This is awesome - it allows anyone to view websites that I have selected are relevant to me.

It's so strange to me that in so many settings teachers are afraid of technology - the Guardian, a British newspaper - had a great piece about this very issue on it's blog recently. (Check it out!) One would think that instructors would understand that technology will not replace them, nor will it make their jobs more difficult - quite the opposite.

Teachers should wholeheartedly embrace technology! Students will easily embrace technology - which they're more than likely already using recreationally - as a major learning tool.

Blogs, in particular, are a casual, yet structured way for an instructor to communicate to a large group of students, and encourage them to discuss topics casually in the comments sections of such blogs.