Monday started with 34 students in our classroom learning the “Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Drupal” with OSTraining. Steve and I had a great time interacting with some very “keen” people. The fun came when several students came up to us during DrupalCon and thanked us for the excellent introduction. They had a firm foundation set on Monday so they could understand Tuesday through Friday!

I blogged a bunch of sessions – http://www.ostraining.com/blog/live – most of them were very good. The best of the week though was @lukew ‘s very well done presentation on mobile. Realy worth watching! – http://blip.tv/drupalcon

Had a wonderful time last night catching up with Rob Layne from IFCPP (http://www.ifcpp.org) Dinner was great – and I always appreciate time with Rob. This was our appetizer (Veal tongue)

Heading home this afternoon – even got an upgrade with Delta… I could learn to enjoy this

I’ll be meeting up with Steve Burge, Rob Layne (ifcpp.org), Diana from Four Kitchens, Eric from Acquia, Ryan with the Commerce Guys… and even Paul Varnum – from AiG days.

Should be a great week!

If you’re heading to Denver for DrupalCon – let me know!

Helpful Websites for Educators and their iPad2′s

• Hottest Apps used by Apple Distinguished Educators
• iPad2 Exploration – BalancedTech (great resource – tons of links)
• iPad Learning Studio (slideshow)
• Teach with your iPad

iPad in Education (pdf of slideshow)

Cool product!! – I mentioned Evernote during the day – its really my “go to” app for everything – They have released flash cards for evernote – so just build a notebook with the material for your flashcards – and voila! on your ipad! – Evernote Peek!

I’m sitting in the terminal at the Toronto Island Airport (YTZ), after a brief ferry ride over to the island. Zero wait time… everywhere. The gate agent was great… my 2nd checked bag was only $20. No line at security – and to my surprise – free snacks and Starbucks coffee waiting in the lounge – the general boarding lounge…

In the business centre – there are 18 new 27″ iMacs for people to use while they wait. And yes! all of the gate agents were on macs too…

This looks more like a Delta Sky lounge than a public terminal.

Now the interesting part – I’m flying out on a Dash-8 – a turbo prop – haven’t been on one of those for years…

A great start to the day!

Resources Mentioned:

• Presentation Zen – Garr Reynolds – http://www.PresentationZen.com
• Nancy Duarte – http://www.duarte.com
• http://www.beyondbulletpoints.com
• TED: Ideas worth spreading – http://www.ted.com/
• TED Presentation – http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/isabel_allende_tells_tales_of_passion.html
• PDF – Visualization & Structural Design, Sweller – www.iwm-kmrc.de/workshops/visualization/sweller.pdf
• PowerPoint No! – Dr. Tom Creed – http://www.ntlf.com/html/pi/9705/creed_1.htm
• Powerpoint and Pedagogy: Maintaining Student Interest in University Lectures (Link)
• Can PowerPoint be Saved? – http://www.educause.edu/Resources/CanPowerPointBeSavedWeThinkSo/159772
• Seth Godin’s Blog – http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2007/01/really_bad_powe.html
• Royalty Free (but not “free”) images – iStockPhoto.com
• RetailMeNot (coupons for iStockPhoto.com) – http://www.retailmenot.com
• Saving YouTube Videos – http://www.keepvid.com (HD Version – http://www.keephd.com)
  Building Planes in the Air Commercial – Quicktime Movie

Disclaimer: The 10 principles in this presentation are not original with Rod. Source: Garr Reynolds: Presentation Design seminar – Safari Books Online.

During the presentation I mentioned that Harvard is putting entire courses online including the PowerPoint – http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~cscie1/

Some of my favorite online presentations/videos:

Bill Gates unplugged – http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/bill_gates_unplugged.html
Ben Zander – Pop Tech 2008 (SO worth the watch) – http://www.poptech.com/popcasts/?viewcastid=211
Steve Jobs – WWDC 2008 – http://www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/wwdc08/
Another Steve Jobs – http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/2008/01/5-presentation.html

@webchick (Angie Byron) is the keynote speaker – had a great chat with her in Austin last weekend. I imagine she’ll be doing the same presentation – if not – I’ll blog it at http://www.ostraining.com/events

About 60 were in our session where we condensed our full-day of Beginner’s training into 50 minutes!

Great job by the organizers.

Here is the presentation (pdf) and the video (captured by Screenflow)

(This video is the promo at the table – there is no audio)

We just released our 115th online video tutorial at OSTraining.com!

We just released our 115th online video tutorial at OSTraining.com!

One of the things we’re passionate about is training.  Yes, we’re an internet marketing/web design company… but Rod loves to teach.

The topic of this video was JCalPro – a calendar component for Joomla (view the tutorials).

Anything Digital featured the video in their November newsletter – (view online).

If you’re looking for online video – either desktop demonstration or an infinite white look for your web marketing – talk to us!

I took the opportunity to go and tour the Lincoln Memorial (again), the Viet Nam Memorial and the new Martin Luther King Memorial.

I thoroughly enjoy D.C. – it’s a great city. I am moved each time I read the Gettysburg address that is engraved on one wall at the Lincoln Memorial. I stood on the exact spot where MLK delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.

One of the more interesting things I noted this time… President Harding accepted the memorial and drew a lesson from Lincoln’s steadfastness under criticism, eulogizing him as not a superhuman but as a “natural human being with frailties mixed with the virtues of humanity.” The invocation and benediction were delivered by the Rev. Wallace Radcliffe, pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, where Lincoln worshipped. On the platform that day was Robert R. Moton, President of Tuskegee Institute. He spoke to the great audience that attended that day. Although he shared the platform with both Radcliffe and Harding, he spoke to a segregated audience.

I was very impressed with the MLK Memorial. Although I would have preferred to see some different quotes used on the walls, it is a fitting tribute to a great man.

Here are some pics from my iPhone 4: