As a freelancer, anything that helps me develop skills, meet new people, and learn new things counts as professional development. And I've enjoyed lots of professional development over the last two weeks. Here are the highlights:

Plain Language: Building Results
http://www.editors.ca/branches/toronto/seminars/plain_language%3A_building_results.html
This full-day EAC seminar was as good as I expected it to be. I'm not often asked to write or edit anything specifically in plain language, but I wanted to know more about it. I always thought that because of my experience writing and editing for children and teachers, I already knew a lot about creating text that is clear and accessible to all. It turns out that I do—and I don't. The bottom line in plain language is the same as the bottom line in anything I work on: remember your audience and your purpose. Everything stems from knowing who and what these are.

Other lessons
  • Plain language is about more than just the words; it's about structure, organization, and design. All of these together contribute to a document's clarity, accuracy, and accessibility.
  • Plain language is going to take practice. I understand the principles, I recognize a lot of the techniques, but I'm not going to become good at it until I do it—a lot.
  • If you are ever at a seminar or workshop and, while talking to other students during the break, you think "oh, I should get his/her email address later to ask xxxx," act on that thought RIGHT AWAY! Put down your drink, get a pen, either wait for a break in the conversation or interrupt politely, and get that address then and there. Otherwise, the person might leave before you get a chance to ask again...

Print-On-Demand for Beginners
http://www.editors.ca/content/print-demand-pod-beginners
This half-day EAC seminar was a little more elementary than I had hoped—or maybe I just know more than I realized! Like all seminars and workshops, it was a great opportunity to meet people, hear different points of view and experiences, and collect resources and references. As one editor said to me afterwards: It's all so stimulating! It certainly is.

Other lessons
  • Now that I've learned a bit about computer languages and computer programming, I find that I WANT to know what goes on "under the hood" in a software application, if only a little bit.
  • Here's a program idea for EAC Toronto: everyone brings their e-readers so we can talk about, touch, try, and compare them. We're all starting to work on material that will be read on a screen, but how many of us have actually done so? Forget the specs—let's play! And let's share what we've each learned about, and with, the devices we are familiar with.

Treehouse Talks: Because Great Minds Don't Think Alike
http://treehousetalks.com
What a fantastic event for a McMaster Arts & Science grad like me, or anyone with varied interests and a love of knowledge and learning! A Treehouse Talk (named after the organization that sponsors them) features 3 speakers on subjects that have absolutely nothing to do with each other. I heard a physicist speak about the nature of time, a business coach speak about personal branding, and a musician speak about Baroque opera.

The third talk, by soprano Gabrielle McLaughlin (of Baroque ensemble I Furiosi), was my favourite. After introducing the Baroque period and the basic elements of Baroque opera (e.g., voice types), Gabrielle guided the audience to create the outline for an opera about… Buddy and Pedro, the bonded male penguins at the Toronto zoo! It was fun and funny… and I FINALLY "get" the Magic Flute! (It mystified me when I saw it several years ago. The music was beautiful, but I just couldn't follow the story—and now I know why!) Watch as Gabrielle guides us down the Boulevard of Baroquen Dreams (don't you love the title?) here: http://vimeo.com/32145231.


Appel Salon: Wade Davis
Anthropologist Wade Davis has just published Into the Silence, a book about the first British expeditions to reach the top of Mount Everest. It was surely no accident that the library scheduled his presentation just a few days before Remembrance Day; the second World War had a tremendous impact on most of the men who went on these expeditions. Wade's talk also illustrates the extensive research and scholarship that goes into writing a non-fiction book, the role of serendipity in life, and the value of politeness and patience. Watch Wade Davis at the Appel Salon:
part 1—http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKOggeLUAuU&feature=youtube_gdata_player
part 2—http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqosjIP1znE&feature=related
part 2—http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzirJBbhTgc&feature=related


Here's where I'll be next week. Maybe I'll see you there?
  • Wednesday, November 23 Code Meets Print TO: Reading is Social
    • http://www.meetup.com/CMP-TO/events/39478252
  • Saturday, November 26 Wordpress for Beginners
    • http://ladieslearningcode.com/events/

Note: My apologies for the lack of hyperlinks above. The software and template I'm using for my site refuse to display the links today. I am REALLY looking forward to that Wordpress seminar... : )