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Wednesday 25 January 2012

using social media

As a rather floundering 'digital immigrant' as they (? the OU, and no doubt others) say, I find myself somewhat curious about the use of Social Media.  Impressed by the Archers use of Tom's Piggy football (is it really there? - must Google after this post) (and, yes, the Archers was set up to educate), among other things, it's clearly a powerful medium, and naturally I would like to harness it in useful, benign/ win-win kind of way.

As part of this curiosity, last year, in my role as a director of the Shiatsu Society, I was able to invite Wendy Francis, shiatsu/ acupuncture practitioner, as well as IT expert, to run a session as part of our annual Congress.  Although the session was relatively poorly attended (shiatsu folk are not generally that interested in this kind of thing - they want to get on with giving shiatsu), I argue that there was a quality of presence - well, me, of course, but also interestingly, our eminent presenter, Ohashi, (flown in from New York, originally from Japan, and who taught many of our now-eminent teachers in the early days) came along to the session.

Monday I managed to have a session with Wendy, and she helped me take forward a few aspects with regard to my use of social media, and on the back of that I have now booked six sessions at monthly intervals.  I do this because it is important for my business, but also because it has a sense of fun and excitement to it for me.  Wendy helped me do a little duck logo for my email signoff, to link to this blog, for example, wonderful!  You can find Wendy via http://www.creativeconnections.co.uk/ if you would like to ask if she can help you too.

so, I'm excited about taking this forward - what would 'piggy football' look like in the shiatsu world, or for inviting people to participate in the Transformation Game?

- watch this space.
cheers, c.

Sunday 22 January 2012

I love my iPad

so as a friend put it, I have 'With one bound, ... leapfrogged into high coolness. How wonderful that must feel:- )'
I can't quite remember why I went for it in the end - ah, yes, I remember now - I'm slightly embarrassed to say, since I claim not to go for 'deals' - but my paper Guardian (also a deal) told me I had free Guardian iPad for 3 months - and this catalysed me to 'got for it' - along with the fact that Graham Wakley, who has been helping me out with my IT was around to help me figure out how to get it going... - on top of the set up that Apple usefully do on purchase.

they always ask 'you' what you want to use something you're going to buy, and I don't always know - that's part of the adventure of buying it - when it's new technology like this.  I guess I wanted to see what the Guardian looked like - in fact, a bit of a disappointment because it looked just like the Guardian paper version, not fitting very well into an iPad.  However, I have discovered that the online Guardian itself is quite good, and worth a look - with more of the links to videos etc that I had been expecting of the 'offer'.

apart from that - I find it very handy just to check what email has come in - not necessarily to work on it, because I find the touch pad a bit fiddly to operate. 

- what I have really found useful is the listen again TV - and I have just spent today watching lots of Shirlock - how brilliantly it has been done (thanks, Graham, for the tip).

- I'll report back in a while to say how I'm progressing, and what I have found out as time goes on.

all for now, c.

Wednesday 4 January 2012

2012 - Happy New Year

so, the new year begins... I managed to include playing the Transformation Game - a game developed in the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland, as a tool for reflection.

I would like to develop my role as supporting others to do this, and propose to invite people to play - good location, delicious food, and pleasant environment.

- let me know if you are someone who would like to do this...

best wishes, Catherine.