Kaitlyn's Wish

While glancing at the television a few nights ago a news story caught my attention. It was about a five year old girl called Kaitlyn who has a condition which makes it difficult for her to walk. She has spent many hours in physiotherapy to get to the level now where she is able to walk for very short distances with the aid of walking sticks, a task which she could previously only accomplish with the help of a walking frame. The condition this determined young girl has is called Cerebral Palsy Diplegia.


Wonderfully, she has been chosen as a candidate for surgery at the St. Louis Children's Hospital which is likely to give her the ability to walk. Unfortunately for Kaitlyn, her family cannot afford the medical costs for her to have this surgery.


In an attempt to raise money for Kaitlyn's surgery her family are going to extraordinary lengths, and are overwhelmed with people's generous contributions towards Kaitlyn's wish.


Visit Five Year Old Kaitlyn's Wish to Walk for more information.

Lensmaster!

A few years back I had left my job that was contributing towards me being very unhappy with my life and began my first attempt at working online. At the time I was studying a course through distance learning and felt as though I needed to do something to contribute financially along with studying.


Squidoo was one of the places I began writing. I had all these hopes and dreams, but I didn't have time to put in all the effort needed on there and let my work fall by the wayside. Instead, I focused on ghost writing for a handful of places. Recently I have headed back to Squidoo and have renewed my spirit and drive to write there and put a name to my work, rather than having someone else pass my work off as their own.


I thought I'd share with you what I have been busy doing these last few days, my lenses I have made to date on Squidoo. I hope you find something you enjoy reading, and if you feel like sharing any of my work with your friends that would be great!

To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) 

How to Make a Personal Blog

Why Australia's Carbon Tax is a Good Thing

Human Body: An Introduction to Anatomical Language

List of Specialist Nursing Careers
How to Make Easy Cinnamon Donuts

These ones below aren't exactly writing, but I always find myself searching for such a long time to find the perfect picture I can use without plagiarising. So I have begun to make some lenses that focus on free images in different genres - partly just for my own reference. I hope they help you in some way!

Rain Photos Free to Use

Sunset Photos Free to Use

Statue Photos Free to Use

If you happen to be on Facebook and you enjoy my work, feel free to join my page. Or if you are on Google+ you can add me by using the button on the top right hand side of this page!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Let me set the scene. It's the last week of school holidays; The kids are bored, the parents are losing patience and the teachers are dreading Monday!

I decide to let friends stay over and set them up with all the fantastic sleepover things that kids need to make a sleepover an awesome experience. Movies to watch, video games to play, snack food, torches to play shadow games with, pizza for dinner and of course many toys to play with. The next morning they all wake up full of beans, still filled with excitement - which is great to see! The happiness of children is one of the greatest things on Earth and is very contagious!

However, fast-forward to the late afternoon and the atmosphere has changed. They are all starting to become irritated and tired from the lack of sleep they had after staying up all hours talking about whatever it is kids talk about. Not only this, but I am literally beginning to go crazy from all the running, screaming and all the mess that goes along with it. Nothing is settling these kids down, not colouring books, not crafty stuff, not playing outside - nothing. Not even Batman settled them down!

So I try a different approach, I put on Diary of a Wimpy Kid and sat down with a cup of tea and a blanket to watch it. It only took five minutes until I was surrounded by all the boys sitting on the lounge with me watching it. Peace and quiet at last! Now I am able to move myself into a quiet corner with my cup of tea and write. With my only distraction being the fact that this movie is actually quite funny. 

Never underestimate the power of a mother looking as though she is content and resting!

How I Find Time to Make Media

I find time to make media by accident most of the time! I do plan to set aside some time occasionally with a determination to get something in particular done.


However, most of my greatest accomplishments have been created during those times when I am taking advantage of an unplanned opportunity.


I almost always have a pen and paper with me and if I don't then I should have my iPhone with me. That way I am able to capture my ideas as they come to mind, or capture each opportunity as they appear.


For instance, I am drafting this blog post while sitting on a park bench watching my child play at the park. I have my pan and paper with me. My camera with me. Therefore, if I happen to come across an impromptu photo opportunity I would be able to seize the opportunity!


So quite simply, how I find time to make media is to always take advantage of every spare moment you have by always being equipped to capture those moments!

Presentation Skills for a New Conversation

Image Source: Freedigitalphotos.net

This is another one of Chris Brogan's 100 blog topics that has had me thinking. There are so many ways to interpret this topic.


I have decided to focus on the preparation skills required for a new conversation. I think that is one of the skills that is not thought about as often as it should be when we are about to engage in a new conversation.


Most of us do tend to prepare for each and every conversation though. Just maybe not as much as we should!


This is a list of what I believe are some of the presentation skills required for a new conversation:

1. Consider who your audience is
2. In line with considering who your audience is, use an appropriate language directed towards that audience. After all, the conversation is not going to get very far if one party only understands every second word!
3. Timing. Give yourself enough time to respond intelligently. You also need to give the other person time to respond.
4. Know your subject. You do not want to come across as being unprofessional or naive.
5. Present your personality dependent on who the audience is. In some circumstances you may need to come across as extremely confident, but in other circumstances that same confidence may be perceived as arrogance.

That is my top 5 list of presentation skills needed for a new conversation. Do you have any to add that I haven't considered?

The Best Parts of Marketing

Image Source: Freedigitalphotos.net

For me the very best part of marketing is not anything to do with selling a product, it is simply the time I spend engaging with people on social networks.


This engagement gives me a chance to see and experience other people's thoughts and self expressions. It also gives me new avenues to consider. For example, other people may have a completely different view on a subject than I do and I may have never considered the point of view they have expressed.


Therefore, it gets me thinking. From there I can formulate ideas that are different again, simply because that particular subject has now taken on a new meaning to me. I guess it's contagious! That's the best part of marketing for me.

How Schools Could Use Social Media

Image Source: Freedigitalphotos.net

How could schools use social media? There are many ways in which social media could be utilised by schools and there are many ways that some schools are utilising social media.

By having a presence on social media platforms that are popular amongst their pupils schools could use their presence on there to help build up morale and a sense of community. There are always some disengaged children in schools, if these same children have social media accounts then the school could possibly use this as an avenue to engage them. To make them feel a sense of belonging.

When it comes to actually using social media as a teaching method, schools could use social media for things such as group projects. Sure, there's many ways students can find the time to interact with each other to develop their project, but having another means to do so is always a benefit.

If a school has a presence on social media it would also make it easier for parents to gauge whether or not they would like to send their children there. A parent would simply have to search for the school on their chosen social media site and would then be able to get a feel for that community, to see how the school engages with it's pupils and how they interact with the school and the staff that work there.

Schools utilising social media could also advertise their events, fundraisers and the like. With a possibility of drawing in more people than simply the students and their families. It would reduce paper wastage from the children who dispose of the fliers before their parents even see them and would keep the community better informed of all that is going on at the school.

That's how I think schools could use social media. Do you have any more ideas?