2014 Meeting Tool Match Up

Does your meeting tool do what you need it to?  I was recently asked to review the features of the top three ranking virtual meeting software providers: Citrix Go to Training, WebEx Training Center and Adobe Connect.

The question: 

Do we have the right tool?

The Answer: 

WebEx Training Center was the obvious choice.  It boasts multiple platform sharing, robust video, clear audio and anyone who has used the software can attest to the ease of "passing the ball".  In general it had more tools, chat options, and an easier to use whiteboard and polling system.  One of the major bonuses is the ability to record, edit and save you meetings within the software in an easily post able format while maintaining quality (MP4).  It has the easiest to use Mobile App and is the best in class for use on an iPad. It was the easiest to use, learn and was technically sound.

So the question is, what are you using? Does it do everything you want? Feel free to comment below or tweet me (@jvalley0714).

Free Download: Color of the Year (2015) - Marsala (and Flowers) PowerPoint Template

Bonus blog post! That's right.....I'll be back again on Thursday!

For challenge #63 we were asked to create something using Pantone's Color of the Year (2015) -Marsala.  Here's a "Wine and Flowers" PowerPoint I created that is free to view, download and use.  Let me know if you like it in the comments below or on twitter (@jvalley0714).

Download | View

How to Survive the Holidays (Challenge #62)

This week's challenge over on the Articulate eLearning Hero's community is How to Survive the Holidays.

The challenge:

"This week your challenge is to help your fellow community members survive the holidays. You can create anything you like this week. Want to keep things simple? Create a typography poster. Want to take things up a notch? The sky’s the limit."

The result:

I decided to participate and due to limited time made an inforgraphic with my top 4 tips

Tip #1: Hang Lights

There's something about decorating that calms my nerves. Lighting candles, putting angels out and best of all decorating the tree as a family. Just be careful hanging outside lights!

Tip #2: Enjoy Nature

Whoever said there's nothing to do in the winter is a real bah humbug.  Get out there! Hunt, ski, snowboard, have a snow ball fight, create a snow angel, or just enjoy the snow coming down. One of my favorite things to do is to walk the streets of a downtown area at night and enjoy the lights or take a drive checking out everyone's decorations.  

Here's one of my favorite snow photos:

Tip #3: Cozy up to a Fire

Or radiator, furnace or Youtube video. Taking the time to warm up after hanging outside lights or enjoying nature will help you relax and reflect on things that happened this year and the things yet to come.

Tip #4: Lose the 'Tude

One of my favorite things to tell my kids when they're getting a little cranky is to lose the 'tude (attitude). No one likes a Grinch or Scrooge so try to enjoy the season.  If you're not religious or happy about the season then be thankful for the life you have and the things to come.  You'll help make everyone's holiday season to be a bit brighter.

What things do you enjoy doing during the holiday season? We like to watch movies (my favorite is Jingle all the Way and The Year Without a Santa Clause while my children enjoy The Polar Express and The Santa Clause series.  It's not the holiday season without some hot cocoa and snuggling under the blanket as well. I'll be posting next week but probably take the week of Christmas off.  In case I don't get to tell you, Have a Great Holiday Season and a Happy New Year.

Don't forget to follow me via email, Twitter or Bloglovin' to stay up to date on what I post during the coming year.

Vacation, Fun with Storyline 2, and Challenge #60

I'm back! I took a much needed vacation to Michigan to visit with friends and family. I thought it would be nice to share a couple photos from the trip. So here you go!

Auntie

My niece thought this dress was HILARIOUS. I wanted it because it reminded me of TGIF.

Light Saber Son

Tree

Brain Fart

Ginger (My in laws dog that our whole family loves)

If you want to keep up with me even when I'm not fully plugged into the internet follow me on Instagram :) I'm never far away from my phone (which has a camera)!

This week I've been playing around in Storyline 2. I knew I wanted to participate in Challenge #60 - Progress Meters but I also wanted to try out Markers. My original idea was to have a game like interaction where if you picked a nasty food your "person" started looking sick. The goal was going to be healthy. I abonded the idea after I realized how much research I was going to have to do and not being able to find free vectors. I ended up going with a mini module that focuses on what to look for in the prepartion of food at a resturant that makes it healthy. I incorporated the progress bar on the slide where you click through the menu items to learn more. Check out the demo below:

Demo