I will say up front here that my experiences with social networking have been pretty limited. 

A couple of times I have crashed and burned. Being banned from Friends Reunited and retiring from Facebook are just few examples.

So, social networking guru I am not.

But, this is Learning Pool.  Networking, socialising and spreading the message are our fortes.

As such, even us social networking newbies are encouraged to learn and develop our skills.  A couple of weeks before Christmas I started my learning curve by actively managing a professional network. I have created a LinkedIn profile.

Here, I share my experiences with you as I turn from social NOTworker into an online socialista!

Getting started with a Professional Social Network

Having built the bones of my profile on LinkedIn, I started slowly and carefully picking people to add to my network. A network of 20 was set as my target for the end of the year.

Almost immediately I realised, what I think, is the key to online social networking - get involved.

The more you manage your network the more rewarding it gets. I stopped cherry picking and instead started inviting en mass my colleagues, ex colleagues and friends. 

Now I have gone from hoping for 20 to hoping for a 100!  Plus,  I’ve found the dynamic is beginning to change from me simply finding contacts to people finding me instead!

In my opinion LinkedIn is a brilliant springboard for professional networking online.  If I’m honest, the thing that ‘put me off’ social networking at the start is that it seemed little more than a curious voyeurism, nosiness, virtual curtain twitching. 

This site removes that almost entirely which makes it a perfect place to develop skills and confidence.

So what’s next?  Inevitably, my next step on the learning curve is to get on to Twitter. 

As well as continuing to grow my LinkedIn network I will start to, gingerly, start tweeting – using our very own Twitter Guide as my starting point.

I’ll let you know how I get on…

In the meantime check out my growing network on LinkedIn.

by Jon

Just before I joined the Learning Pool team, the new www.learningpool.com had just been launched. 

While I was on the website preparing for my “chat” with Mary and Paul about career opportunities, I noticed a single link not working.

I happened to mention it to them the next day and they were unhappy – I mean really peeved off. I went away with some distinct impressions about the duo from this exchange:

1) The website wasn’t that old, as the company itself was relatively young – so they liked to keep things fresh and progressive – big tick. More about that later

2) All the little details mattered – really mattered – it wasn’t acceptable for a single link not to work. An independent link was as important as complete site fail - another tick in my book

3) Finally, I did not want to peeve these people off - of course I would accept the job.

Just under a year and a half later we are working on our new site again – the advances & achievements  of 2009 have resulted in a website that has been unable to keep up with our culture, interactions or aspirations. 

The Social Net has redefined the conversations with our audience and more deeply entrenched us into the hearts and minds of our expanding customer base.

We are committed to constantly developing  our marketing tools such as our website to reflect these more complex and interactive relationships.

This is something  that defines who we are as a team. The word “responsive” captures it nicely and we try to make sure the little things are addressed in the process.  

Back in January we set up a set of company New Year’s resolutions.

All of the team made their contributions, whether they were situated in our head office in Derry or flung as far away as Paris, Melbourne or Malaga, through our internal networking system Yammer.

We collected these as a means to reinvent, innovate, progress and improve the way we operate, think and feel.

If like me you find the evolution of the corporate website from static corporate on-line brochure to thriving interactive hub of the many weird and wonderful connections utterly fascinating, check out this fantastic blog by Simon Mainwaring http://ow.ly/1mUqbR

By Lynn

Blogging was the initial kickstart for social networking, and has since become a major marketing and learning resource for us.

Since working with Learning Pool I have been involved in setting up blogs for ourselves and customers. Deciding on the best open source solution came from my past experiences.

You see WordpressMU (WPMU) isn’t only a blogging content management system, its list of features and plug-in make it an easy decision to use it as a website.

The brilliant BuddyPress plug-in helps enable registered users to maintain multiple blogs and  to network among themselves which is similar to our loveable networking sites LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Bebo to name but a few.

After a couple of painstaking attempts, (and shouting at my monitor), to follow the installation guide of the WPMU, it became apparent that I needed to record some of the errors that were made.

Below I share the solutions for anyone out there having the same teary-eyed, rip your hair out experience.

So as a means to an end, here are my top five tips on the WPMU installation. These tips are a bit technical, but anyone installing WPMU should find these useful:

1 . Do not create the config.php file like the traditional wordpress installation, WPMU will automatically write its own config file.

2.  Delete the .htaccess file that comes with the package download, again WPMU generates it own upon install.

3. Permissions are a major factor when installing WPMU files. The following are a few key things to remember:

- Upon install all files of the WPMU directory can be set to 777 (read,  write,  and execute for owner, group and public respectively) so a proper installation can be completed.

-  After installation the top level WPMU directory needs to be set to 775 (to make editing the files in there by the server  that little bit more secure), as well as the wp-content folder.

- Essentially all files and directories need to be set so that the owner has read/write/execute permissions and public+Group have read/execute permissions.

4. In the themes folder, any theme template that has been uploaded needs its permissions changes. This is also the case for the stylesheets and other files you wish to edit inside the WordPress admin interface. The permissions need to be set to 766. 

5. One final and imperative tip – patience is a virtue!

If at first you don’t succeed … try and try again! (Hickson, William E)

By Rachael

[Image Credit: www.frugaltheme.com]

What is collaborative learning?

Learning can occur either in an immersive environment like a classroom or in a virtual space such as an online discussion forum.

The social aspect of learning is at the heart of a collaborative approach. With the growing rise of social networking sites and discussion forums, interaction between peers is easier than ever before - especially between those who are geographically dispersed.

Why should local government organisations be involved in collaborative learning?

Regardless of size or geographical location, local government organisations are often required to create learning on the same hot topics.  

By working together to share existing information they may have on the topic area, they could reduce their own learning & development costs.

Additional benefits of collaborative learning include:

• Time saving
• Option to brainstorm with peers about the best format learning should take
• Helps develop good interpersonal skills including team work and effective communication
• Opens up possible access to resources on a subject perhaps not already available within one’s own organisation
• Being open with one’s own resources encourages a ‘virtuous circle’ of learning
• Ensures local government organisations don’t reinvent the wheel by making use of existing resources

Learning Pool’s community revolves around collaborative learning for local government.

Local government authorities can exchange e-learning courses, podcasts, tutorial papers or documents that they have created and which they think may be of help to others involved in this sector. 

A recent example of collaborative work by Learning Pool is in the encouragement of customers to provide their feedback and ideas on a ‘Classroom Booker’ functionality being built into the Dynamic Learning Environment.

Share and share alike.

by Breda

In my job I travel a bit and when I am out and about I see lots of signs. Some have caught my eye and stuck with me so I thought I would share them with you.

These signs seem to go pretty much unnoticed. I am talking out the signs seen on the borders for towns and cities that display a boast about the area.

Take Norwich for instance.

The signs on the approach to Norwich proclaim “Norwich. A Fine City”. Isn’t that lovely. Not overly boastful. Not a dramatic claim. There is something subtly understated about that line and I have to say that I agree.

I cover lots of the UK in my travels and Norwich is one of my favourite cities.
 
Rochdale is a special place. It may not proclaim itself to be fine but it has a lovely claim to fame. Rochdale is the home of cooperation. Toad Lane, Rochdale is widely regarded as the home of the worldwide co-operative movement.

Not too far away, Oldham is a lovely place too and when you drive in you are greeted with an exciting historical statement “Home of the Tubular Bandage” which is something I would never have known if I hadn’t been in this job.
 
Chelmsford, it turns out, is the birthplace of radio. Again, if I wasn’t in the lovely position of meeting lots of Learning Pool members all over England, I would never have known that Marconi opened The Marconi Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company there in 1899.
 
I think that this little ramble goes to show that travel really does broaden the mind.

There must be more of these towns and cities that have make such claims. What does your home town say to travellers like as they cross its boundaries? Let me know.

I see other signs whilst I am out and about. Normal signs. Signs that warn you of things and tell you what to do. Some of these annoy me.

When I use a sink, and in particular a tap with a red mark or the letter H on it, I expect to get hot water out. So why do people insist on giving me a sign that says “Caution Hot Water”?
 
That is what I expect from the hot tap.

If you travel on trains you will be familiar with the electrical sockets available on some.

Being a commuter with work to do, I really appreciate the ability to plug in my computer but why do they have to spoil it with a sign that says “Laptops and Mobiles Only”?

I felt so silly sat on the train with my iron, George Foreman Grill and my deep fat fryer!

Only last week I came across a really odd sign. Before leaving a council building recently I nipped to the gents to avoid the need to stop at a service station on my way home. As I entered the toilets I came across a sign that read “Breathing Area. No Smoking Allowed”.

Fair enough but it was a men’s toilet and I am sorry to say it but those places can rarely be described as breathing areas.

And finally, as they say at the end of the news, the most ridiculous sign I have seen, and I see it quite regularly, is the one that proclaims “Sign not in use”.

I often see this on motorways (not the one picture here, although that is a real sign) and I still haven’t figured out why we need to be told that a large electronic sign that is blank is not in use.

If they hadn’t stuck a “Sign not in use” sign on it I wouldn’t be any the wiser.

I am sure there are other signs that I will see as I continue my travels. If you have seen any signs worth noting let us know.

by Chris

With sleet and snow making a reappearance this week, particularly for parts of central England and Wales, there has never been a better time to consider working from home for all or part of your job. 

However, be warned it’s not just a matter of making sure the ICT works, sorting out your health and safety issues at home and ensuring that your customers can get hold of you.

You may find…

- You miss your colleagues. Even their annoying little habits like leaving the photocopier jammed or using the last of the coffee and not telling you

- You spend longer and longer in your pyjamas until you don’t bother to get dressed at all

- You eat more biscuits. You have at hand all the snacks you like in your cupboards and there is no one in the office to see just how many you’ve had.

But in spite of these little challenges, over 3.5 million people in the UK work from home. They enjoy the benefits of less commuting and more flexibility whilst providing their employers with the opportunity to offer customers more services over extended hours.

For those about to enter the world of home working, help is at hand. Learning Pool have a unique e-learning module dedicated to remote working – covering home and field working.

Click here to view our Flexible and Remote working course (log in first).  Not a Learning Pool member?  Click here for guest access.

It looks at the issues faced by the remote workers, their managers and their colleagues back in the office.

So grab a biscuit, turn up the central heating and enjoy learning more about a way of working that you might want to adopt whatever the weather.

by Wendy

The meeting, kindly hosted by Ian and June at Exeter City Council, was for like minded local government e-learning people and featured presentations, discussions, networking and benchmarking.

Here’s what Devon County Council’s Rob Coulston thought of the day:

Rob’s comment that the meeting was “quite inspirational!” was echoed by others who also benefited from knowing what their neighbours are busy working on and how they could collaborate and share work with each other.

Here’s a brief rundown of some of the topics covered:

• Induction e-learning is a big topic for everyone.  E-learning is a great delivery mechanism to train people by  and it’s a quick win in terms of getting learners engaged – Torbay and Bournemouth had agreed to share their courses
• Good discussions and talks around sharing various learning materials and ideas
• Discussed certificates and quizzes – and the positives of using them
• Project Management course – Torbay very interested
• Devon’s sustainable farm – Rob is happy to share his work with group members
• Everyone was interested in Advanced Instructional Design, especially when to use the right Authoring Tool templates as well as simulation development
• Videos production and their place in an e-learning course or a Learning Pool DLE
• Everyone shared their experiences about headphones, prices and usage and which models met H&S and IT guidelines
• E-learning policy – the group discussed the merits of putting time into creating the right e-learning policy - one Council is making an amendment regarding home working, and they have shared their policy with other authorities
• Linking with HR systems - big group discussion around how to get the training records from the DLE into an authority’s HR system.  Depending on the HR system, there may need to be a field created/used in the DLE to match the unique identifier from the HR system so updates can work (worth bearing in mind if you’ve not implemented the DLE yet)

The group was also treated to presentations from Plymouth’s Loraine Slinn on how she created her Government Connect (GCSx) e-learning module and also managed to get so many learners using it (see a case study on Plymouth’s GCSx).

Learning Pool’s Kevin Gallagher and Andy Houghton also presented to the group on recent updates from Learning Pool. 

Kevin told of the new reporting features on the Learning Pool DLE while Andy outlined some exciting new functionality on the Learning Pool Authoring Tool which allows customers to create DDA accessible e-learning.

Commenting on a successful and productive meeting Kevin said “It was great to see so many neighbouring Learning Pool customers get together to network and find out what each other is up to.  Councils can all learn a lot from each other and I’m sure this kind of regional meeting would work as well in other parts of the country.  In fact, my colleagues are already on the case!”

Our session is called Digital Communications - why is it crucial for local government? - which is nice and early in the day and hopefully will provide a chance to set some context around what will be discussed during the rest of the event.

I haven’t written my presentation yet, but the gist will be that the online revolution that’s currently taking place should not be considered purely through the lens of communications and marketing, but rather there are lessons to be learned throughout councils. As I keep saying, the lasting change here has nothing to do with technology, but rather the behaviour it encourages: transparency and openness, collaboration and cooperation.

There are a load of great speakers on the agenda, including Hugh Flouch from Networked Neighbourhoods (and Harringay Online, of course) and Mr Podnosh, Nick Booth. Both will have some real insights for the local government communicators in attendance.

With all 90 spaces already filled for the event, it’s shaping up to be a good one! I only hope that the screen will be a bit smaller than the one I was faced with at the recent Cllr 10 event:

It ignores internet standards so when companies develop for the web, they actually need to break standardized code to make sites run on IE6.  This is bad for accessibility and takes ages to develop.

It’s absolutely full of holes that make it the most insecure browser available - there is endless research and examples of this.

Lots of people have commented on this in the past including Tom Watson MP and Steve Dale at IDeA.

At Learning Pool I’m always staggered by how long it takes to reverse engineer a web page so that it can work with IE6.

Steve Dale reckons that 12 - 20% savings could be achieved by getting councils to upgrade to a newer browser.

I totally agree that this is achievable and when you consider that this upgrade will cost local government nothing in terms of software, you have to ask what is keeping them?

This came back into my head last week when I read that Google isn’t supporting IE6 from March this year.  Surely now is the time for local government shows this antiquated browser the door?

To be fair, the fact that IE6 is now considered rubbish isn’t really anyones fault - IE 6 was released 6 or 7 years ago and was a very welcome replacement for the previous version.

However the web has moved on substantially since then and, given that Microsoft has released two excellent versions of the browser since, I think its time for local government to turn its back on an outdated, insecure and slow browser.

The cost of upgrading to the newest, or even most recent minus 1 version can’t be that significant - most councils have the kit available to do this automatically (unless I’ve missed something fundamental - please comment!).

And if suppliers like Learning Pool passed on this saving in the form of new innovations to local government customers then everyone would win.

I think Learning Pool subscribers could lead the charge on this.  Learning Pool folk are generally at the forefront of most positive stuff in local government so why not get cracking by forcing local authorities to tackle this as an issue?

It’s an easy fix, requires minimal investment and there will be all sorts of upsides for the the public sector, for people working in councils and for companies supplying local government.

Its estimated that over 50% of browsers in local government are IE6 so lets get that number down to, say, 2% and we can celebrate the death of IE6 in style!

Paul McElvaney

Banner up, badges on and computers set up, we were ready for the day.

Our first chat of the day was with National Co-ordinators of Governor Services (NCOGS) David Marriott of Wiltshire County Council. A great speech was delivered by David about ‘The State of Governance’.  

The main issues covered by the NCGSC chair included training for chairpersons, professional clerking, the relationship between School Improvement Partners and Governors, and the whereabouts of the Report on Governance. 

David also claimed to have run up the 175 steps from Russell Square tube station without stopping! 

Further details on speakers and their presentation slides can be found on the NGA website here.

During the day, a succession of our old and new friends came to say hello and hear a bit more about Modern Governor’s recent developments. Top of everyone’s concerns was budgetary cuts in the current financial unease. 

Modern Governor e-learning enables Governor Services and Local Education Authorities to target their resources where they matter most by delivering just-in-time training cost-effectively.  No wonder we were busy!

As well as talking with people about delivering great governor training – we also met some new people keen to become more involved with the Modern Governor community. 

Building a sharing ethos through guest-blogging, networking at our events and helping to develop new content are areas where people can get involved.

The day ended, as most events in London do, with people having to rush for the tube and trains – but the vast majority stayed on until the end to chat with us and their colleagues from across the country. 

It’s indicative of how highly these events are valued that people were happy to brave rush-hour transport!

by Elaine