This blog has been merged with Spread Good Practice Blog

From 1st October 2010 this blog has been merged with Sarah Fraser's Spread Good Practice blog which will be expanded to include a variety of resources for change agents beyond only that which covers spread and large scale change.

Thanks for finding this and please go to the other blog to find the latest information.

Popplet; easy way to share graphic data

Popplet is a way to take notes in a mindmap form, scribble on the screen, add a map and a few notes - anything really. There is a separate version for the iPad.

It is currently in Beta so you have to request an access code. Mine turned up within a day. Creating your graphic is an entirely intuitive process. I suspect it will be more useful when tablets are used more, however, it works well with a keyboard. It is much easier to use than trying to sketch something on PowerPoint and then emailing round the file.  To share your notes just click on collaborate and you get a weblink.

How to record a phone call

Worried about that phone call with a staff member or client? Need to record your audio training session so it can be replayed at a later date? The reasons for wanting to record a phone call are various. The ways to carry out the recording are equally various.

One simple way for UK residents is to use Record Your Call.  After registering on the site, to record a call you dial an 0871 number then enter the number of the person you want to speak to. To replay the call you dial another 0871 number.   You can sign up for an incoming 0871 number which can record all calls.

The disadvantage is the cost of the 0871 number which is a premium line (approx 10p/min from a land line, mobiles will be higher).  However, for that one off call this methods is quick, easy and requires no technical knowledge or equipment.

Lillilooloo.com Information and community for consultants

Lilliloo is an interesting new website designed for consultants. It works as a community as well as a place to get downloads of resources and templates.

I'm not convinced about the name of the site but it is memorable!

Social networks for Lifelong Learners

Social netwokring is more than Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

There are a number of excellent networking sites designed specifically for those interested in and developing communities with an educational feel. They come in all shapes and sizes.

Education writer Karen Schweitzer has written a guest post on Mission to Learn which includes reviews of over twenty different sites.

New LinkedIn Group for Facilitators

If you're not yet on LinkedIn, then you may like to sign up. This is a professional networking site.

There is a new group on there for change facilitators that you may find interesting. It is called "Facilitating Change" - you can search for it when you are are on the site, or go to this link.

Convert scanned file to a text file

Got a scanned report in image format and want to edit it? Then use this online conversion service to get it into text. Probably not something you need every day but when you need it you need it.

Simple, quick, no fuss.

Simple way to do Market Research

This website offers anybody a ready chance to do market research and have it analysed, without having to incur into significant expenses. You can avoid having to spend an inordinate amount of time designing forms, collecting results and analyzing them to arrive at satisfactory conclusions.

In their own words, Requestio: "Flexible yet powerful, this web based survey software allows you to collect responses and data from your survey target audience. You can then run this data through our reporting modules to interpret the results of your online market research campaigns. With Requestio you can create, customize, deploy and promote your online market research campaigns in a few minutes."

It's all on the web, nothing to download and you can integrate with social media sites easily.

Staffguardian; keeping track if a distributed team

At first I thought this was a bit too Big Brother'ish. Bu then I got to think how useful it would be to keep tabs on fellow team members who are travelling about. This website called Staffguardian provides the facility to show the location of everyone in the team. It is easy to use, though there is a small monthly fee.

How about community nurses using something like this to keep connected with each other. Or project managers who may be working across a variety of sites.

If I knew where people were, and their availability, I think I might more often have phonecalls and I might do less email.

Show your screen and comment

Sometimes I am asked to review smeone's website or a page they are developing. Or I might have a problem using part of it. I end up sending emails with descriptions - all very long winded.

Owely has developed a very simple solution where you capture the screen, then use their functions to annotate the capture - like put an arrow and a comment on the picture. Then all you have to do is email your contact with a link and they then get to see your comments.

Easy. Productive.

carryouttext.com Converting text to audio

I like this facility as I can use it to convert papers and the like into an MP3 file so I can listen to it while I travel, Good for shifting paperwork in a different way.

Try it out here

HTML to PDF Converter

Ever saved a web page and then discovered on opening it later that it is a mess of code looking little like what you expected. This site provides an online converter of a webpage (just put in the page address) into a PDF. Best thing is there is no registration. I loved it.

pushtocustomers.com; have your own branded iPhone app

Twitter and Facebook may be a good way to connect with customers. Even better is if you can have your own branded app for the iPhone and apps for other phones as well such as Android ones - in development. This would then help link your customer to your community much more efficiently and effectively. If you want to read more about how one company is offering to do this then check them out.

There is cost to have this done as well as an ongoing subscription. However, until the price of developing apps comes down this may be the most cost-effective option.