Dragon 11: My New Best Friend

Dragon 11  is now my new best friend! I began using Dragon 11 late April 2011. I first attempted using Dragon software last year when I installed version 10 on my desktop computer. Using Dragon 10 I encountered a great deal of difficulty, mainly related to training the system to recognize my voice pattern. Because I experienced a great deal of frustration  and wasted a lot of time attempting to use Dragon 10, I discontinued using the program. When I heard Dragon 11 was available, I was hesitant to purchase the program given my previous experiences with Dragon 10. My full-time job requires a great deal of typing and given my slow typing skills I decided to give Dragon 11 a try (my job was willing to pay for Dragon 11).

I have been using Dragon 11 now for approximately 4 weeks and absolutely love the program! The program has made my life much easier and I am now able to type memos, letters, proposals and other items fairly easily. I am still learning Dragon 11 shortcuts and other tips, but I am much more optimistic about the program. I am a rather slow typist, and never learned my way around the keyboard. As a result it takes me much longer than it probably should to type simple documents. I wish I had Dragon 11 when I was writing my  doctoral dissertation eight years ago. 

In addition to my work life, I also loaded Dragon 11 to my laptop. Having the software loaded on my laptop allows me work from home on personal projects. For example, my family and I are planning our Family Reunion for 2012. I wondered how I would be able to do all the typing needed for mailings, and other correspondence. Over the Memorial Day Holiday weekend I was able to create our first mailing using Dragon 11 and it took me a third of the time it would have if I had typed the information.

I would highly recommend Dragon 11 for anyone who needs to type documents of any kind, it will make your life so much easier and save you time! Even if you are a fast typist, Dragon will improve your productivity tenfold. I also use Dragon for iPhone and use it to write most of my Tweets.

Dragon 11 is my new best friend!

What Do Ron Artest & Catherine Zeta Jones Have in Common?

In the past one would never have asked the question, what do Los Angeles Laker superstar forward Ron Artest and actress Catherine Zeta Jones have in common? On the surface they appear not to have much, if anything in common. However, these two are now inextricably linked. They each, under very different circumstances announced their struggle with mental illness. 

While celebrities impacted by mental illness is not new, the way Zeta-Jones and Artest chose to announce their struggle is. A few weeks ago Catherine Zeta-Jones announced to the world via social media her struggles with Bi-Polar II Disorder and her plan to seek treatment. This was a major announcement and those of us in the field were pleased that she embraced this challenge with grace and humility. It is our hope that her strength will encourage others who struggle with mental illness to also seek treatment.

In 2010, the L.A. Lakers won the NBA championship and while still on the floor celebrating the win a sports reporter interviewed Ron Artest.  Artest, shocked the sports world when he publicly thanked his psychiatrist during the impromptu interview. In the year since his public announcement, Artest has proven to be a staunch supporter of mental health services. He auctioned his championship ring and helped raise over $500,000 for his charity which focuses on high risk youth and mental health. 

Zeta-Jones and Artest are very, very different individuals, but they do have a lot in common. Today, they are each seen as courageous role models who were willing to take control of their lives as best they could by announcing their personal challenges with mental illness. They also share the ability to positively impact others on a broad scale, especially those who in the past may have never sought mental health treatment due to stigma.

Thanks for the Memories...

On April 8, 2011 I had the pleasure of co-delivering a three-hour Continuing Education workshop for Social Workers at the Annual NASW Michigan Conference. I was very excited to deliver this workshop along with an equally committed faculty colleague. My colleague and I are interested in contributing to the advancement of technology in Social Work practice and research and have resolved to deliver similar workshops at other conferences nationally.

We submitted our abstract to NASW-MI to deliver the topic, "Social Work & Cyberspace: An Emerging Area of Practice and Research for Social Workers" several months ago. We were very pleased when we received an email from the state chapter informing us our topic had been selected. Integrating technology and the internet in direct practice within the field of Social Work is a very new concept and there are Social Workers that question its (the internet) efficacy.  This is a legitimate concern given that very little research exists relative to the effectiveness of Social Work practice in cyberspace. Consequently, best practices guiding work in this area is currently non-existent.

Social Work in cyberspace will continue to grow and develop, creating many opportunities for rich and fertile research. Innovative/creative Social Work scholars and practitioners are needed to move our profession forward in this area. We also need Social Workers who are willing to integrate technology in their direct practice. I am dedicated to educating Social Workers and Social Work students with whom I have contact to explore using technology to deliver services to clients, while advancing this area of study.

I must say that I enjoyed tremendously the experience of co-delivering the Continuing Education workshop at the NASW-MI Annual Conference, as it had been several years since I delivered a conference workshop. To the staff at NASW-MI who organized an incredibly successful conference and the 19 Social Workers that attended our session, I would like to genuinely say, "thanks for the memories... ".

Don't Chase Technology, You'll Never Catch It!

My head has been spinning lately based on the sheer number of tablets and pad devices entering the marketplace. It seems every other television commercial touts a newer, faster, more "Apps", and better equipped device. As a consumer,  I felt bombarded, confused, and anxious when trying to determine which tablet/pad device would be best for my needs.

Prior to purchasing the Samsung Galaxy Tab in December 2010, I conducted what I thought was a reasonable level of research. I visited the Samsung website, CNET.com, spoke to numerous technology "experts", and made several visits to my local Best Buy store to consult "Geeks" and test devices. Based on my knowledge and the expertise I had available to me at the time, I felt comfortable purchasing the Wifi version of the Galaxy Tab. I purchased the Galaxy Tab from Best Buy for approximately $650 and thought Wifi was the better option as I did not wish to add yet another device requiring a data plan to my monthly expenses.

I have been the proud owner of a Galaxy Tab for approximately four months and although I am fairly pleased with my purchase it bothers me that an array of new, less expensive, better equipped devices can now be had for almost half of what I paid for the Galaxy Tab. It bothers me when I leave the comfort of my home and workplace Wifi systems that I must become a "pirate", stealing the Wifi signals of unsuspecting businesses and nearby residents in order to use my Wifi enabled Galaxy Tab.

Given my need to use the Galaxy Tab anywhere I happen to be (guilt free) I decided recently to enable my iPhone 4 as a "Personal Hotspot" to power the Galaxy. No more pirating! My cell phone driven Wifi service added $30 to my monthly cell bill. What I dislike most about enabling my cell with Wifi is the power required to run the hotspot, it drains my cell phone battery in just a few short hours. Based on my experiences, I would like to offer my readers a bit of advice when considering purchasing a new tablet/pad device:

1) If you own an iPhone, don't purchase an Android pad, buy an iPad (you'll purchase fewer duplicate apps, movies, and accessories for your devices in the long run) and if you own an Android phone, don't purchase the iPad.

2) Be happy and content with the device you choose, and don't allow yourself to compete with others and their devices.

3). Know there will always be a newer, better, more exciting device entering the market the minute you purchase yours.


4) Don't chase technology, because you'll never catch it!

Take Good Care...

      

 

Welcome to Social Work Month! I love being a Social Worker and am proud to be one of 640, 000 Social Workers across the United States. The month of March is a very special time for Social Workers as it allows us as a collective group to showcase to the world what we do day-in and day-out, 365 days a year. While we are a special group of committed, selfless individuals, we must also use this month to encourage members of our profession to take care of ourselves and each other emotionally, socially, and professionally.

 

As we showcase our impact and accomplishments with others across the United States, let us also use this month to self-educate and inform Social Workers about the importance of self care. Let us encourage each other to seek professional help when needed, and take time to become physically and emotionally healthy as well.

 

In caring for our clients and others, we many times experience second-hand stress, which is an unavoidable occupational hazard for some. This stress can wreak havoc on our emotional health, placing us at risk for illness and disease. As we celebrate Social Work Month, let us not lose site of the importance of self-care. I would like to challenge each Social Worker during this month to take time out for yourself by engaging in new healthful activities that bring you joy, peace and a sense of release. As societal caretakers and change agents we as Social Workers must take time to take good care... 


 I love being a Social Worker!

March Is Social Work Month! Prepare Now For "Shout Out!" Day

The information contained in this blog entry was taken (and slightly adapted) from an email distributed by Dr. Robin Sakina Mama, Professor and Dean of the School of Social Work at Monmouth University. In Dr. Mama's email she asked that social work students and faculty mobilize on March 31st to stage various “Shout Out!” events to bring attention to the social work profession.

Shout-Out! is an effort to elevate the professional status of social workers, our visibility, and increase positive public perceptions. The NASW-PA, the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice, and other social work leadership have developed a model toolkit to assist other states, schools, and communities in hosting "Social Work Shout Out! events".  The idea is based on the belief that the more locations in the country where social workers stand outside on corners, train stations, city blocks, or even the only red light in town (at the same time) the greater the impact of each small event.  If social workers can show our unity and our size through a series of small, simple action, we can continue the difficult work of educating the general public about the hard work we do.

For additional information on the Shout Out!, see the toolkit link below that can be utilized and adapted to a variety of "Shout-Out!" events/activities at  http://www.nasw-pa.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=122 
 
The toolkit includes the following information:

1)           A basic planning guide
2)           A sample press release
3)           A sample flyer
4)           Talking points about the profession
5)           A PDF of a brochure to educate the general public about the profession that was developed by NASW-PA
6)           A PDF of a graphic that could be printed on visibility signs

For further assistance, contact the National Association of Social Workers, Pennsylvania Chapter, at (717) 232-4125.

"Cloud Computing", It's More Than Just a Cool Buzz Word

In the last six months or so I have been hearing a great deal of buzz about "Cloud Computing". Cloud Computing is not a reference to Cirrus, Cumulous, Stratus or the other forms of clouds related to the science of meteorology.  I recently saw an AT&T television commercial professing the benefits of Cloud Computing and how much better life in the cloud is. I must say, I was intrigued by the concept and decided to explore this latest hot tech resource. Being one who uses three different flash drives, numerous documents on my laptop, desktop, and iPhone, Cloud Computing carried some interest for me.

In my research on Cloud Computing I found there is really no universal definition for this concept. Much has been written lately in popular IT magazines and e-books on Cloud Computing, so almost everyone has attempted to garner a definition. The most simplistic, albiet understated definition I could find for Cloud Computing was "on-demand web-based services". I will not attempt to add to the confusion by providing my own definition, instead I will share how I have used this newest form of technology.

For me Cloud Computing has provided a sense of comfort and freedom knowing that I can now save all my written documents and pictures on a secure server that I can access from any computer/smart phone/tablet, anywhere as long as I can access the internet. I no longer need to save files on my flash drive, computer hard drive, or send myself email attachments of documents (Power Point, Word files, Excel, and others). With Cloud Computing I can save ALL my files using FREE "Cloud" based tools, such as Google Docs or Dropbox and access the files anywhere. Through these Cloud providers I can access my files and make changes, my changes are then "synced" across all my devices. If I am working on a project with others, I can give these individuals or groups access to my files and they too can make changes. Any changes to the files are date stamped and the name of the person making the change(s) is recorded.

If you use a computer regularly and need remote access to documents no matter where you are in the world, store multiple files on thumb/flash drives, or work with others on projects requiring that you send/receive e-mail attachments, I would encourage you to consider using cloud based storage solutions.

"Cloud Computing" is more than just a cool buzz word.