Tuesday 28 September 2010

Darlene Glenn-McClinton {teach.gov website}


Sometimes the most powerful stories come in the smallest packages. In less than a minute Darlene Glenn-McClinton shares her story of what made her decide to become a teacher on the teach.gov website - the other stories there are just as inspiring and uplifting.

Maggie Doyne {Do Lectures, 2010}

Tuesday 14 September 2010

Brenda Laurel {TED Conference, 1998}



Brenda Laurel talked 12 years ago about the games for girls she'd helped produce and the depth of research that sat behind the products. Brenda's comments around validation and feeling visible resonated with me: "I want to make the point that what we're giving girls, I think, through this effort, is a kind of validation, a sense of being seen. And a sense of the choices that are available in their lives. We love them. We see them. We're not trying to tell them who they ought to be. But, we're really, really happy about who they are. It turns out they're really great."

I hadn't heard of her book before 'Utopian Entrepreneur' but it's now on my reading wishlist.

Kiran Bir Sethi {TEDIndia, 2009}


An inspiring and uplifting talk from TEDIndia which I first saw at a TEDx event in London. Kiran Bir Sethi talks about the positive meanings and impacts of the words 'contagious' and 'infectious'. The bit that has really stuck with me is the city that closes down its busiest streets and hands them over to children to play in India's first 'child-friendly city'.

Friday 10 September 2010

dr mc schraefel {JISC LMS Programme Meeting, Sept. 2010}



The first word I heard mc schraefel say was "howdy" as she asked the ECDL 2010 keynote speaker a question. The second time I heard her speak was later that same day when she introduced herself to the user experience group she was facilitating at the JISC Library Management System programme meeting ... she started off by saying "howdy" and was wearing a utilikilt and Vibram Five Finger shoes, and carried her stuff in a bright orange Patagonia messenger bag ... and I had a full on geek crush on her straight away :)

mc's main area of interest and activity is in making information easier to find and use. She currently works at the University of Southampton. She is driven by the desire to help people find the information they need to improve the quality of their lives.

Last year I first came across the concept of 'designing for delight' during a workshop with Mark Shayler and it resonated with me straight away so I was happy to hear mc mention it during her workshop. She also asked delegates to identify what 'treasure' they hold in their libraries ... hmm, thought provoking stuff. It seems like mc has a knack for asking big, thought provoking questions ... in this video of mc presenting she starts off by asking 'what is the purpose of science?'

Suffice to say that I found mc thoroughly inspiring and am hoping to see her talk again soon.