Friday 27 September 2013

Work Experience CV

Your CV is what sells you. In 2013 in Ireland it is an employers market. You are now in a more competitive market for jobs than in 2006. As a result, you may be competing for a job against someone with 10 years experience. Your potential employer hasn't met you yet and you are one of a bundle of CV's. At this stage your CV and cover letter is the only piece of information they have about you. How are you going to promote yourself? How are you with your CV, going to make the difference between getting an interview or not?
Is there spelling mistakes? Over 80% of CV's have spelling mistakes in them. What signal are you sending out to your employer about you if there are a lot of spelling mistakes?

Youtube Video

Jobs Club 2: CV Preparation - TV3's Ireland AM with Brightwater


Uploaded by on 20 Aug 2009

 

Please take a moment to give me some feedback in the comments section


What was difficult in this task?

What did you learn?

Is there anything else that could have been included in the topic to make it easier for you to understand?

Was the topic explained well or not?

Are there any video links from Youtube that may also be useful?
(if so please copy and paste the link in the comments section with a sentence explaining what it is)

Thursday 26 September 2013

Digital Presentations Creating a New Presentation

 Most of the tutorials on this blog will be in Powerpoint 2010 for the moment as it is one of the more widely used versions of presentation software in the workplace in Ireland as well as being the version that is installed in colleges and schools. Here is the icon for it if you are unsure what it looks like.







A useful link for Powerpoint 2010 tutorials is
http://www.powerpoint-2010.com/

Here is a videoclip showing you the possibilities of Powerpoint 2010

Powerpoint 2010: The Possibilities - Duarte HD

Uploaded by on 8 Dec 2009
http://www.microsoft.eu


Creating a New Presentation

The first slide in a presentation is usually a title slide, and is used to introduce your presentation. 



Exercise: What kind of music do you like?
As the 1st presentation you are going to be doing involves doing on "Myself", the type of music or sport you are interested in would be a suitable mini exercise to try out your ideas (as well as saving some of the work needed for your assignment).


  • Type in the “Click to add title” slide the name of your favourite style of music. E.g. Rock, rap, trance, funky industrial free-style acid-jazz or R&B. 
  • Type in the space labelled “Click to add subtitle” your name. Press [Enter] and then type the name of your class. E.g. “Year 1 7ITA”. 

Save the file as “Myself Music I like Presentation 1” in your H drive or on your USB stick in a powerpoint folder which you have already created (if you have not done so yet, do so now). If you save it as 97-2003 version when you click Save As, it will be compatible with older versions of Powerpoint you may have at home.

Creating A New Slide
Click the New Slide button. Notice that if you select the top part of the New Slide icon, Powerpoint will automatically select a new Title and Content slide layout. However, if you select the bottom part of the icon, a drop-down list will appear and you can select whatever type of slide layout you wish.



A new slide will appear and a second slide thumbnail will appear on the left of the screen.

 Creating Bulleted Lists



Key points in a presentation often use bulleted lists. Bullets can be anything from standard points like • to fancier symbols like






Click in the area labelled “Click to add title”. Type “Reasons why I like ” and then type the name of your favourite style of music. 

Click in the area labelled “Click to add text”. Type a reason why you like the chosen style of music. Press Enter to begin a new line and type another. Enter between 3 and 5 reasons for liking that type of music.Keep them short, remember they are bulletpoints.


Adding a ClipArt Slide
“A picture is worth a thousand words”. Pictures not only add visual interest but also assist in getting your message across. Clipart is used to add pictures to your presentations. With PowerPoint you have a choice of several layouts that include clipart.
  • Create a new slide
  • . In the New Slide Layout task pane, scroll down until you see “Two Content" and select it
 


Click in the title and type “Popular [whatever music style you picked] Artists

Select Insert and SmartArt in order to group your favourite music artist’s in a more attractive way. The SmartArt Graphic box will appear. The list on the left opens up a series of methods of presenting your text. Certain methods are more relevant than others depending on the presentation. Choose from the list on the left Cycle and choose Basic Cycle for this exercise and click OK.


   Enter 3 to 6 well known artists for the style of the presentation in the text boxes you see.


4.      In the content area on the right, click the clipart icon and a clipart browser window will appear.The same process is incolved for pictures, movies and charts with the different icons below







Choose one of the pictures shown or use the box at the top to search for certain types of pictures with keywords (E.g. “Dancing” or "guitar"). If you would rather use a picture you have saved then click the Import button to browse for the file. Once you have selected an appropriate picture, click the OK button and the chosen picture will be inserted. 

Now lets say you are looking at your SmartArt text on the left and you would like to make things a little flashier. Right-click on one of the textboxes and scroll down to change shape.

Under Stars and Banners select the 5 point Star. You will notice that the SmartArt textbox has changed. You be the judhe of the text is too small or not. You an always hit the Undo button.

Adding a WordArt Slide
Word art is used to create special effects with text that you cannot select by formatting the font. You can create curves, angles, waves, 3-D effects and many more.

  •   Create a new slide.

2.      Change the slide layout once again, this time choosing the “Blank” layout (Right-click on the 4rth slide in the slide pane on the left, scroll down to layout, and select Blank). You should now have a slide that is completely blank


2.      From the Insert ribbon at the top of the screen, click the WordArt icon. 

Choose a text layout and then click OK.

 You can choose formatting options and type your text. Type a slogan that describes your chosen music style and click OK. The WordArt will appear in the centre of your slide.

6.      You may notice a small green dot that you can drag to rotate the text. 

Change the Shape Fill colour and experiment with the Shape Outline and Shape Effects. You can also Edit Shape or decide you want to change the Text Fill or Text Outline. Any action you are unhappy with can always be cancelled by the magic Undo button.



      This video shows you how to create a presentation using Powerpoint 2007.The clip shows
how to create your own slides and add headings, bulleted lists, and pictures. It is similar to the 2010 version. Built-in layouts are also shown to organize your slide content. You can also see how the Preview feature helps you choose theme colors and background design. Pause and go over the video as many times as you wish as there is a lot covered.


Youtube Video

PowerPoint 2007 Demo: Create a basic presentation quickly


Uploaded by on 7 Jan 2008

You should now have 4 slides in your presentation. Save to your H drive and/or USB. You will be using this again

Title test 2

tdyutdytd tydyutdytd uytytuytuyiuyt


Title test 1

gfgfhgfhgf gfhgfhgfhfjj jyjgjhgjhgjhg


Skills Demonstration 1 Presentation Skills

If you are to work independently in a tourist information or front office in a variety of tourist enterprises, you will need to be able to demonstrate good presentation skills. One of these skills will involve a 3 minute presentation on a place of your choosing in Ireland.

Highlight your chosen town or cities transport, route planning, accommodation and grading of hotels, food and drink and various entertainment as well as coach and walking tours

Wednesday 25 September 2013

Introduction to iMovie for iPad


http://www.jeadigitalmedia.org/2012/06/06/tutorial-how-to-use-imovie-on-the-ipad/


How to create trailers with iMovie on the iPad
Published on Mar 24, 2012 by


iMovie for iPad 2: Tutorial

Uploaded by on Apr 1, 2011

Apple's demo of iMovie on iPad 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVo1gJ5Cz-Q

Monday 23 September 2013

The Reservations Process

A hotel reservation system is also known as a Central Reservations System, which can store and display information about the hotel, room availability and rates. This computerised system also applies to resorts and guesthouses.

Have a look at this link for Sources of Reservation
http://www.slideshare.net/hospitality-school/sources-of-hotel-guest-reservation

Can you explain what the term reservation enquiry means?

Have a look at this link for an example of rate quotation
http://www.hertz.com/rentacar/reservation/reviewmodifycancel/templates/rentalTerms.jsp?KEYWORD=LEGAL&EOAG=MSPT11

Can you explain what reservation availability means?

The next step in the process is the recording of the information. This is done by a person in reception or front office. What would be best practice to make sure the information was correct?

After this confirming the information submitted is important. Who do you think is confirming the information to whom?

Maintaining the information so that the information is stored on the computerised system so the guest's details and requests are recorded and provided for where possible.

Reporting would be the next step in the reservation process. Is there anything to report about the information. Who do you think would be reporting in this process, the guest or front of house? Who would this information be reported to?

Cancelling the reservation can be done for a variety of issues. Are there any rules stipulated by the hotel in the reservations process? How much time should be considered reasonable to cancel?

Google image search for the Reservations Process




Lost group Roleplay


Class Exercise
As a class exercise to develop our initiative skills we are going to engage in a survival exercise. Look at the video below first to get an idea of the scenario we are going to roleplay. It is a 1 minute clip of the TV show Lost.

Crash Oceanic 815 # Lost


 


Uploaded by on 20 Feb 2008



  • The scenario we are going to roleplay is our plane has crashed on a remote island on a beach somewhere.
  • You need to as a group decide from the plane wreckage what the 12 most important items are in order to survive (as you have no idea where you are or how long it will take you to get rescued)
  • Try to reach consensus without voting
  • Everyone in the group must at least partially agree with what is on the final list.
  • Watch and see if any group members have changed their minds to come to agreement
  • Watch and see if any group members need the answers to be 100% accurate.
  • Watch and see if any group members minimally contribute to the discussion.
  • You have 15 minutes to decide on the 12 most important items to survive
  • Afterwards write down what you learned from the exercise
  • Thursday 19 September 2013

    Graduation Speeches

    Just to help focus you I have tried to source an interesting collection of graduation speakers from various colleges around America such as Harvard, Stanford, Yale and NYU as well as many others. Alot of these speeches are as interesting, humorous, poignant and relevant to any student who is graduating from college in Ireland and includes speeches by Steve Jobs, Bill Cosby, cancer sufferer Randy Pausch, Oprah Winfrey, Lisa Kudrow, J.K. Rowling, Bill Clinton, Tom Hanks, Bono and others. Enjoy and congratulations.

    Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address




    Uploaded by on Mar 7, 2008

    Bill Cosby's Keynote Speech
    Uploaded by on Apr 27, 2009

    Randy Pausch Inspires Graduates
    Uploaded by on May 19, 2008

    Don't Be An Individual - A Graduation Speech
    Uploaded by on Aug 12, 2007

    Oprah Winfrey's 2008 Stanford Commencement Address
    Uploaded by on Jun 15, 2008

    The Best Graduation Speech EVER!
    Uploaded by on Jun 7, 2008

    Lisa Kudrow Commencement Address 2010
    Uploaded by on Jun 4, 2010

    J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement
    Uploaded by on Sep 15, 2011

    Clinton's Commencement Speech - NYU 2011
    Uploaded by on May 18, 2011

    Tom Hanks Addresses the Yale Class of 2011
    Uploaded by on May 22, 2011

    Bono Delivers Penn's Commencement Address
    Uploaded by on Apr 22, 2011

    Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) Lyrics
    Uploaded by on Nov 8, 2008

    Independent tourist information


    What is meant by impartial tourist information?


    It just means that it is impartial. It's not biassed towards anything in particular.
    With tourist information this probably means that it has no direct advertising influence.

    Have a look at the following link

    Monday 16 September 2013

    Hörður Torfason in Ireland

    Hörður Torfason speech at the Hill of Uisneach in County Westmeath, Ireland on the 14th September. He is a leader of the Icelandic revolution who helped to organize the Icelandic people to say no to the Government. He is here to help spread a message on September 18th for groups to work together under some common aims. Introduction by Tony Rochford. Filmed by Marcus Howard.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkJLszDIYro


    Dublin and Dundalk Says No as well as Tony Rochford and a selection of non political, anti-austerity groups marched with Hörður Torfason to promote the protest on September the 18th outside Leinster House. The protest is a planned peaceful demonstration from 5am to 9pm. Everybody is invited.You're not expected to be there all day but simply to share the responsibility and lend a hand if you can. Please film and share your videos on Youtube on the day as the message might get distorted by mainstream media. This is Dublin Says No's 25th weekly march.

    This film was directed and edited by indeoendent documentary masker, Marcus Howard

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oA5v0JRk73I





    Sunday 15 September 2013

    Legislation relevant to tourism

    Have a look at some of the following links in relation to tourism legislation and business administration legislation.

    http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/consumer_affairs/travel/package_holidays.html

    Here is a Wikipedia link to Failte Ireland where they discuss how they are under the directive of the National Tourism Development Authority Act of 2003.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fáilte_Ireland

    Here is another link to it
    http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/acts/2003/a1003.pdf

    Here is some information about the alcohol laws in Ireland.
    http://goireland.about.com/od/safetyinireland/qt/alcohol_law.htm


    Here is a useful link to the Safety Health Welfare and Work Act of 2005 and 2007.
    http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/employment_rights_and_conditions/health_and_safety/health_safety_work.html

    The data protection act can be found at this link
    http://www.dataprotection.ie/ViewDoc.asp?DocID=858&UserLang=EN
    and info for data controllers can be found here
    http://www.dataprotection.ie/docs/A-Guide-for-Data-Contollers/696.htm


    Friday 13 September 2013

    Ballyhea and Brussels Documentary

                                        Ballyhea in Brussels

                                          Documentary directed and edited by Marcus Howard.

    This video concerns the efforts of the Ballyhea Says No group who were in Brussels recently to negotiate for debt writedown with the man in charge of Ireland's finances from the EC, Istvan Szekely.On the 18th September Ballyhea will be in Brussels for the 3rd time to negotiate with the EC and the Petitions Committee.Irish people are asked by Diarmuid O'Flynn of the Ballyhea Says NO group to put pressure on the Irish Government to help negotiate debt writedown on the people of Ireland's behalf. The reason the little parish of Ballyhea had to go above the Irish Government's heads is because they are not doing it. Please watch it if you liked any of my previous documentaries and share it and help force the mainstream media to cover their story this time. They are fighting for you and have helped to inspire "Says No" weekly marches all over the Republic of Ireland. They are a non political group of ordinary people who have marched under one banner for over 132 weeks every Sunday against the bank debt.

    Saturday 7 September 2013

    Dundalk Says No Week 1 documentary

    Directed and edited by Marcus Howard. Dundalk Says No is part of a network of campaigns saying No all around the country. These are non-political party, non electoral campaigns. They will meet every Friday at 3pm at the courthouse. They are a peaceful campaign of people from within the local community saying no to the Government, austerity, evictions and the bailing out of bondholders. You are not asked to march every week but to march whenever you can and help your local community and Irish people to find a voice. 

                     Dundalk Says NO Week 1
                                            Directed and edited by Marcus Howard