Information and Knowledge Management – more than just a soundbite    
I hold seminars for conference interpreters on how to deal effectively with information and knowledge and the related software.
The content of these seminars is based on my thesis on the same subject and on my practical experience as a conference interpreter for Spanish, English and French, on the private market and in an institutional context.

NEW: Webinars – Info-management made easy

More and more often, I am asked for seminar dates and practical workshops.  Unfortunately, these seminars very often don’t end up taking place, due to a lack of the second-rarest commodity of modern times- Time itself.  Apart from that, we all travel a lot anyway, spending long days in darkened seminar rooms, which all seem to come equipped with the same carpets and the same biscuit assortments.  It doesn’t do much to make anyone want to spend yet another day at a conference hotel.
This is why I am now offering a highly practical alternative: web-based seminars, or webinars for short.

What seminars are there?

Module 1 – Basic Information and Knowledge Management
3 hours
- The terms information, knowledge, management
- Basics of terminology
- How to optimise knowledge management
- Evaluation system for your own information and knowledge work
- (figures, knowledge gap protocol)

Module 2 – Software Solutions for Interpreters
3 hours
- Presentation of specific data bases such as Interplex and LookUp
- MS-Excel, MS-Access: Introduction and practical tips

Information management concentrate (modules 1 + 2, short version)
3 hours
- The terms information, knowledge, management; basics of terminology, how to optimise knowledge management
- Short presentation of MS-Excel, MS-Acesss, Interplex and LookUp

NEW: Time and Information Management for Interpreters
3 hours

"Individual learning"
1 to 3 hours, up to two participants  
Putting the theory into practice, individual tutorials and practical work using your own data on your own computer

How do webinars work?
15 minutes before the seminar begins, each participant receives an invitation email containing their login details.  This allows them to log in to the online session via a browser (nothing to install).  Everyone can see the names and a small video image of all the other participants, but more importantly, they can also see and hear my presentation and live demos of programs and applications.  Everyone can- and should- ask questions whenever they need to, or can send a chat message to me or to the group.  Participants can also share their screen with the group, to clarify a problem they are having, or to suggest their own solution.
The video transmission of all participants is very important to me, because it is tiring and impersonal to talk to cyberspace for three hours.  It also makes it so much more fun!  (See also: "What if the postman knocks?")

What do I need?
You need a computer with Internet access, a webcam, loudspeakers and a microphone (headsets are optional, but will give you better sound quality).

How much does it cost?
The three-hour seminars cost 65 EUR per person plus VAT, with a minimum group number of 5.
The individual tutoring costs 100 EUR per hour plus VAT.

When is the next webinar due to take place?
If you wish to know about the date of the next webinar, to enrol or suggest other dates, please send a message to ruetten@sprachmanagement.net.

What if the postman knocks?
The advantages of a webinar are immediately obvious: you’re at home, there’s no travelling, you don’t have to worry too much about what to wear, you can help yourself to a drink from your own fridge and you can sit, stand or lie down comfortably.  But how far does the comfort factor stretch?  Just so that nobody has to wonder what’s done and what’s not, I have put together a couple of rules on the basis of my own experience:
- Every 20-30 minutes, we take a short break (five minutes max) to visit the bathroom, put the washing into the dryer or hang it out on the line, turn the steak or put on some fresh coffee.
- Obviously, a seminar isn’t a film you can watch alongside whatever else you’re doing.  It should be as interactive as possible, so it’s not a good idea to be doing other things at the same time. But it is of course up to you whether you take an important telephone call or to answer the door to the postman.  However, if you do, please put the microphone to “mute” if there is any background noise.  If you leave your computer, it is polite to put a quick chat message (“Be right back”), without going into detailed explanations.

Any more questions?  Get the answers at ruetten@sprachmanagement.net.


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Previous seminars (non-exhaustive list):

- Information and Knowledge Management for Conference Interpreters
in connection with ProZ.com, VII/2007 in Brussels
Report at www.proz.com
- Terminology management/MS-Excel/MS-Access/Information and Knowledge management for conference interpreters for AIIC, VKD im BDÜ e.V. and others (Report in German in the VKD-Kurier - download here), since 2005
-  Block seminars on Information and Knowledge Management as part of the Conference Interpreting Master’s Programme at Cologne University of Applied Sciences since 2007
- Internal seminar on terminology and knowledge management for the Federal Ministry of Defence, including dealing with internal questions and solutions,XII/2009 in Bonn
- Several seminars/presentations on knowledge management and internal terminology solutions for staff and freelance interpreters at DG Interpretation (SCIC) of the European Commission and DG Interpretation and Conferences of the European Parliament, 2010, 2011 and 2012 in Brussels
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Webinar on time and knowledge manangement for knowledge workers for lecturers of the Pomor State University in Archangelsk, Russia (III/2012)

I would be pleased to arrange other seminars by request, at your premises and focusing on your preferred issues.  Available seminar languages are German, Spanish and English.

Because quality never goes out of fashion.

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Are you looking for qualified language tuition?  I would be happy to help you in your search for the right teacher for you.  For English, I recommend  www.stevens-english.de.

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