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LET'S COMMUNICATE
Agriculture Communication Newsletter
November 2008, No. 154


Contents

Campus Addresses Correction,
Gamma Sigma Delta Photo Contest Entries Due Nov. 24
Write the Right Word
eXtension Professional Development Opportunities
Ag IT Advisory Group Reorganizing
Carl Pedersen is 2008 Communicator of the Year
Bob Bertsch Joins Ag Communication as Web Technology Specialist

Campus Addresses Correction

The new campus address format in October's issue of Let's Communicate was almost right, but not quite. The correct format is:

(department name)

NDSU Dept. (number)

(room and building)

P.O. Box 6050

Fargo, ND 58108-6050

Please update addresses in mailing lists, on Web pages, on letterhead and envelopes, and in other locations before the Postal Service stops forwarding incorrect addresses.

Gamma Sigma Delta Photo Contest Entries Due Nov. 24

The NDSU chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta is looking for photo contest entries through Nov. 24. Any photo taken in North Dakota and related in some way to agriculture is eligible. See the attached for details, and get those entries in.

Write the Right Word

If you are confused about how to indicate omitted letters and numbers, you’re not alone. One rule is if you are omitting a number, you need to replace it with an apostrophe. For example: the class of ’08, The Spirit of ’76, the ’80s (meaning the decade of the 1980s).

On the other hand, you don’t need the apostrophe if you don’t omit a number. Here are some examples: Expect a high temperature in the 30s. Drought was a problem throughout much of the 1980s.

Apostrophes also replace missing letters. Contractions such as I’ve, you’ve and it’s are good examples. Many common phrases also omit letters, meaning they require the addition of apostrophes. Here are some examples: ’tis the season, rock ’n’ roll, ne’er-do-well.

Plurals of single letters need an apostrophe as well, even though you aren’t omitting anything. For instance: the Oakland A’s, mind your p’s and q’s, the student earned three A’s and two B’s. However, the plural form of multiple letters does not require an apostrophe. For example: He learned his ABCs before starting school. The workshop attracted several VIPs.

One other note: If you use an apostrophe, make sure it faces the correct way, which is away from the number or letter it precedes. If you type one apostrophe, it often shows up as a single quote mark, curving toward the letter or number. Just tap the apostrophe key a second time and you’ll have one facing the right way. Then remember to delete the first mark.

Ellen Crawford, (701) 231-5391, ellen.crawford@ndsu.edu

eXtension Professional Development Opportunities

November's 30-minute sessions include:

  • Ask eXtension Widget -- 1 p.m. CST, Nov. 11
  • Google Spreadsheet Forms -- 1 p.m. CST, Nov. 13
  • Introduction to Using Adobe Connect for Web Conferencing -- 11 a.m. CST, Nov. 18
  • Sharing Visual Ideas and Designs Online -- 1 p.m. CST, Nov. 18
  • Updated people.eXtension Web site -- 1 p.m. CST, Nov. 19
  • Introduction to Second Life -- 1 p.m. CST, Nov. 20
  • Source Code Version Control: Use It or Lose It -- 1 p.m. CST, Nov. 25

Additional online training sessions this month are:

  • Project Planning and Management -- 1-2 CST, Nov. 12
  • various Second Life trainings: see

http://collaborate.extension.org/wiki/Cooperative_Extension_Second_Life_Educators

Instructions for joining an eXtension professional development event:

1. Five minutes before the start time, go to http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/learn .

2. At "Enter as Guest," enter your first name, last name and institution/

university, then click the "Enter Room" button to join the conference.

3. To hear the audio, enter your call-back number, and your phone will automatically be called.

For recordings of past eXtension professional development sessions and the list of upcoming events, go to http://about.extension.org/wiki/Recordings_of_eXtension_Professional_Development_Sessions

Ag IT Advisory Group Reorganizing

The Ag IT Advisory Group (AITAG) advises the Vice President for Agriculture and University Extension and the Vice President for Information Technology and their leadership teams. AITAG provides advice related to Ag IT planning, policy, development and program review based on user input.

With this fall's reorganization, AITAG members are:

Les Backer, Ag and Biosystems Engineering
Eric Berg, Animal Sciences
Gordy Bradbury, Williston REC
Pat Carr, Dickinson REC
Randy Grueneich, Barnes County Extension
Christine Hargiss, Natural Resource Sciences
Debb Pankow, Child Development and Family Science
Chris Schauer, Hettinger REC
Margaret Tweten, Northeast District Extension, chair
Cindy Selstedt, Rural Leadership North Dakota and School of Food Systems
Sheila Wiesz, Wells County Extension
Becky Koch, Ag Communication, and Jeff Gerst, Information Technology Services, are ex-officio members.

If you have suggestions to improve Ag IT, please contact an AITAG member.

Carl Pedersen is 2008 Communicator of the Year

Extension energy educator Carl Pedersen is the North Dakota Association for Communication Excellence (ACE) and Ag Communication 2008 Communicator of the Year. The award recognizes an individual who has displayed exceptional expertise and professionalism in delivering educational programs and information to the public through several types of media. Pedersen will be honored at a Nov. 3 luncheon where Bonnie Lund, senior communications representative with Xcel Energy in Fargo, will be the featured speaker.

Bob Bertsch Joins Ag Communication as Web Technology Specialist

Ag Communication is pleased to welcome Bob Bertsch to the staff as Web technology specialist starting Nov. 10. Bob will provide organizational leadership to support and train staff, especially those off campus, on NDSU's Web content management system. He'll also lead IT training and strategic thinking on online technologies for Agriculture and University Extension. Bob brings to NDSU experience with both Web and distance education at Mayville State University and prior experience with public broadcasting promotions. Bob will be located in Morrill 115D, and we'll send a phone number and e-mail address when we have it. Please help Ag Communication welcome Bob when he begins Nov. 10.

Let's Communicate

Past issues and topics from Let's Communicate are at www.ag.ndsu.edu/agcomm/letscomm/letscomm.htm. If you have questions or comments, or would like to submit information or make a suggestion forLet's Communicate, please contactme.

Becky Koch, Director, Agriculture Communication
Morrill 7, North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND 58105-5655
Phone: 701 231-7875, Fax: 701 231-7044

Please note my new e-mail address: becky.koch@ndsu.edu