The Turning of Generations

RootsTech 2019 is This Week!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 19:52:00 +0000

It's RootsTech week! The conference begins on Wednesday, February 27th at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City. It runs through Saturday, March 2nd. Unfortunately, I won't be attending live this year. The RootsTech folks are making it even easier this year for people to attend remotely. Here are your options:

Attend the RootsTech Livestreamed sessions. Sessions begin Wednesday morning. Here's some that caught my eye:

· "Hear Them Sing! Social History and Family Narrative," with Rebecca Whitman Koford. It's on Wednesday at 11 am. Rebecca is a masterful storyteller. If you want to learn about how she weaves social history into the story of an ancestor, attend this session.

· "Perilous Assumptions: Revisiting Those First Finds," Kris Rzepczynski. This session is Thursday at 4:30 pm. All family historians have made bad assumptions at some point.

· "Why and How to Put Yourself into Your Family History (Power Hour)," with Curt Witcher, Amy Johnson Crow, and Scott Fisher. What's a Power Hour? Three short sessions by different presenters help you learn new techniques to apply. They are fast-paced and engaging. Which is probably why they put it into the 8 am time slot! It's your Friday morning wake-up call.

· Saroo Brierley [https://www.rootstech.org/blog/3-interesting-facts-about-saroo-brierley ] is doing the Friday General Session at 11 am.

· "The Research Roadmap: Your Path to Success," with Amy Johnson Crow on Friday at 4:30 pm. I'm a planner. Having a plan for approaching your research projects is a must. Take advantage of advice from a pro.

· "Examining Your Matches with DNA Painter," presented by Jonny Perl the creator and founder of DNAPainter.com. It's an award-winning website for mapping your chromosomes. Trust me, this website makes chromosome mapping soooo much easier! His session is at 9:30 on Saturday.

Take advantage of the new RootsTech virtual pass. For $129 you can watch 18 recorded sessions. You can also add the virtual pass to your conference registration if you are attending in person. The cost for that is $79. It's kind of like cloning yourself. You can be in two places at once. For a full list of sessions, go to the virtual pass page and scroll down to the schedule.

Also, to access conference schedules, handouts and more, download the RootsTech app. It's available in the App Store and the Google Play store. Check out the blog article, "10 Ways the Mobile App Will Improve Your RootsTech Experience," for more information and tips.

Finally, whether you are attending virtually, in person, or both, have some fun at RootsTech!

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2019 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks.

#RootsTech

URL for this post: https://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2019/02/rootstech-2019-is-this-week.html
© 2019 copyright Michelle Goodrum

Saroo Brierley, Friday Keynote Speaker at RootsTech 2019

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Fri, 11 Jan 2019 23:36:00 +0000

We are just about a month and a half away from RootsTech 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The conference takes place at the Salt Palace from February 27^th through March 2^nd. The format is slightly different this year with the general sessions taking place mid-morning after a couple of the break-out sessions. I’m especially excited about one of the general sessions.

Saroo Brierley will talk on Friday March 1^st at 11:00 am. You may or may not have heard of him. Either way his story is astounding. He grew up in India and was very poor. When he was about 5 years old, he got on a train by himself and got lost. After living on the streets, he ended up in an orphanage and was adopted by a family in Australia. As an adult, he used technology to find his way back to the village and family of his childhood.

He's written a book about his life called, A Long Way Home. Saroo’s story was also made into a movie called Lion.

One of the things that struck me is the impact one poor boy who got lost has had on so many lives. Saroo’s session is being live-streamed so if you can’t make it in person, you can still watch.

The live-stream schedule is available now and so is the entire conference schedule.

The press release with more details is below.

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2019 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks.

#RootsTech

Saroo Brierley: Inspiration for Lion Movie to Keynote RootsTech 2019

RootsTech is delighted to announce that Saroo Brierley will be the keynote speaker at RootsTech on Friday, March 1, 2019. Brierley is well known for his remarkable family reunification story as depicted in the 2016 film, Lion, which is an adaptation of Brierley’s autobiography, A Long Way Home. Find out more at RootsTech.org.

“I’m thrilled to be a part of the 2019 RootsTech as a guest speaker! I hope my story will resonate with many attendees evoking all sorts of attributes of identity, hope, determination and chance,” said Brierley. “I’m super excited—can’t wait to see you all!”

Brierley was born in Ganesh, Talai, a suburb within Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, India. In 1986, at five years old, he was accidentally separated from his older brother, Guddu, at a train station in Burhanpur. Lost and alone, Brierley boarded a train he supposed his brother to be on and ended up nearly 1,500 kilometers from his village. He survived for weeks by scavenging food, spent time in a prison for children, and narrowly missed what he now believes may have led to a life of being trafficked.

Eventually, Brierley met a teenager who took him to a police station. From there he was placed in a government care center for abandoned children and later moved to the Indian Society for Sponsorship and Adoption. At five years, Brierley couldn’t provide enough information for the Society to locate his mother. In time, he was adopted by a family from Hobart, Tasmania in Australia where he was raised to adulthood.

Though Brierley was raised in a loving home by his adoptive parents, he was haunted by the unknowns of his birth, his biological family, and where he’d come from. He spent many late evenings in his early twenties working relentlessly to pair his vague childhood memories of India with what he could see on Google Earth. Late one night he finally found familiar landmarks that matched the places he remembered. Through Facebook and YouTube he was able to verify the likelihood that what he was seeing was indeed his childhood home. It provided enough confirmation to make the trip to India.

When he finally arrived in Khandwa, he asked the taxi driver to take him to the railway station. From there, his feet knew the way. When he knew he was close to home he began showing photos of himself as a child to the locals and saying the names of his biological siblings. This soon led him to an emotional reunion with his biological mother and just hours later he was reunited with his siblings.

“We feel that Saroo’s message will be a perfect fit for the conference as RootsTech continues to showcase how connecting with others deepens our own sense of belonging,” said Jen Allen, event director. “Saroo’s desire to connect with his biological family came at a time when emerging technology barely made it possible. Now, there are hundreds of tools and technologies to facilitate connection with others, but Saroo’s determination led him there anyway. His story is a perfect fit for RootsTech.”

Brierley, now a successful businessman in Australia, regularly visits and video chats with his biological family in India and travels the world sharing his miraculous reunification story. Don’t miss this chance to hear the details of his extraordinary experience in person at RootsTech 2019!

The Winner of the RootsTech 2019 Pass…

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 02:25:00 +0000

… is Amy F.

Amy has attended RootsTech three times and is looking at these sessions:

· What’s New on FamilySearch—Ron Tanner

· Digging into Probate Records—Kris Rzepczynski

· Follow that Surname—Michael Cassara

Congratulations Amy!

There's still plenty of time to register if you are planning on attending RootsTech 2019. And plenty of Ambassadors are still giving away free passes on their blogs too! You can find a list at ConferenceKeeper.org.

Congratulations Amy! I will be in touch soon with registration details.

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2019 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks.

#RootsTech

URL for this post: https://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-winner-of-rootstech-2019-pass.html

© 2018 copyright Michelle Goodrum

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Sat, 10 Nov 2018 11:00:00 +0000

RootsTech is being held February 27, 2019 to March 2, 2019 at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah.

As a RootsTech Ambassador, once again I'm honored to give away a complimentary four-day pass to RootsTech 2019. It includes:

· Over 300 classes including the Keynote sessions
· Expo hall
· Evening events - Check out The Edge Effect

Time is running short to enter. The contest ends at 11:59pm Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 14th.

If you've already purchased your RootsTech pass, no worries. If you are the winner, you'll get a full refund.

Here’s what you need to do to enter.

Send an email to michellesgiveaway at gmail dot com. The email must contain the following:

Your name
Your email address
List the titles of three Roots Tech sessions and the presenter's name that interests you.
Tell us how many times you've attended RootsTech (or if it's your first time).

By entering the giveaway, you give permission to post your name on The In-Depth Genealogist and here at The Turning of Generations blogs along with a quote from your entry, if you are the lucky winner.

Again, the contest ends at 11:59pm Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 14th. On Thursday, November 15^th, I’ll use Random.org to select the winner from eligible entries. Check back on Thursday to see who the winner is.

Here’s a tip: All of the RootsTech Ambassadors have a pass to give away. To check for other contests that are running go to ConferenceKeeper.org where they have an up-to-date list of current contests.

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2019 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks.

#RootsTech

URL for this post: https://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2018/11/rootstech-is-being-held-27-march-2-salt.html

© 2018 copyright Michelle Goodrum

Win A Free Pass to RootsTech 2019!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 23:59:00 +0000

RootsTech is less than four months away! It’s being held February 27, 2019 to March 2, 2019 at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah. Are you planning to attend RootsTech 2019? Perhaps you are thinking about it? Here’s your chance to win a free 4-day RootsTech pass!

As a RootsTech Ambassador, once again I'm honored to give away a complimentary four-day pass to RootsTech 2019. It includes:

Over 300 classes including the Keynote sessions
Expo hall
Evening events - Check out The Edge Effect

If you've already purchased your RootsTech pass, no worries. If you are the winner, you'll get a full refund.

Here’s what you need to do to enter.

Send an email to michellesgiveaway at gmail dot com. The email must contain the following:

Your name
Your email address
List the titles of three Roots Tech sessions and the presenter's name that interests you.
Tell us how many times you've attended RootsTech (or if it's your first time).

The contest ends at 11:59pm Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 14th. On Thursday, November 15^th, I’ll use Random.org to select the winner from eligible entries. Check back on that day to see who the winner is.

Good luck!

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2019 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks.

#RootsTech

URL for this post: https://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2018/11/rootstech-is-less-than-four-months-away.html
© 2018 copyright Michelle Goodrum

Three Things You Need to Know Now About RootsTech 2019

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 01:35:00 +0000

I am excited to be a RootTech Ambassador once again. RootsTech 2019 is at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City. The dates are Wednesday, February 27th through Saturday, March 2nd.

Here are some things you need to know.

Registration is open. Early bird pricing is good through October 12 for the RootsTech Pass ($189) and the RootsTech One Day Pass ($99).

There is also a RootsTech Ultimate Experience Pass being offered for $499 this year. There are a limited number of these passes available. It includes reserved seating for general and class sessions, meet-and-greet opportunities and much more.

For more information and to register, go to the RootsTech website.
You can read more at this RootsTech press release.

Hotels: Three of the four conference hotels are showing as sold out of the RootsTech rate. For more hotel information go to the RootsTech Hotels page.

RootsTech Pass Giveaway
I'm glad you are still reading this! As a RootsTech Ambassador, I get to give away a RootsTech Pass. Stay tuned for details that are coming soon.

Finally, here is my tip of the month. The RootsTech folks started a video series to help everyone get ready. It's called the Road to RootsTech.

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2019 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks.

URL for this post: https://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2018/09/three-things-you-need-to-know-now-about.html

© 2018 copyright Michelle Goodrum

#RootsTech

Book Review: Research Like a Pro

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Fri, 06 Jul 2018 20:48:00 +0000

Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide by Diana Elder, AG, with Nicole Dyer, isn’t just a book for professional genealogists. It’s for anyone who wants to improve the quality of their genealogical work. It’s down to earth and easy to follow. Perfect for someone new to the field of genealogy or a professional wanting to polish or brush up on a few skills.

The author devotes a chapter to each of the following topics:

Research Objectives
Analyze Your Sources
Locality Research
Research Planning
Source Citations
Research Logs
Report Writing

Diana gives lots of examples and exercises for the reader to work through. If there’s an area you want to delve deeper into, she provides references to works for that particular subject. For example, readers wanting to study citations more in-depth are referred to Evidence Explained, by Elizabeth Shown Mills and Mastering Genealogical Documentation by Thomas W. Jones.

One of the most important topics Diana discusses is formulating a research question and objective. It’s a basic step but many genealogists fail to do. Instead, they often choose to try to find everything out about an ancestor. Developing a question and objective is crucial to keeping your research focused and will increase your success.

Also provided are many forms and templates the reader can download or use to develop their own form. My favorite is the “Locality Guide Template.” It’s easy to skip creating one on the excitement of chasing down an ancestor. But taking the time to make one and update it will help you perform thorough research in the long run.

Whether you are new to genealogy or a seasoned researcher, there’s something for everyone in Research Like A Pro. The book is available in paperback and Kindle from Amazon. For more information check out Diana and Nicole’s blog post at Family Locket.

Disclaimer: The author provided me with a free pdf version of the book for this review. All opinions are my own.

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URL for this post: https://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2018/07/book-review-research-like-pro.html

© 2018 copyright Michelle Goodrum

Thoughts on RootsTech 2018

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 18:59:00 +0000

RootsTech 2018 is over. But I still have more to share in the coming weeks.

Here's a brief overview summary of the conference with links to all of my blog posts at the end of this post. I'll add additional links here as I continue to blog about RootsTech.

This year's theme was Connect. Belong. My goodness, did I ever Connect!

Every conference and institute I attend leads to new friends. RootsTech is especially great for connecting and reconnecting with GeneaBloggers, old and new friends and fellow researchers. Some of these friends especially feed my soul. I look forward to seeing them every year.
Through the FamilyTree app, I connected with several "relatives" attending RootsTech. One of them is already a real-life friend. Now she's family.
RootsTech definitely leads to a feeling of belonging to something bigger in a way that other conferences doesn't. Maybe it's the inspiring keynotes. Or maybe it's somehow managing to run into friends purely by chance in the exhibit hall full of thousands of people. Whatever energy it is that runs through the conference, I'm thrilled to be a part!

RootsTech 2018 Posts:

Link to my talk:
Google Photos: Collect, Organize, Preserve and Share

Last but not least, I want to thank the RootsTech folks for putting on such an awesome conference. And MyHeritage for their after party. It was a great way to finally relax, connect and realize we all belong.

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2018 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks.

URL for this post: https://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2018/03/rootstech-2018-is-over.html

© 2018, copyright Michelle Goodrum

RootsTech Session Notes

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Sun, 04 Mar 2018 23:43:00 +0000

Here’s a quick summary of the sessions I attended at RootsTech.

But first, a little self-promotion. Here is a link to the talk I gave titled, Google Photos: Collect, Organize, Preserve & Share.

And now for the sessions:

Missing – Presumed Dead: A Case Study of Civil War Records, presented by Rebecca Koford

Rebecca is a fantastic storyteller – weaving historic details both visually and verbally into the Civil War story of her ancestor. Rebecca’s presentation was somewhat in the style of Ken Burns. I can’t even begin to imagine how many hours, days and years it took to perform the research and prepare this talk. It was a beautiful presentation full of great how-to information.

A tip: investigate all the records rather than assuming your Civil War ancestor wasn’t in a particular record. You never know. I think this applies to other areas in addition to Civil War research. Her handout has a nice list of records to use as a checklist.

Migration Trails Across America, presented by Peggy Clemens Lauritzen

Peggy is an entertaining presenter who always has a fun story ready to tell. Here are a couple of takeaways from her talk.

1. The FamilySearch Wiki has excellent maps. Try looking under something along the lines of Migration Routes or American (or United States) Migration Routes.

2. Determine what churches existed at the time and places your ancestor lived. Do this even if they weren’t religious people. Churches kept records of baptisms, christenings, marriages, burials and funerals. They also would write letters of introduction. So if your ancestor moved, they might have gotten a letter of introduction for the new place they moved to.

Beyond Population: Researching in Special Census Schedules, presented by Angela McGhie

Genealogists are familiar with the population schedules. Angela gave a great overview of the other kinds of federal census schedules. There are so many kinds, I’m not going to attempt to list them all. Some are digitized and online at Ancestry and FamilySearch. In the catalog on FamilySearch, try looking under non-population, supplemental or special schedules. Also, remember that many aren’t indexed so you might have to page through the schedules the old-fashioned way: one page at a time.

I also attended all four of Jennifer Holik’s sessions on World War II research. My comments are here.

· Finding the Answers: The Basics of World War II Research

This session was live-streamed. I highly recommend watching.

· The Greatest Generation: Advanced World War II Research

· World War II Sacrifice

· Battlefield Stories: Writing Your Stories of War

There’s intense interest in our World War II veterans these days. For more information, check out Jennifer’s website, World War II Research and Writing Center.

Remember there are many recorded session from RootsTech 2018 available to view.

Even though RootsTech ended yesterday, I’m not done posting. Stay tuned…

#RootsTech

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2018 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks. All opinions are my own.

URL for this post: https://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2018/03/rootstech-session-notes.html

© 2018, copyright Michelle Goodrum

World War II Research with Jennifer Holik

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 21:11:00 +0000

I ran into World War II expert, Jennifer Holik at the RootsTech registration desk. She told me about the four-part series of WWII talks she’s giving at RootsTech. When I made a comment about my grandfather’s WWI service during the conversation, she responded that everything she discusses is applicable to WWI and the Korean Conflict as well. I've attended three of her talks and am planning on being at the last one tomorrow. By the way, her husband is a WWII re-enactor from The Netherlands.

Jennifer’s first talk, Finding the Answers: The Basics of World War II Research, was live-streamed. If you’re interested learning about your WWII ancestor’s experience (or WWI or Korea), watch this video when they post it at rootstech.org. You’ll learn a ton about the methodology of military research.

Here are a couple of things that I learned:

· Europeans feel a debt of gratitude to our American soldiers for liberating their country today. They are very willing to help and if you visit, make contact with some of the experts ahead of time. They will take you around to the places where your serviceman fought.

· Men served in many units throughout the war. The unit that is on their final papers is only the last unit. Remember this when researching your ancestor’s military service.

For more information, Jennifer’s website is WWII Research and Writing Center at http://wwiirwc.com.

Olympic Gold Medalist Scott Hamilton was our keynote this morning. If you missed the live stream, watch it when it’s posted at rootstech.org. I was thoroughly immersed in what he had to say and so didn’t take any notes. All I can say is, he is an amazing human being. The talk he gave is one of a kind for RootsTech where he shared thoughts and experiences about growing up, skating, life challenges and family. You don’t want to miss it!

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Stay tuned for upcoming posts, especially the interview with I participated in with Scott.

Last but not least, my talk on Google Photos from yesterday (Thursday) is now online at RootsTech.

#RootsTech

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2018 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks. All opinions are my own.

URL for this post:https://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2018/03/world-war-ii-research-with-jennifer.html

© 2018, copyright Michelle Goodrum

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RootsTech 2018 – Day Zero

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 01:40:00 +0000

Tuesday, February 27^th, the day before RootsTech. The RootsTech folks send out a notice to “avoid the lines” and pick up registration materials early at noon. They gave away a prize to the first 4,000 people. This was part of the result:

It was a zoo! But an organized one. Everyone I spoke with said the lines went quickly. So kudos to the organizers and many volunteers.

At the media dinner we got some great insights I’d like to share with you. And some trivia.

· On Sunday, the new season on Relative Race begins. I’ve never seen it but it sounds sort of like Amazing Race with a different theme. A member of each Relative Race team took a DNA test and has a question about family they are hoping to answer. The show is based on clues each team must follow to find their family. The Amazing Race team even brought their Amazing Race cars.

· The season premier is Sunday on the BYU channel. Also you can go to byu.org or relativerace.com.

Trivia:

· As of Tuesday, 14,200 ticket sold. And counting.

· People from every state and 42 countries are attending.

· There are 380 computers at RootsTech.

· Over 8,000 feet of cable.

· Over 300 classes.

My personal highlight:

We were encouraged to try the FamilySearch Family Tree app’s new feature called, Find Relatives at RootsTech. One of my genealogy buddies is my cousin! When we looked at our family trees, we saw it was a line we have researched. So we are pretty sure it’s a legitimate (correct) cousin relationship. So glad to have a new cousin!

#RootsTech

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2018 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks. All opinions are my own.

URL for this post: https://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2018/02/rootstech-2018-day-zero.html
© 2018, copyright Michelle Goodrum

RootsTech 2018 is Here! A Few Last Minute Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 17:59:00 +0000

It's the day before RootsTech. If you are attending either in-person or remotely, there are a few things you should check off your to-do list if you haven't already.

Download the RootsTech app. Then read, "7 Ways the Mobile App Will Enhance Your RootsTech Experience."
Download or view the handouts for the sessions you're attending. See my instructions for this at the end of this post.
Read "A Survival Guide to RootsTech 2018." It's short and has the critical things you need to know.
Drink lots of water. Seriously. It's dry here in Salt Lake City. Really dry. I'm from the Arizona desert and I think it's dry. In past years they've had water stations throughout the Salt Palace. Use them. You'll be glad you did. If you're attending remotely, drink water anyway. It's good for you.
Stay tuned in. I'll be posting throughout the conference.
Have fun!

How to download session handouts:

When you first open the session on the RootsTech app. This is what you will see. Scroll all the way to the bottom.

Tap on "Handout." Then tap on the session name. You will be presented with options to download the handout, email it, or take notes on the handout.

While we are at it. Be sure and rate the session. See the image below. Speakers are not paid and they put a ton of time and effort into their presentations. If you like the talk, give them the highest score. RootsTech gives speakers a "bonus" if enough attendees score them highly.

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2018 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks.

#RootsTech #RootsTech2018

URL for this post: https://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2018/02/rootstech-2018-is-here-few-last-minute.html

© 2018, copyright Michelle Goodrum

Twenty-Six Days to RootsTech 2018

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 00:53:00 +0000

...not that I'm counting or anything!

If you haven't registered for RootsTech 2018, there's still time.

The app is out. It can be downloaded from Google Play and the App Store for free.

I'll be scouring the schedule in the next week to see which sessions I want to attend and which vendors I'm interested in. Stay tuned for some thoughts here in the days to come. For now, just know that I'm looking forward to all of the keynotes. Especially, Henry Louis Gates, Jr and Scott Hamilton.

If you are a blogger, or even if you're not, hop on over to GeneaBloggers Tribe and read Laura Wilkinson Hedgecock and Elizabeth Swanay O'Neal's post titled, "Bloggers Guide to #RootsTech."

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2018 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks.

URL for this post: https://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2018/02/twenty-six-days-to-rootstech-2018.html
© 2018, copyright Michelle Goodrum

SLIG 2018 - It's Hump Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 05:26:00 +0000

Monday morning about 40 students gathered at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy for the GPS and DNA course. That's short for A Practical Approach: Establishing Genealogical Proof with DNA. We were bright-eyed and anxious to learn.

We've listened to lectures. We've worked at getting Genomate Pro set up. We've all had challenges with the install and import of our data. But we're getting there! It's like climbing a mountain and hopefully, we're at the summit or pretty darn near. Because today is Wednesday, hump day, and some of us are starting to run out of steam from climbing the mountain.

We had some great lectures today and some good laughs. Michael Locopo educated and entertained us with his Hoosier Daddy case study. Then he gave an excellent presentation on the methodologies we should be using as we work our way through DNA cases. Paul Woodbury energized us after lunch with balloons to explain endogamy. Then he entertained us with a song from Into the Woods about endogamy. Paul can sing! For real!

This is how I am feeling tonight. I'm looking forward to a good night sleep!

#SLIGexperience

URL for this post: https://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2018/01/slig-2018-its-hump-day.html
© 2018, copyright Michelle Goodrum

SLIG - Tech Day

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 06:05:00 +0000

This year SLIG held its first Technology Day on Saturday, January 21st. From my perspective and from comments made by other attendees, it was a resounding success.

I attended two sessions. Here's something I learned in each session:

Spreadsheet Tips and Tricks, by Kimberly Powell
When we get a spreadsheet (such as search results we've exported from FamilySearch) the names often are in one cell. This makes it impossible to sort by surname. We need to have first, middle and last names in separate cells. Excel's "Text to columns" feature takes care of this issue. On a Mac its under the Data tab.

Using Google's "My Maps" as a Research and Analysis Tool, by Cari Taplin
I love this tool but wasn't using it effectively at all. This hands-on workshop resolved that! My favorite takeaway was literally something I could take home and share with family members. Did you know you can add photos to the places you pin on the maps you make? I sure didn't. We took a trip last summer to visit ancestral homes, cemeteries and other sites. I added the pictures I took, along with background and descriptive information. Now I have something to share with a couple of family members who are interested in where we went and what we found.

Classes start in the morning. I'm in A Practical Approach: Establishing Genealogical Proof with DNA. It's going to be intense. That equals exhausting. But I am excited. Stay tuned!

#SLIGExperience

URL for this post: https://turning-of-generations.blogspot.com/2018/01/slig-tech-day.html

© 2018, copyright Michelle Goodrum

Creating Shareable URL's for Family History Photos + Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is Keynote Speaker at RootsTech 2018

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 19:50:00 +0000

Do you have pictures you want to share with others? You can create a shareable link to your picture using Google Drive. The Genealogy Reporter, Amie Bowser Tennant, created a short how-to YouTube video. You can view it at, "Creating a Shareable URL for Your Family History Photos," at her blog, The Genealogy Reporter. You might want to share your photo with family and friends in this manner or enter it in the RootsTech Photo+Story Competition.

RootsTech is giving out some great prizes. So check it out, if you are so inclined. The rules are here. The deadline to enter is December 29th. In any case, creating a shareable URL is an easy way to share your photos.

Amie is a speaker for RootsTech so you might want to check out her talks on the RootsTech schedule.

I'm also giving a fun talk titled, Google Photos: Collect, Organize, Preserve and Share on Thursday, March 1st at 1:30 (session RT9886).

If you have the Getting Started pass you can also hear that talk (with a slightly different title: Collect, Organize, Preserve and Share with Google Photos) on Friday at 3:00 (session GS9886).

If you haven't registered for RootsTech 2018, being held February 28 - March 3, 2018, in Salt Lake City, there's still time. Hop on over to the RootsTech website to register.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. will be the keynote speaker on Saturday, March 3rd. I am especially excited to hear Dr. Gates as I'm a huge fan of his PBS show, Finding Your Roots.

And the Winner of the RootsTech 2018 pass is...

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 10:00:00 +0000

Angela Rodesky!

The three sessions Angela is interested in are:

· "You're on Social Media. Now What?" (Amy Johnson Crow)

· "Using MyHeritage to Drive Genealogical Discovery" (Michael Mansfield)

· "Get 'Twitterpated' with Twitter for Genealogy" (Amie Browser Tennant)

Great choices, Angela! The MyHeritage talk looks pretty interesting. I might just have to go to that one too.

There's still plenty of time to register if you are planning to attend RootsTech 2018. And plenty of Ambassadors are still giving away free passes on their blogs too! You can find a list at ConferenceKeeper.org.

Congratulations Angela! I will be in touch soon with registration details.

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2018 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks.

RootsTech Pass Give-Away Ends Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 19:51:00 +0000

If you are planning to attend RootsTech 2018 and haven't entered my contest for a free pass, the contest ends on Monday, November 13th at midnight.

Here's what you need to do:

Send an email to michellesgiveaway at gmail dot com. The email must contain the following:

Your name
Your email address
List the titles of 3 Roots Tech sessions and the presenter's name that interest you.

By entering the giveaway, you give permission to post your name on The In-Depth Genealogist and The Turning of Generations blogs along with a quote from your entry, if you are the lucky winner.

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The contest ends at 11:59pm Pacific Time on Monday, November 13th. On Tuesday, November 14^th, I’ll use Random.org to select the winner from eligible entries. Check back on that day to see who the winner is.

--> If you've already purchased your RootsTech pass, and are the winner, you'll get a full refund.
All of the RootsTech Ambassadors have a pass to give away. To check for other contests that are running go to ConferenceKeeper.org where they have an up-to-date list of current contests.

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Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2018 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks.

Would You Like a Free Admission to RootsTech 2018?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Sun, 05 Nov 2017 19:13:00 +0000

RootsTech is less than four months away! It’s being held February 28, 2018 to March 3, 2018 at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah. Are you planning to attend RootsTech 2018? Perhaps you are thinking about it? Here’s your chance to win a free 4-day RootsTech pass!

As a RootsTech Ambassador, once again I'm honored to give away a complimentary four-day pass to RootsTech 2018. It includes:

over 300 classes including the Keynote sessions
Innovation Showcase
Expo hall
Evening events

If you've already purchased your RootsTech pass, no worries. If you are the winner, you'll get a full refund.

Here’s what you need to do to enter.

Send an email to michellesgiveaway at gmail dot com. The email must contain the following:

Your name
Your email address
List the titles of three Roots Tech sessions and the presenter's name that interest you.

By entering the giveaway, you give permission to post your name on The In-Depth Genealogist and The Turning of Generations blogs along with a quote from your entry, if you are the lucky winner.

By the way, I'll be giving a fun talk titled, Google Photos: Collect, Organize, Preserve and Share at RootsTech on Thursday, March 1st at 1:30 (session RT9886).

If you have the Getting Started pass you can also hear that talk (with a slightly different title: Collect, Organize, Preserve and Share with Google Photos) on Friday at 3:00 (session GS9886).

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2018 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks.

RootsTech News & Upcoming Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 23:00:00 +0000

RootsTech is a mere four months away. Personally, I'm especially excited to hear Olympic Gold Medalist, Scott Hamilton, speak on Friday March 2nd.

I'll be giving a fun talk titled, Google Photos: Collect, Organize, Preserve and Share on Thursday at 1:30 (session RT9886).

If you have the Getting Started pass you can also hear that talk (with a slightly different title: Collect, Organize, Preserve and Share with Google Photos) on Friday at 3:00 (session GS9886).

As a RootsTech Ambassador, once again I'm honored to give away a complimentary four-day pass to RootsTech 2018. It includes:

over 300 classes including the Keynote sessions
Innovation Showcase
Expo hall
Evening events

If you've already purchased your RootsTech pass, no worries. If you are the winner, you'll get a full refund. Stay tuned. I'll be putting together the giveaway in the next week or so.

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2018 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks.

Any opinions expressed are my own.

Three Things You Need to Know About RootsTech 2018

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Sat, 30 Sep 2017 16:57:00 +0000

There's lots of news on the RootsTech 2018 front! I am an Ambassador again this year and will also be presenting at RootsTech 2018 (more on that later).

Here are three things you need to know about RootsTech 2018 today.

RootsTech has grown to four days! The dates are February 28, 2018 to March 3, 2018. For more details here's a link to the press release.
Registration is open. Right now the early bird price for a 4-day pass is $169. Single-day passes are $99 and a Getting Started Pass is $69. Whatever pass you choose will also give you access to the Expo Hall and the morning keynotes. You can read the full press release or head over to the registration page and get registered.
Last but definitely not least. If you didn't attend LeVar Burton's keynote address at RootsTech 2017, it's now available online! I blogged about it last year and it was one of the most moving moments of the conference for me. Watch it! It's only about 25 minutes.

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2018 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks.

Any opinions expressed are my own.

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy Registration Opens Saturday, July 8th

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 21:51:00 +0000

Mark your calendars and set your alarms. Registration for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy opens this Saturday July 8th at 9 AM Mountain Daylight time. For more information, including a course and instructor list go to the UGA website's page for SLIG.

Disclaimer: I am a SLIG Ambassador and receive a small discount on my registration.

#slig2018 #sliglearning #geneducation

RootsTech 2017 - Wrap-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Sun, 19 Feb 2017 19:06:00 +0000

As much as I don't want it to end, RootsTech 2017 is over and has been for a week. Here's my summary of highlights, links to all the posts here on The Turning of Generations, and some action items for each of you.

Starting with the Media Dinner, it was apparent there were two awesome themes running through the conference: food and storytelling.

From favorite family recipes handed down through the generations to stories shared around the dinner table, food is part of every family's story. The week was capped by Buddy Valastro, star of the TV show Cake Boss. Where he told us his story. Buddy's talk is available on the RootsTech website for a limited time. What dinnertime stories does your family have? What favorite family recipes do you like to share in your family? Get them recorded!

In our family, Grandma Goodrum's Chicken 'N Dumplings were the favorite. In the grandparent's generation of the Goodrum family, every meal was an event. If there was a family gathering, once one meal was over, discussions and preparations for the next were begun. Stories were always exchanged.

The RootsTech folks brought us two very different kinds of storytellers: the Property Brothers, Jonathan and Drew Scott (homes have stories to tell too), and LeVar Burton (Roots, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Reading Rainbow).

Jonathan and Drew's session is available online for now.

LeVar's talk was as eloquent as it was moving. The best moment was seeing the impact discovering one's own family history can have on a person. When presented with some of his own family's history, that included ancestors born into slavery who lived to see emancipation, LeVar tearfully exclaimed, "These are my people!" I'm not seeing a recording of his talk available but you can read a fabulous summary over at Jennyalogy, "LeVarBurton's session brings us all to tears."

Another way RootsTech showed us how to open the door to our family stories is with the use of DNA in our research. CeCe Moore spoke about genetic memory and some of her fascinating cases on Saturday. CeCe Moore's talk is available online for a limited time.

Along those lines, my favorite session was Diahan Southard's, DNA: The Glue that Holds Families Together. It was a moving account of her mother's story loaded with teachable moments. Watch it! Seriously!

One of my favorite moments was my interview with CeCe Moore of DNA Detectives. You can view it on YouTube or at the blog post listed below.

RootsTech Interview with CeCe Moore - Food for Thought for Genetic Genealogists

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 15:00:00 +0000

At RootsTech 2017, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to interview CeCe Moore of DNA Detectives. So many people are taking DNA tests now, I wanted to ask an expert for tips on a couple of challenging DNA testing issues.

We wrapped up with a couple of CeCe's favorite cases.

Disclaimer: I (Michelle Goodrum) am a RootsTech 2017 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks. Any opinions expressed are my own.

© 2017, copyright Michelle Goodrum

RootsTech 2017 Exhibit Hall Wanderings

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Goodrum) — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 21:31:00 +0000

The RootsTech exhibit hall is an event in and of itself. One could spend the entire conference visiting the booths and the presentations being made by the vendors in their booths. Every year I vow to spend more time exploring the hall. This year I was pretty successful. Here are some highlights in no particular order.

MyHeritage

Their new DNA offerings are the big topic with MyHeritage. If you've previously tested with another company you can upload your results to MyHeritage. The only catch is that you won't be able to view the ethnicity results or use MyHeritage's ethnicity related tools without purchasing their DNA kit and taking their test. To read more see my post, "RootsTech 2017 - A Look Back at Thursday."

I purchased 3 kits for myself and family members to try out their tools so you'll hear more about that when the results come back.

Pedigree Map was one of the presentations I sat through in the MyHeritage both. This feature on MyHeritage plots events from your family tree on an interactive map. I'm looking forward to digging into this feature more. The first time I used it I was reminded of a number of events that had slipped my mind. It also shows clusters of events and the geographical proximity of various people and their events in my tree.

Your DNA Guide - Diahan Southard is Your DNA Guide. She is the author of the quick guides of which I own every single one. They are excellent. Her website has tutorials and you can schedule consultations with her.

Diahan's presentation, DNA: The Glue that Holds Families Together was both educational and moving. It's available online at the RootsTech website for a limited time. I highly recommend it. I also recommend having a box of Kleenex handy.

Champollion 2.0 was one of the Innovator Summit semi-finalists. Champollion 2.0 is a PC based program that has tools for managing old documents that have been digitized. It allows the user to transcribe a document and directly annotate an image, number the lines on an image and adjust an image to make it more readable among many other things. I was fascinated with this product!

ExcelsiorCollege is now offering two online courses for researchers.

1. Practicum in Genealogical Research taught by Melinda Lutz Byrne, CG, FASG. This is an advanced problem solving class using real genealogical cases. Students also have the opportunity to apply the skills they learn to a case of their own choice.

2. Genetic Genealogy taught by Blaine Bettinger, PhD, JD. This is a pretty all encompassing class using DNA. The flier I picked up says the intended audience is beginner through advanced. Students learn how to interpret results and use the many tools available today.

They both look like excellent classes and I've heard great things about them. I'm taking a hard look at the Practicum because that's what I need right now!

Living DNA - offers a DNA test that will help you understand more about where your ancestors come from. Living DNA claims to be especially strong with British Isles ancestry. They are testing populations that have lived in an area for centuries. The downside is that they don't yet tell you who your matches are. At this point they are more focused on determining deeper ancestry. It will be interesting to see how this product develops.

Utah Genealogical Association - Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy

In 2018 the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy is January 22-27 at the Hilton in downtown Salt Lake City just a couple of blocks from the Family History Library. I've attended for the past six years and can't recommend the institute enough.

Disclaimer: I am a SLIG Ambassador because I love SLIG so much. I may get some small benefits for being a SLIG Ambassador but don't know what they will be yet. All opinions are my own.

Association of Professional Genealogists - I stopped by the APG booth to pick up a flier for the 2017 Professional Management Conference. It's in Washington, D.C. this year September 20th through October 1st.

Geni - The collaborative World Family Tree. Through a partnership with Family Tree DNA, Geni members can pull their DNA results over from FtDNA and attach them to their family tree. This allow you to locate additional DNA matches. MyHeritage bought Geni a few years ago so they also integrate MyHeritage's matching features.

Coming soon is the RootsTech 2017 wrap-up and my interview with CeCe Moore.