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Five years ago, a group of us sat in this room in a seminar called "New Realities." We were split into teams, and asked to imagine challenges NPR would face in the future. Who knew that the small handheld device many of the teams envisioned -- that would allow users to listen to NPR anywhere, anytime, on demand -- would exist five years later, as the iPhone App? Here's hoping the Knight training makes us all nimble, and propels the company forward from radio into the great beyond.

--Anne Hawke

Today we got our first taste of what it will be like to edit photos with the new skills we're going to learn in Knight training. I'm really looking forward to learning how to take better photos and then have the power to photoshop them before sending them in with my stories.

Glw

48 hours into Knight training and it feels like I've been given 5 weeks of information already. Not sure if that is a good thing or not. My brain has been taxed and I think the only way I can remedy the tornado that is whizzing inside my head is with a cool, tangy drink, hopefully with some of Russia's finest vodka. Photoshop , crop , tone, blog, digital media. I will be dreaming of these words all night. Next on the to do list: point, shoot and snap. Bring it on!

Day two of Knight training: We got a lot of technical information about how to put photos into photoshop and how to put photos on blogs. It was generally interesting but I desperately needed breaks after getting all that information.

We also had an especially smart presentation from Andy Carvin about social media.

One complaint only: No one is pronouncing the K in Knight.

But how great to get a systematic overview of the online component of our network. Brings a whole new meaning to "bounce." And I feel like I'm looking at our homepage in a completely different way ... actually seeing the parts instead of a wash of information. Looking forward to photo training tomorrow. --KD

I'm learning how the content management system works at NPR. I should say how it now works. It was so very manual 10 months ago, when I was embedded with Digital News. I doubt that most of my colleagues on this iteration of the training have experienced the trouble i've seen. Or the moans and groans I've heard from the rest. it's all shiny and new, and seemingly difficult to most folks here, all the procedures to remember.
This journey is much easier, at least right now.
Even if nobody realizes it.
Yet.
wrw

After learning how to use Photoshop today, I'm growing more and more excited for the sessions ahead. I'm heading home this weekend, to Frostburg, Maryland, to visit my family, but also to attend a photography exhibit opening in a local gallery there. My friend, Michael Lease, is one of the artists. I'm going to bring my reporter's kit and see if I can make a story out of it -- and I think my Knight training will come in handy.