We’ve moved!

It’s official!  I finally moved all of my various web presences over here.  Wordpress.com, you’ve been a wonderful platform but I want some customization and lots of fun plugins.

So please update your links, feeds, and what not so we can stay in touch!  Then head over to there and read my new post all about WordPress – the one your mother warned you about.

In Praise of Ravelry

Got your Google+ invite? Yes? Created some circles, placing people where you think they belong in your life then moving them about every time someone else you know appears on the site?  Wish the circles would overlap because you just can’t resist a decent Venn diagram? Want a Ninth Circle of Google+ where you could banish those people you never want to interact with?

Well, I can’t help you with any of those questions but asking them got me thinking about how and why I use social networks.  Maybe it goes back to those chat rooms when AOL was the only game in town and I had two kids in diapers (not to mention the two huge dogs and one large husband to care for) so uninterrupted face to face chats with friends over coffee or at a bar just weren’t going to happen.  We mommies opened up our chat rooms in the morning and popped in and out as naps and videos allowed.  My children survived to enter kindergarten and my marriage probably lasted a few days longer due to the opportunity to converse with other adults with similar interests and issues.

Fast forward a significant amount of time and we have Twitter.  I signed on initially to share a conference experience at NYU but then discovered what a wonderful platform it was to converse with friends, network with professionals, and keep in touch with the world outside my classroom.  This lasted about two years but then the school community jumped on board and, well, it became a case of “be careful what you wish for”. Used to be a great platform for self expression, now not so much, but that’s how I learned to manage Facebook lists.

Now we have Google+.  Just about the time I got my invite, @hoxtonhandmade tweeted an article from Slate entitled “A Tight Knit Community: Why Facebook Can’t Match Ravelry, a Social Network for Knitters” (more about @hoxtonhandmade in a few).  Ravelry was founded by a husband and wife team and has just four employees to keep a social network of over a million members going.  No pretty diagrams, no chats based on sports metaphors, just forums, groups, shopping, and a way to catalog all my favorite patterns and yarn as well as ask questions of other knitters as I strive to be more than a novice.

I have over 2000 followers on Twitter, close to 200 friends on Facebook, over 30 folks in my Circles on Google+ … and 3 friends on Ravelry.  One to one connections aren’t as important as sharing a passion for a specific topic with the group at large, and you needn’t post all over the place to feel like you’re a participant. While I’ve never joined a knitting group, I get the impression that Ravelry is like those chat rooms the moms ran way back when – a group of people discussing their knitting successes and failures as well as resources and entertainment.

I tend to visit the groups that focus on the various podcasts I love.  The Knitmore Girls, Electric Sheep, and A Playful Day are my favorites (although I’ve found I slip into a decidedly British accent for no reason these days I swear, and the latter 2 podcasters love of mustaches and ale is an added bonus).  Yarn and pattern recommendations are easy to follow up on Ravelry, and when I’m looking for that perfect next project, these podcasts tend to at least give me a push in the right direction.

I admit, after catching up on A Playful Day’s podcast I’m seriously lusting after Madelinetosh DK yarn, and @hoxtonhandmade’s essay from awhile back about acrylic yarn made me feel not so bad about using Red Heart over fancy alpaca or cashmere.  After all, I am a new knitter, poor teacher with two expensive teenagers … and acrylic was certainly alright for Grandma!  I wish The Knitmore Girls hadn’t timed their first vacation with mine, but their return in September will make that month just a bit more palatable!

The best part of Ravelry for me, though, is exactly what made me first love Twitter.  A wealth of timely information and a group of experts to provide almost instant answers to pressing questions.  I recently decided to knit this pattern from The Brisbane Courier‘s Thursday, November 29, 1928 edition, based on this version created by Ravelry member KnittingAnd.  When I couldn’t quite figure out how to attach the lining, I emailed her and got a quick response even though she’s in Australia!

A successful social network for me at least is one that provides a platform for people interested in a similar subject to share ideas, ask questions, and provide information.  When I joined Twitter, I wanted contacts in tech and marketing, asked and answered questions about those topics and then education.  Yes, it’s great to send random thoughts out to the twitterverse, get your news almost immediately in your Tweetdeck stream, and casually chat with friends throughout your day, but for real social media value, I think specialized networks are the up and coming platform not the meganetworks like Google+.

I may be wrong (and please tell me if you think I am), but I wouldn’t be surprised to find there are other very successful specialized social networks out there…

My kind of 4th

Those of you who’ve read the blog for any length of time know I love birthdays.  I share a (nearly) half birthday with the United States and enjoy celebrating this event in my own special way.  Today’s blog post will take a look at those everyday events in my life that I believe truly celebrate America (not Canada – I like those folks, but they had their day on Friday).

Before we start, I just want to point out that I’m not a fan of fireworks.  When my kids were little, their Dad would drag them off to a fireworks display through which the girl would scream and the boy would either cry or hide while Mom had a peaceful hour at home.  These days the girl takes in KaboomFest in Red Bank … and I’m not quite sure what the boy is doing but that’s nothing out of the ordinary.  I never understood the appeal of fake explosions; if I want fake explosions I’ll watch a Bruce Willis movie in the comfort of my own home.

That brings me to my first way to celebrate America: watch either a Tom Hanks or Bruce Willis movie. You’ll cover every film genre with those two actors with the exception of unintelligible French films and brooding, snowy Scandinavian flicks which aren’t very American anyway.  Watch Forest Gump and you get a nice not quite accurate retelling of modern U.S. history, and take in Saving Private Ryan for some serious patriotism.  Watch any Tom Hanks / Meg Ryan flick and you’ll get this American woman’s ideal romance.  Watch any Die Hard movie and you see Eurotrash given their due and a helicopter killed by a car.  I always feel a bit sorry to see Alan Rickman fall off Nokatomi Tower but hey, he’s a Brit, and today’s our day!  After all, we finally have a president that combines the best of both American actors: Obama kicks ass but is quite the loving husband and family man (and knows who’s really in charge in that household).

Now to the second way to celebrate America’s birthday: Eat a lot, preferably prepared with real fire.  As a vegan, I tend to pass on the fire but did provide a few 4th of July BBQ recipes this week over on @jerseygirlcook‘s blog.  I may not kill my holiday dinner but trust me, I can pack just as much fat into a meal as any omnivore in the 48 contiguous states.  (OK, maybe not Georgia – I think Paula Deen beats my fat content every time.)

Americans like any excuse to eat to excess, and our birthday is no exception. Maybe you can get @shoreflicks to set up his outdoor movie screen at your BBQ so you can combine my first AND second way to celebrate the holiday!  Imagine the taste of that favorite summer dish enjoyed while watching Bonfire of the Vanities, a story replete with Wall Street avarice, tabloid journalism, and opportunistic politics … Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, and everything that makes America great! (I know, it’s R rated, but we don’t do little children at my BBQs.)

To prepare to dine in excess, you should try my third way to celebrate this holiday: visit Walmart!  I know, I too avoided the King of box retailers for years, but recently discovered an incredibly awesome remodeled version not far from my home.  Used to be Target was the kid whose white shirts were still white at dinner time and Walmart was the kid that ate dirt.  Not any more!  My Walmart beats my supermarket prices on just about anything but fresh produce and has everything bread to boot (if Italian bread and an everything bagel had a baby…).  Also, if you need a tshirt to get into the holiday spirit, Walmart kindly uses “American” sizing, i.e. a Large in any other remotely reasonable store is at most Medium here.  You’ll feel so much better about stuffing yourself if you can still fit into that tshirt the day after!

Finally, let’s face it, Americans like to celebrate with liquor.  [Now those of you under the age of 21, look away while the grownups do grown up things.]  As @mswas would say, the obvious choice is beer, but not for me. @sfadem recently treated me to sushi at Klein’s in Belmar (no relation to Ron) and when I ordered a glass of sangria, the server surprisingly asked “red or white?” I was thrilled – a dining establishment that finally gets that white sangria is just as good as red and better in the summer! Alas, it turned out he asked not because Klein’s serves white sangria but because his girlfriend prefers it.  So at your 4th of July revelry, don’t be like Klein’s; try my recipe for white wine sangria and pleasantly surprise your guests!

White Wine Sangria

1 bottle white wine (well, you might as well get 2, it’s a holiday!)

1/4 limoncello liquer (I know, it’s Italian, but this IS Jersey)

1/4 orange juice

1/8 cup lemon juice

1/4 white grape juice

1/2 cup vodka

1 cup halved purple seedless grapes

1 lemon sliced then cut the slices in half

1 orange cut into slices then cut the slices in half

Put it all in a pitcher and chill.  You can add a little soda water but I tend to add either a splash of Fanta (because Fanta just says summer to me) or sparkling water for just a little bubbly.  Pour yourself a glass, grab a seat and a veggie burger on a plate from Walmart, sit back and enjoy an all American movie starring Tom, Bruce, or both!

Guerrilla Girls Exhibit at Rutgers

This past Tuesday, I headed up to New Brunswick to see an art exhibit with @mswas and @yuricon. Surprising in a number of ways, not least of which was seeing @mswas so soon after attending a concert in Asbury together, I not only enjoyed the exhibit but, more important, loved the discussion these images produced both during our time there and at lunch afterwards.

Entitled “Feminist Masked Avengers: 30 Early Guerrilla Girls’ Posters” and presented by The Feminist Art Project at Rutgers (my alma mater), this small exhibition included posters, books, and videos produced by all incarnations of Guerrilla Girls over 3 decades.  If you’re unfamiliar with this activist group but you know me well, you won’t require a long explanation of their cause.  Founded in 1985, this group of masked women sought to spotlight gender inequality in art, theater, film, and pop culture through various printed media and live performances.

Upon entering the exhibit, visitors are met with a huge poster touting facts about the Oscars.  I immediately pointed out that one fact was wrong; in 2010, Kathryn Bigelow won Best Director for The Hurt Locker. @yuricon responded that she never watched the Oscars which to me seemed like refusing to watch the moon landing, but I know nothing about her area of expertise (Japanese animation and comics) either.  After some thought in front of this huge poster, I realized that the Oscars have been around for over 80 years and it took that long for a woman to be recognized as Best Director.

I think the Guerrilla Girls would say their poster succeeded.

Directly across from that was a poster for The Birth of Feminism starring Pam Anderson, Halle Berry, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.  A history of feminism as only Jerry Bruckheimer and Joe Eszterhus could do it, this movie promised that “They made women’s rights look good.  Really good.”  Zeta-Jones is one of my least favorite actresses, and the other names mentioned in the credits aren’t exactly trailblazers either, although it would be mildly amusing to see Rosie O’Donnell as Betty Friedan.

Somewhere, Bella Abzug is laughing.

As tempting as it would be to recount all the stats from the years of Bush I and Bush II and point out that women artists fare no better in Europe than they do here in the States, I’d rather urge you to visit the show and find out for yourself!  When you go, don’t skip the “video room”.  There are a number of videos you can view on small screens with headphones, but I particularly enjoyed the interview piece projected on the wall of this room.  @yuricon may not find performance art appealing, but I’m a sucker for a play with a message, and since the Guerrilla Girls rarely tour, it’s a chance to see what they are like when they perform.

This exhibit at the Mason Gross School of the Arts Galleries in downtown New Brunswick runs through June 18, 2011 and is free to the public.  Below you can see Erica and Bonnie (my partners in crime) in the galleries as well as the last poster on display as you leave … gives you something to discuss over lunch!

A Backpack in Paris

I love serendipity, both the concept and the movie.  Within a 48 hour time span, I watched Up in the Air and Midnight in Paris for very different reasons.  The former I chose to watch with my 6 eCommerce students as their last assignment in an effort to put some of the pressure of graduating and going off to college in perspective.  The latter I was lucky enough to see for free with @sfadem because, when your daughter works at the movie theater, you get to see movies for free.  I’ve been a Woody Allen fan since the mid 70′s when it seemed like he released a movie a year.  We all know how he fell out of favor, and his Mia period never did much for me, but this European discovery tour he’s been on the past 5 years or so has been lovely.

The Cloooney film surprised me when I first saw it.  I heard the author of Up in the Air interviewed in NPR before the film’s release.  When the interviewer asked Walter Kim his opinion of the movie, he immediately stated that it was much different than the book but equally as good.  The film retained the inherent message of the novel, and the main character, played by George Clooney, immerses himself in business speak and motivational culture.  Less satirical than the book, the film explores a world where being fired is now called a “career transition” and the people and things we accumulate in life weigh down the metaphorical backpack we drag behind us as we move along, racing towards death.

Pretty apropos for college bound teenagers, huh? As I watched it for a third or fourth time, I recognized that the smooth and suspiciously handsome Clooney was perfectly cast as the character Ryan Bingham.  Ryan’s efficient and lightweight approach to life worked on the surface but lacked any meaning beyond traveling light and racking up those frequent flyer miles.

When Ryan takes the attendees of his motivational seminars through the backpack exercise – put all your stuff in and see how heavy the backpack is, then take it out only to put all the people in your life in there and see just how heavy that is – I initially imagined the relief of not carrying my house, cars, computers, and all the other crap I’ve accumulated in the almost 50 years I’ve been alive.  How bad would it be not to work to support things? Then of course when Ryan asks us to fill up the bag with friends and family, I realize how much effort I make to maintain those relationships and support my children.

Yet as the character attempts to connect with the people around him – his young colleague, his sisters, and another business traveller – we realize that an empty backpack isn’t as desirable as it initially appears.  Using real people who’ve been through layoffs in the most recent economic slump rather than actors to express their feelings about the experience throughout the film only underscored their statements at the end: each one of them keeps going not to pay the mortgage but for their husbands, wives, children, and family.

Their backpacks are full and they enjoy the pull of the straps on their shoulders; it’s what gets them up in the morning and puts a smile on their face when they walk in the door.

The afternoon after watching that movie I tweeted that Midnight in Paris was playing at the movie theater where @sfadem works.  She immediately responded with an invite to see it the next night.  I’d heard only good things about this film, and let’s face it, Owen Wilson in a Woody Allen movie? I just had to see that!  The English major in my also loved the idea of Allen’s portrayal of all those artists and expat writers from the 20s.  His movie The Front is one of my favorites, dealt with blacklisted writers in the 50s, and hey, who doesn’t like Paris?

I won’t give away too much of the plot since everyone reading this should go see it, but this film deals with similar issues. Wilson’s character Gil found success as a Hollywood screenwriter but wants to be a novelist. He’s engaged to Inez, a woman who’s obviously wrong for him.  At the start of the film, the couple run into American friends and start exploring Paris together.  This part of the film is a long riff on the scene in Annie Hall where a man in line to see a movie loudly expresses his opinion about a Fellini film and then Marshall McCluhan when oddly enough, Woody produces McCluhan to debunk the fatuous and pendantic opinion of that movie goer.  (You can find the scene here if you’re interested.)

As Gil becomes more immersed in the residents of 1920s Paris and tries to tell Inez that he’d rather give up all that material wealth in California to write in Paris, I recalled that backpack.  Facing marriage, Gil’s backpack could carry around those antique chairs from Paris that cost a whopping 18,000 Euros.  On the other hand, he could pack it with his manuscript, his experiences with Hemingway, Picasso, a delightful Dali, a frantic Zelda, and the lovely frenchwoman who runs the “nostalgia store”.

Ok, so maybe I gave a bit of the plot away there, but you get my point.  A good reminder for me that on their deathbed, no one wishes they spent another day at work, and adversity really does provide opportunity.  So, at this almost half year mark in 2011, recent (and to some extent past) experience prompts me to rethink where my efforts are best placed, and what I think my priorities should be.

I’m taking out what weighs me down and putting in what lifts me up! … and carrying the backpack through Paris again at some point would be perfect!

My Foodtown needs Foursquare

On Monday, I attended The RealTime Report in New York.  I’ve been blogging about the various case studies over the past few days, but today I’ll take a look at one of the many informative panels.

Another part of #RLTM was the panels on various real time topics.  My personal favorite was “Real Time, Right Place: Getting Customers to Check In” especially since I’m conflicted about the value of geolocation social networks like Foursquare.  The best observation of the day came from this discussion: Groupon deals encourage new users, Foursquare rewards loyalty.  From a marketing perspective, that’s brilliant (and simple), and for a consumer like me, this clarified their use and makes it easier for me to know when and why to use them.

Adrian D. Parker, Social Media Director of RadioShack, shared their approach to Foursquare.  Now, I have a Radio Shack about a mile from my house.  Last time I stopped in, I needed a battery for my car key.  I did use my iPhone when I was there because the salespeople were uncertain what battery I needed and how to install it.  Thank goodness for the internet! However, I didn’t tweet or checkin while there.  Didn’t occur to me, after all, it’s Radio Shack not a restaurant, coffee shop, or clothing store!

According to Mr. Parker, I’m in the minority.  After being hired 18 months ago, Mr. Parker took a year to educate the company about Foursquare.  He took a test and learn approach, starting with a limited month long campaign. From this, the company learned that

• Foursquare users spend 3 to 4 times what a nonuser spends in one visit.
• Foursquare is an excellent way for consumers to rediscover Radio Shack as they rebrand themselves as “The Shack”.
• Foursquare can be used to encourage users who check in to make a purchase.

Radio Shack also began using a Foursquare page to provide information on promotions as well as real time reports from customers at various locations.  What began as a test a year ago has become a significant promotional venue to reinvent the brand, attract customers, and make sales.

Gowalla is another geolocation platform and panelist Matthew Shadbolt, Director of Internet Product & Marketing at The Corcoran Group, briefly discussed ways to use Gowalla as a marketing tool.  One of the unique features of Gowalla is its trips, itineraries of various locations based on a specific subject.  The Corcoran Group’s approach to home sales is that it’s not just about the home, it’s about the neighborhood.  By providing helpful information about a locale after a Gowalla user checks in, this company demonstrates its knowledge about the area on a individual, more personal basis.  The creation of “trips” within various neighborhoods in New York City shares with potentials homebuyers the highlights of living in that particular locale.  After a user completes an entire trip, Gowalla notifies Corcoran so they can reach out to that individual to start a conversation about the experience and perhaps spark interest in one of their properties for sale in that vicinity.

Mr. Shadbolt also mentioned that platforms like Foursquare and Gowalla can be utilized by companies with no bricks and mortar presence to promote their brand.  For example, when a Foursquare user checks in at Times Square, The History Channel responds with a message informing the visitor that the original name for Times Square was Longacre Square.  Not only does this promote American History, it raises awareness for The History Channel and their on air offerings.

My favorites story and one I wish would be implemented in my home town was Pepsi’s partnership with Safeway and Foursquare.  When a user shops at Safeway, they receive a promotion for a Pepsi product based on their lifestyle information gathered by Foursquare .  For example, let’s assume our shopper is a young and visits the gym often.  When they check out with their groceries at Safeway, if they’ve thrown some Gatorade in their cart, they automatically get checked in at Safeway and receive a promotion for Gaterade when they hand their Safeway card to the cashier.  For Pepsi and Safeway, this initiative provides vital data about their consumers and their lifestyle and promotes more purchases.  The ease of use of this approach cuts out the primary obstacles to geolocation promotions: the multiple steps a customer must go through to receive an offer and the time and effort to educate staff.

I spend a lot of time at the grocery store.  This type of promotion would be the best thing in food shopping since I discovered Peapod!

Every member on the panel cautioned that social media doesn’t replace paid, targeting advertising.  Formal marketing campaigns drive potential customers to earned avenues of marketing like geolocation social media platforms which promote purchases.  Finally, I get how both company and consumer can benefit from social sites like Foursquare and Gowalla.

Now, to convince my local Foodtown to get on board…

Bravo Conquers Social TV

Anyone who’s read my blog posts over the past years or knows me in real life must know how much I LOVE Bravo.  Now, the whole Housewives series leaves me cold, but I was hooked by Jonathan Antin and Jackie Warner way back when and watching Top Chef is sacrosanct in my house.  (Don’t get me started on Top Design.)

This past Monday at The RealTime Report in New York, Lisa Hsia, Executive Vice President of Bravo Digital Media, and Mark Ghuneim, CEO of Wiredset Trender, presented a case study of Bravo’s foray in to social tv.

Bravo’s fans are passionate and the majority are early adopters who engage online often, both true of this blogger.  The first attempt to combine social media and traditional broadcast grew into Bravo’s real time social viewing party.  Viewers can express their opinion on Twitter with a chance to see their tweets during breaks in the show, tweet with stars like Top Chef Judge Toby Young, vote in polls during the broadcast, interact through Facebook Connect, view behind the scenes content, and have a chance to win some swag.

Who doesn’t love swag?

Hsia saved the best for last: Bravo discovered that 40% of the online participants weren’t watching the show. Growing their audience using social media created more interest and I’m sure future viewers and any traditional advertising accomplished. The creation of a “coviewing companion app” for iPad provides the ability to push content to the viewer during both the show and commercials increasing the impact of advertising.  By making their on air ads interactive, Bravo allows customers to request for information or answer a poll while an ad is running which provides vital consumer data to their advertisers.

Bravo discovered that an users spend an average 23 minutes engaged online.  In response, they created Tweet Tracker, a visual interactive timeline of tweets about their various shows, conducted tweet battles where viewers can debate the merits of various contestants, and the Talk Bubble with celebrity and viewer tweets.

Bravo’s highly successful social TV formula:

Get that? Ok, I couldn’t resist using Data for data, but here’s the equation:

real time + data + social + video = social tv

Simple huh?

Social TV combines the swarm behavior of apps like Groupon or Foursquare with openness and real time engagement through Facebook and Twitter.  By increasing the interaction and enjoyment for the fans, Bravo benefits with a larger audience which drives content and advertising which promotes interaction and enjoyment for fans …

… and we’re back at that virtuous circle again!

Eventbrite & Facebook: Perfect Together

On Monday, June 6, 2011, I attended the RealTime Report in New York City.  A rebranding of TWTRCON, this year’s conference focused on more case studies and “tales from the trenches”.  Over the next few posts, I’ll share those case students that really exemplify what real time marketing is and how companies are leveraging this approach to marketing.

One of the first speakers of the morning was Tamara Mendelson of Eventbrite.  I’ve used Eventbrite’s ticket service as both an attendee and an event planner and find them to be extremely efficient. This case study examined of “The Value of Being Liked” and the reach of event sharing on Facebook.

Back in 2008 when Eventbrite first took a look at the origins of traffic to their site, they focused on the major search engines like Google and Yahoo to promote their brand and events.  SEO became their primary online marketing focus, but over time they became aware that both organizers and attendees shared event information on Facebook.  Initially, users would copy and past event information into Facebook to share with friends.  When Eventbrite realized that their fastest growing inbound traffic came from Facebook, they worked with the social media company to create the capacity to “Publish to Facebook” now available.

Facebook is now the second largest traffic source for Eventbrite, with Twitter and Linkedin also in the top 10.  The ability for ticket buyers to immediately publish event info to their Facebook page and Twitter feed provides a real time opportunity for event organizers to promote their offering to a more receptive audience.  After all, if you friend is going, aren’t you more likely to go along too?

The concept of the “virtuous cycle” was first mentioned in this case study.  It’s been awhile since I heard this term used, but I quickly realized that this may be the beauty of social media and promotion in real time.  I purchase a ticket on Eventbrite then push that to my Facebook page, my good friend @mswas sees that I’m going and realizes that we haven’t seen each other for awhile, clicks on the link, purchase a ticket, posts it to her Facebook page … infinite loops in programming may be very very bad, but in real time marketing, they are priceless!

Below is a wonderful graphic that quickly explains how Eventbrite’s metrics with regard to Facebook integration:

What’s in your lunchbox?

I attended two conferences in the past few days: the Emerging Learning Design (ELD) conference at Montclair University and The RealTime Report (#RLTM) in New York.  The audience at ELD was primarily educators at the college and high school level.  The latter event was all about business, and I’ll be blogging about both this week.

First up, ELD.

Bringing little experience in social media with them, attendees at ELD asked the types of questions business people asked in 2008.  Many needed to learn the basics of Twitter and Facebook: whats a DM, how do I set up a Facebook page with students and still respect privacy, etc.  The concerns unique to education were rarely voiced.  When issues like the  amount of time teenagers spend on Facebook were raised, those asking the questions had difficulty opening their minds to the idea that the platform may be new, but the need to socialize with peers has been around as long as we’ve had teenagers!

I knew I was in trouble when the first keynote speaker opened with the question, “How many of you don’t know why anyone would want to use Twitter? Who cares what you had for lunch!”  This brought to mind a variation on the Ralph Nader quote about politics: “If you’re not turned on to social media, social media will turn on you.”  To give them credit, every educator there realized they were late to the party, knew Nader was right, and wanted reach students in the 21^st century via social media.

Probably 25% of the attendees actively use the major social networks, and I even got one LinkedIn invitation while I was there.  Signficantly less than the networking done at #RTLM, a few educators scribbled email addresses rather than hand each other a business card or send that LinkedIn invite.  Perhaps along with the basics of social media, educators need to realize the value of networking.

That first keynote presentation by @intellagirl (another member of the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Stripe”) about how to integrate and assess whether a social media tool is an appropriate addition to curriculum was the highlight of the day.  By addressing the strategic, tactical, and operational aspects of a platform, educators take into account not just what this new technology can do, but how users interact, what conceptions students carry with them when they enter the classroom, and what purpose each social media platform serves for the vast number of people that use it.

For example, Twitter’s strategic advantage is the massive user-to-user communication that takes place in its online space as well as the ability promote and manage a brand or idea and hopefully generate income.  Tactically, Twitter allows users to send short multi-use messages within a flexible network.  The constraint of 140 characters ensures the brevity and timliness of tweets.  The operational aspects include hashtags, DMs, RTs, and all the many conventions we use on Twitter.

How teachers integrate Twitter and how students react may or may not work the first time – @intelligirl shared a wonderful story about using Facebook with graduate students that initially failed because of the students’ concerns with privacy. However, using this approach does help determine whether Twitter is useful in a specific curriculum, how it might achieve specific educational goals, and how instructional/user-created content will mesh student/user-created content.

As one of the few educator attendees personally and professionally immersed in social media, I became less of a participant and more a supplier of examples from both my employment as a teacher and my freelance experiences.  @andimulsh‘s use of the #upperclassy hashtag for her Advanced Journalism students became the hit of the workshop that dealt with integrating social media into the classroom.  My experience with @cooperhewitt when I organized a field trip to their Design exhibit last fall prompted  discussion in a social media in the arts workshop.

By now, my readers probably think I didn’t enjoy this conference or learn anything I’ll take back to my classroom.  So wrong! In addition to the first presentation, @lthumann‘s direct approach to Twitter in the classroom should be useful to any educator who hopes to incorporate that platform into his or her lessons:

Twitter can be used to

1. build apersonal brand (great for high school students with portfolios)
2. learn to be concise (remember 140 characters?)
3. personify characters on Twitter (great creative writing exercise)
4. collaborate on same topic with different cultures (Millenial penpals)
5. bring experts into the classroom virtually (the first thing I did with Twitter and @chrisconn)

For beginners and seasoned Twitter users, these suggestions can be attempted in any classroom for any age group of students, including adults!

After lunch where I learned Montclair thinks everyone eats meat, tweeted about it, and learned I wasn’t the only disappointed veggie attendee, Craig Kapp’s presentation on Artifical Reality really intrigued the geek in me.  Technically sophisticated, I did enjoy his examples of how AR is available for use today and will certainly try a number of websites and programs he explored with my Advanced Java class.  You can check him out at his blog  – well worth a visit if only to see what’s happening in the world of AR.

ELD12 is scheduled for June 1, 2012.  I look forward to attending once again to see how far educators go with social media in their classrooms over the next year.  I bet every teacher who attends ELD12 will know that Twitter is so much more than what we’ve had for lunch today.

Busy coding…

and makin’ websites! All good stuff that I love to do (and I am incredibly happy to be freelancing once again), but it does take away from my time to write.  I even have some wonderful topics I need to share and will do so in the near future!

Friday, June 3rd, I’ll be at the Emerging Learning Design Conference at Montclair University and will certainly share all I learn from that event.  Monday I’m having a techy marathon, hitting The Realtime Report (formerly TWTRCON) then the Cloud Computing Expo in New York City.  Both are phenomenal resources for blog posts, so stay tuned!