Beyond Blocking: Embracing the Social Web

Beyond Blocking Embracing the social web By Melanie McBride http://melaniemcbride.net This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License An introduction to social media tools and trends for information managers in education.

The value of social media isn’t always clear

So let’s look at the facts .

5 facts

1. It's not a fad

2. A sharing revolution

3. Of many-to-many

4. A read-write culture

5. Where user is King

= new opportunities

and challenges.

2.0 who gets it right?

Let’s start with the website.

Social web look fors

Sharing tools ( bookmarking, social media)

Blogs with commenting

Multiple delivery formats

(Twitter, Google Reader, Email, RSS, Print)

Embedding options for video and media

Invites to participation

‏ Little or no registration

Customizable features

School Boards 2.0: Exemplars

Robust 2.0 platform: CMS

Participatory features

Tools for sharing

RSS feeds (really simple syndication)

More visual media: video

2.0 Objectives for information officers:

Create multiple points of participation

Transform read-only content into read-write, many-to-many conversations

Listen to and engage user-visitors

Co-create with your community

Provide non-essential controls to users (e.g., text size, tools)

Accept that you do not “control” the message but guide it

Getting social: Where to start?

5 Essential Trends

“ How do we encourage our members to share and distribute our content?”

1. Sharing: Social Bookmarking

Purpose: Allows your readers to select their chosen social sharing tool

Cost : Free

Technical requirements: Basic

Get it here : http://sharethis.com/

Value for organisations: Provides a variety of bookmarking tools, increases visitors and site loyalty

Tip: Provide a “how to” section for those new to these tools. Offer some screen captures of the bookmarking tool in action. Use on all pages!

“ How can we automate our information delivery (beyond email and list servs)?”

2. RSS: Alternative delivery formats

Purpose: Allows reader-users to subscribe to and aggregate your content.

Cost : FREE

Technical requirements: Simple!

Learn how here: here

Value for orgnanisations: Increases distribution options (mobile, social spaces, RSS readers, blogs)

Tip: Try to offer RSS for all major sections of the website. Create a page of feeds with some “how to” information for new users. Offer email options as well as RSS.

“ How do we establish and manage our board’s reputation in social spaces?”

3. Social groups: Reach

Purpose: Extends your identity into social spaces, shapes your context from within (rather than without)

Cost : Free

Examples: Twitter, Facebook groups, Youtube

Value for organizations: Tap into 2.0 social ‘cultures’ building, reputation management

Tip: If you don’t define your group in a social space others will define you. Be the primary source for facts and information.

“ Derogatory remarks were posted on a blog. How do we find this ? How do we respond ?”

4. Analytics tools: Intelligence

Purpose: Identifies web traffic sources, IP addresses, search terms, location, page views and more

Cost : Often rolled into hosting

Knowledge requirement: Moderate

Examples: Google analytics, Awestats

Value for organizations : Intelligence, up to the minute data, reporting tool

Tip: Monitor breaking issues/activities and/or review monthly as a means of identifying visitor demographics and popular items. Train staff to understand and analyse basic data.

5. Google alerts: Monitoring , response

Purpose: PR and monitor reputation “as it happens” in blogs, news sites and anywhere on the web.

Cost : Free

Examples: key terms, names, organisation, web address

Value for organizations: Provides immediate tactical information. You can be first to comment on a news or blog item – rather than arriving after the damage is done.

Tip: Set Google alerts for your organisation name, URL, individuals, “hot” or sensitive issues (so you can respond in real time)

Additional objectives

Blogs - staff and stakeholders “frame the message”

Comments offer your visitors a voice

Discussion forums for hot topics

Reach into social networking spaces

Less PDF, more web documents

Video with embed code for sharing

Non-essential controls for viewing

Adopting social media: The challenges 1. Fear and resistance to change

Commonly stated challenges

Fear and resistance to change

“ Keeping up” with web trends

Perceived costs of solutions

Lack of best practices

Misinformation and lack of expertise

3 essential strategies

The right approach

The right stuff

The right policies

1. The right approach

1. Understand web cultures and 2.0 social codes by participating and engaging them directly

2. Create a Google group or internal forum for “digital PD” sessions with staff.

3. Tap into educational social networks : Classroom2.0, NING, Twitter and other spaces for insights and approaches to web issues

2. The right stuff

1. Be selective, you don’t need every tool/service

2. Sign up for popular social services/spaces like Twitter!

3. Create a collection of social bookmarks and update it regularly with important news/resources. Distribute to your stakeholders

3. The right policy

1. Research and review emergent web policies elsewhere, everywhere

2. Collaborate directly with a variety of stakeholders

3. Examine school policies against critical trends in learning2.0

Summary of approaches …

Be present in 2.0 social spaces/cultures

Accept that you do not “ control ” the message - but can influence outcomes

Develop a digital social strategy

Respond in real time to crisis/conflicts

Turn one-way information models into many-to-many dialogue

What’s cool? What’s ahead?

2. Emergent social trends

Microblogging

http://twitter.com

2. Lifestreaming

http://ustream.com

3. Vlogging, podcasting

http://vlog.rheingold.com

4. Virtual Worlds

http://secondlife.com

5. Cloud computing

http://docs.google.com

Homework: Select and undertake one web2.0 social media exploration featured in the next three slides.

1. Watch a video at Howard Rheingold’s Vlog Beginner

2. Follow educators in Twitter Intermediate

3. Attend an educational conference in Second Life Advanced

“ What it is, is up to us”

Web Community pioneer, Howard Rheingold

Presentation Resources

http://www.diigo.com/list/melmcbride/beyondblocking

Links to tools / services

Topical articles

Research reports

Topics: reputation, identity, web2.0, social media

Contact / PD sessions

[email_address]

http://melaniemcbride.net

Beyond Blocking Cinema Now Playing A Vision of Students Today

“ Dubbed "the explainer" by Wired magazine , Michael Wesch is a cultural anthropologist exploring the impact of new media on society and culture. His videos on technology, education, and information have been viewed by millions , translated in over ten languages, and are frequently featured at international film festivals and major academic conferences worldwide . - Michael Wesch faculty page, Kansas State University Learning from Youtube: Introducing Michael Wesch

Why you haven’t seen these videos ... Wesch’s A Vision of Students Today , is among the most important statements on education in the digital age. Unfortunately, all of these videos are inaccessible within schools and school boards that block Youtube. Everyday, teachers across North America are forced to ‘smuggle’ legitimate content like this into their classrooms. I have downloaded and embedded this video within the talk so you may view it. Click the next slide image to see it. .

A vision of students today Professor Michael Wesch with the students of Kansas State University Click the image above to view the video