Brett Atwood presented on how mobile media is transforming storytelling in the classroom. He notes that most students are millennials or Generation Z who prefer messaging and social apps over email and are constant multi-tasking multi-screeners. Generation Z is connected from birth and prefers images/video over text. Mobile storytelling platforms are being experimented with in university communication programs through partnerships with news organizations for Snapchat and Instagram coverage and classes on mobile and emerging platforms. Challenges include ensuring quality, eliminating bias, privacy issues, credibility and limited editing abilities on apps.

1. Snap.
Presented by
Brett Atwood
How Mobile Media
is Transforming Storytelling
in the Classroom
Snip.
Send.

2. My Background

3. Product Launches & Campaigns

4. Millennials in the Classroom
• Most of my students are millennials – but also “Gen Z”
• Here’s what I’ve observed:
• Messaging and social apps preferred over email
• Internet use is “near constant”
• Mobile preferred over desktop
• Phones rarely used for voice calls
• Voicemail? Never!
• Multi-taskers & Multi-screeners

5. Here Comes “Generation Z”
• Connected from Birth
• Ephemeral > Public Square
• Creation > Curation
• Images/Video > Text
• TL;DR = 8 Seconds or Death
SOURCE: SproutSocial (http://sproutsocial.com/insights/gen-z-vs-gen-y/)

6. Mobile Storytelling Platforms

7. My Worst Fear as a Journalism Teacher

8. Challenges from the Classroom
• Quality – “Damn, Daniel” be damned!
• Eliminate bias – go beyond the selfie!
• Privacy issues – “no teacher/parent” zone needed
• Credibility – who can you trust?
• Limited editing abilities – in-app editing is minimal
• Lack of archives - everything is ephemeral

9. Best Practices for Mobile Storytelling
• Ideal number of Snapchat posts per
story is 15-20
• Vary photos and videos
• Always start with an intro to orient the
viewer
• Add context with use of location-based
tags/filters and large text
• Many viewers aren’t using audio – so
add text and captions when someone
is interviewed

10. Mobile in the Classroom
• Many university communication programs are experimenting with
mobile media in the classroom

11. • Partnered with NBC
News for Snapchat
and Instagram
coverage of the
Republican
primaries in South
Carolina

12. • “Journalism for
Mobile and
Emerging
Platforms”
• JEDI Desk

13. • Partnering with
Austin-Statesman
for Snapchat Stories

14. • Social media
takeover!
• Future of Flight
Foundation for the
final flight of Boeing
727

15. • Coming Soon:
• MN8

16. The Next Wave: Mobile VR & 360 Video

17. Final Thoughts: Advice from Gen Z
• The number of followers you
get by graduation for your
stories might soon be as
important as experience.