blogging, pod casting and creative commons

Practical Guide To

Blogging, Podcasting

Johnnie MickelPresented By

The Practical Guide will introduce participants to some of the new and upcoming technologies being used and understood by current and future students. Information

will focus on their uses, abilities, and meaning for students, faculty, and staff.

Emerging Media Tools & Technology for Student Communication

& Creative Commons

Introduction

First Things First

According to ShiftHappens, the average Sunday edition of the New York Times contains more information than the average person in the 18th century would have gotten in a lifetime

Recruitment, Technology, Marketing, etc., are tools—not the machine

There will always be someone who thinks a technology is silly/wasteful/stupid/dangerous

We may be preparing students for jobs and technology that don’t exist today—but the basis for those technologies DO exist today.

Introduction

How Can Attract New Students?(and keep the ones we have)

Greater Interactivity

Pride/Innovation and a Larger Service/Coverage Area

Ease of Contact (Student and College)

Marketability

Publicly Private (anonymity—no risk of embarrassment or shame at “stupid” questions)

Mobility and Immediate Response Time

Introduction

What Do Students Want?A 2007 Study from Noel-Levitz entitled “Engaging the Social Networking Generation”

listed 15 items that students are requesting…

Introduction

What Do Students Want?Things we are already doing are in green, sort-of doing in gray, not doing in red…

Introduction

1. Complete a financial aid estimator form

2. Complete a tuition cost calculator form

3. Complete an admissions application online

4. Request a campus visit by completing a form

5. Exchange instant messages with an admissions counselor or student worker

6. Complete a form to RSVP for a campus event

7. Inquire online

15. E-mail current students from the site

11. Read profiles of current students

12. Read a blog written by a current student

10. Read a blog written by a member of the faculty

9. E-mail a faculty member

13. View a virtual tour

8. Read profiles of faculty

14. Personalize a Web site

Not Doing

Sort-Of Doing

Currently Doing

Blogging Basics

What makes up a Blog/Journal?

http://dcccsampleblog.livejournal.com/

http://dcccsampleblog.livejournal.com/

Blogging Basics

Why on Earth Would I Want One?

Blogs engage people in knowledge sharing, reflection, and debate. Blogs are becoming an important component of the Internet landscape, providing authors and readers with an avenue for unedited expression, reaction, and connection, without the censorship of mediated chat rooms or

other media outlets.

The simplicity of blogs means that open discussions can be established almost immediately, making blogs ideal for far-reaching discussions among the Internet. Blogs foster the growth of

communities, and the dynamics of collaborative filtering and recommending/referring may provide new ways to evaluate, and critique student-created knowledge.

-EduCause, 7 Things You Should Know About…

Blogging Basics

Travel/Conference JournalBrain Storming

Sharing Journal/ArticlesList of Links and images of an event or concept

Announcements and OpportunitiesPersonal Journal

Public Blogs Add a Personal Touch to OutsidersOpen Source to New Ideas and Concerns

Explanation of Upcoming Changes and Events With Feedback (Think ‘Beta’)Writing Practice and Group Editing

Much, Much, More

Why on Earth Would I Want One?

Blogging Basics

Students are highly aware of this technology and its uses. Blogging is simply an evolution of the old bulletin board systems of the past and an easier way to read through and process chronological

information.

For students in the classroom blogs can be used to foster class discussions on a prompt, event, or image. On the department level blogs can be used to partner classes for mentoring situations and

dual class projects while still allowing the student to form private thoughts and responses.

On the college level blogging by faculty, staff, and select students allow a personal, “insiders” view of what goes on. Announcements, polls, comments, events, pictures—all have their place on a top

level blog.

What is the Student Benefit?

Blogging Basics

Where Do I Get One?

Blogging Basics

Outside of the classroom, blogs allow students to respond and pose questions to ideas and thoughts providing greater insight to what students are looking for.

A good example is the team name—a college blog may have prompted discussion and new ideas for the vote. A weekly blog entry by the president or other campus leader, or a weekly blog from the

SGA, would provide lots of campus insight to prospective students and the public.


Blogging Basics

How Can This Repel Students?

Many recruitment sites have “student blogs” where select students share their stories while the blog is monitored by the college, although a good idea—to prevent a negative or inappropriate entry—

over-protection can backfire. Obvious attempts at advertising and editorial control only discredit the blog.

Non-traditional students may not find college blogs useful or necessary, avoid being too “young”.

“A podcast is a digital media file, which is distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds for playback on portable media players and personal computers.

The term, like "radio", can refer either to the content itself or to the method by which it is syndicated; the latter is also termed podcasting.”

-Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. (5 Dec 2007)

Podcasting Basics

Podcasting Basics

MP3

Servers

Time

Index.xml

Computer User with Aggregate Software

IPod/Digital Audio Player

RSS Feeds enable automated downloading

Podcasting Basics

Grammar Girl – Sit vs. Set Podcast

Podcasting Basics

Providing podcasts of special events (graduation, speakers, orientation etc.) may produce more interest from the general public. Podcasts from students, faculty and staff may provide information

for prospective students unsure of their college of choice.


Podcasting Basics


Presenting a highly unorganized or unprofessional podcast can present the same problem that an ill-produced publication or website, if they don’t think you know what you are doing they’ll apply that

to everything else you do.

Podcasts should be relevant, present information that is applicable to many groups—not just one. Or, attempt to give equal time and voice to each group.

Creative Commons

Creative Commons Introduction

Creative Commons


Creative Commons primarily affects the faculty and staff as a means of sharing their material with each other and expanding the pool of resources and allowing quick up-to-date handouts and

materials for class.

Regarding podcasting, a Creative Commons license may prove more useful than a standard copyright. Many situations fall outside of clear standard copyright, YouTube is an example. Do we

want our Basketball games and recruitment videos online? If so, then it would be a violation of YouTube terms of use. (FYI at least one Basketball game is on YouTube currently).

Creative Commons

Most students are going to be unaware of Creative Commons unless they have had experience with publishing creative works, and maybe not even then.

Faculty and staff should be careful anytime they begin tinkering with copyrights. Without clarification of how copyright affects material created for the classroom a faculty or staff member maybe

inadvertently break copyright and face unexpected problems.


Q&A

Question and Answers

References

Shift Happens: http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com/

Engaging the Social Networking Generation: http://oirap.rutgers.edu/reports/MSA2008/Self-Study-Reports/EExpectationsClassof2007.pdf

Livejournal: www.livejournal.com

MySpace: www.myspace.com

Educause – 7 Things You Should Know About: http://www.educause.edu/7ThingsYouShouldKnowAboutSeries/7495

Quick and Dirty Tips: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/default.aspx

Wikipedia: www.wikipedia.com