Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect. ― Samuel Johnson, The Rambler

Social Media

Forms of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content. ~ Merriam-Webster

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rustybadger/2775486094/

What is social media?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kitcowan/2103850699/

REASON #1

“We have technology, finally, that for the first time in human history, allows people to really maintain rich connections with much larger numbers of people.”

~ Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay

Why should I care?

http://www.slideshare.net/mzkagan/what-is-social-media-2005829

Reason #2

http://www.slideshare.net/mzkagan/what-is-social-media-2005829

Reason #3

http://www.slideshare.net/mzkagan/what-is-social-media-2005829

Reason #4

Social media engages people – smashing generational, educational and socio-political boundaries.

Social Media is a Conversation

http:www.flikr.com/photos/josefstuefer/55109059

Social media is flexible, responsive, engaging, and inclusive

http://www.flickr.com/photos/reneelightyear/453494539/sizes/z/in/photostream/

Don’t let shiny technology drive your choices or deter you - the toys are destined for obsolescence

Taming Technolust

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ben_grey/4582294721

Social construction of knowledge through human interaction

Social media supports:

1. Creating connections between subjects, concepts and ideas.2. Diversity of opinion and inquiry.3. Convenient access to current knowledge and specialized resources.4. Why we join a social media service is more important than which service.

Participatory Learning

• Our youngest people have spent their entire lives using technology.

• 80% of children younger than 5 use the internet (2011).

~ Gutnick, Aviva Lucas, et. al. “Always Connected: The new digital media habits of young children.” The Joan Gantz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. March 2011.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/demandaj/5982440920/

Digital Natives

72% of online adults use social media

Social technologies are related to trust, tolerance, social support, community and political engagement:

• The average user of a social networking site has more close ties and is half as likely to be socially isolated as the average American

• Facebook users are more trusting and have more close relationships than others

• Internet users get more support from their social ties and Facebook users get the most support

• Facebook users are much more politically engaged than most people

• Facebook revives “dormant” relationships

Pew Internet and American Life Project http://pewinternet.org/Commentary/2012/March/Pew-Internet-Social-Networking-full-detail.aspx

Social Impact

Americans age 65+ are enthusiastic emailers and information searchers.

Online engagement drops significantly beyond age 75. Only 1/3 of people 75+ are digitally connected.

Learn > Practice > Teach

Interests

Politics: social networking sites have become an important additional arena for politics. They are a resource for political news, information, finding likeminded issue-oriented people, and a tool for voter outreach in the run-up to elections. Pew http://pewinternet.org/Commentary/2012/March/Pew-Internet-Social-Networking-full-detail.aspx

• Online book clubs.

• Genealogical research.

• Travel groups, photos and communities.

• Support groups = medical, life changes, financial.

1. Share your unique voice.

2. Be generous.

3. Ask for opinions or advice.

4. Listen, respond and follow back.

5. Friend or follow people you don’t know yet.

6. Be a cheerleader in your online community.

7. Surprise and delight people.

8. Share your own photos and ideas.

9. Ask for help.

Be Social

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28481088@N00/1932087056/

Explore

Try some new tools

You can’t fail

http://www.flickr.com/photos/activeside/2367540964/

Developing Your Learning and Sharing Network“self-controlled, life-long learning”

Best Practices1. There is no anonymity.

2. Online lives forever.

3. Keep protected, identifying information off social media.

4. Create separate professional and personal accounts.

5. Your impression of other people is formed by what you learn about them.

6. Their impression of you is influenced by what/how you share.

7. Promote a non-threatening environment, that supports the sharing of ideas and collaborative learning.

http://wodumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/Manila-Philippines-a-woman-and-her-dog-dress-up-as-superheroes-for-a-fashion-show.jpg

Often ask for your birthday: up to you if you want to share. Used to market to you and customize advertising.

You can use a fake birthday, but be sure to write it down, as you will need it if you need to reactivate an account or get password assistance.

Phishing: a scam that attempts to obtain personal information. You may receive email or communications from people/organizations you don’t know after signing up for social media accounts. You can avoid this scam by opening a free, online email account like Gmail.

Social media is about sharing within the online community, not through personal email. General rule of thumb: delete messages from people you don’t know. Do not open an email or other message from mystery people.

Security

Mind the Generation Gap

http://www.flickr.com/photos/surlamer/3468959699

Social Media Care and Feeding

How many hours can I devote?

What do I want to accomplish?

Who do I want to interact with?

Keys to Success1. Experiment personally and professionally.

2. Be honest and transparent – identify yourself.

3. Make some friends and ask questions.

4. Try a few different tools.

5. Contribute your original ideas.

6. Share and give credit to others.

http://www.slideshare.net/tactica_inc/the-conversation-an-introduction-to-social-media-presentation

Google

• Free.• Can restrict access to specific users or open for the whole world.• Upload documents from your computer or create new in Google Drive.• Share and edit Word documents, spreadsheets, Powerpoint presentations.• Create websites or discussion groups.• Use Google+ to connect with friends or family.• Google Hangouts are free video phone calls.• Moderate = lots of tools to learn, but easy to learn.

Facebook• Social networking service.• Connect and share photos and life events.• Share what you are doing, with whom and where you are located.• Provide reviews of places and services.• Use Groups to invite specific members (book club, class reunion).

Twitter• Open to the world – others follow you.

• Use hashtag (#) for content topics that others can follow.

• Follow a professional or famous person, create lists of people or companies to follow.

• Networking, find webinars or interesting tutorials.

• Tweet = real-time Q&A.

• Personal or professional.

• Easy = create an account, tweet, follow others.

• A free, popular platform to publish content and share it.

• Easy to update, no web design or technical knowledge needed.

• Can invite others to be authors on your blog.

• Comment on interesting videos and content on the web.

• Requires time to build the community.

• Try Wordpress or Tumblr to get started.

Blogs

Flickr, YouTube• Share photos or video for select people or open to the world.

• Tag and organize media.• Large images or video can be shared with others – no need to email.• Easy = create an account, upload still or moving images.

Goodreads• Online book club.• Connect with friends, authors and other bibliophiles.• Reviews and recommendations.• Submit your review of a book or author.

Pinterest• The online bulletin board.• Pin interesting images, art or design ideas.• Categorize and organize into a photo journal.•Create a collection of scholarly articles.• Easy = create an account, pin something.

http://mashable.com/2012/04/10/pinterest-teachers/

Instagram• Photo sharing site using your mobile phone.• Popular with people 14 years and younger.• Save and print photos from others.

Dropbox• Store and share large files online.

• Use the online tool or download to your computer for auto synchronization.

• Caution: not for protected information.

• Easy = create an account, upload stuff, share.

Open Learning Communities1. Coursera.2. Khan Academy.3. Open Learning Initiative.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gaspi/12944421/

Play — the capacity to experiment with one’s surroundings as a form ofproblem-solving.

~ Henry Jenkins

Jenkins: Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: http://www.projectnml.org/node/540 Play = Learning

Learn, Do, Teach

Share your knowledge with others.

Only 1/3 of people older than 77 are online: these are most vulnerable when isolated. Help them to order groceries online, pay bills, make doctor appointments, sell stuff on eBay.

Play = Learninghttp://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/08/online-habits-coming-slowly-to-older-adults/

https://flic.kr/p/73rBa

SeniorNet offers two learning centers here in Ariz.:

Fountain Hills - FTHFountain Hills Community Center, Fountain HillsPhone: 480-816-9645Coordinator: Ralph Craner ( ralphc35@earthlink.net)Sponsors: Fountain Hills Community CenterWebsite: http://www.fhseniornet.orgSeniorNet Website

Scottsdale - SDLScottsdale Senior Center Computer Learning CentersPhone: 480-312-5810Coordinator: Barbara DespenzaSponsors: City of Scottsdale Senior CentersWebsite: http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/seniors/classes/computers.asp

Play = Learning

Your Public Library also provides computer classes:

http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/ServicesForYou/Computer-Classes

Social Media

1. Google email and hangouts2. Twitter: http://twitter.com3. Facebook: http://facebook.com4. Blogs: http://wordpress.com5. Still and Moving Images: http://flickr.com, http://youtube.com, http://pikasa.google.com, http://vimeo.com 6. Goodreads7. Pinterest: http://pinterest.com 8. Instagram9. Dropbox: http://dropbox.com 10. Open Learning: http://www.ihi.org, http://www.khanacademy.org, http://www.coursera.org, http://oli.cmu.edu/

Try one and share with someone else!