Paul

Paul is presenting about microblogging, with a focus on Twitter. (I am blogging this because he cannot continue to tweet.)

Goals, Issues, Challenges

Most participants are aware of Twitter. A few use it for personal purpose and organizational purpose.

Twitter only allows 140 characters.

Paul's presentation was created using Prezi.com - very cool!

It's really important to define/identify your readers - try not to mix audiences, otherwise, your messages will be very mixed or even confusing.

There may be no cost in getting the tool, but there is a lot of "human cost".

Who owns the content when the one responsible is twittering works for the organization and uses work time to do this.

The technical capability of staff in the same organization differs - belonging to different generations and with different experience with social media tools.

Functions

Based on Twitter

Estimated at 90 million users

Mindful of one's voice - e.g. being professional in the context of career development practitioners, being personal to make the message engaging and human

Setting up the profile; crosslinking to websites, blogs, or other web presences

Create consistency in appearance, e.g. using the same pic or avatar

The really "social" aspect is to re-tweet.

#hashtags - an identification keyword

(Paul recommends that CDC should support tweeting at the conference to create backend dialogue between conference participants.)

Add capacity by using Twitter Clients - software the enhances the twitter functions

Following others - an aggregate of information and knowledge

Use "supportive" software such as tinyurl.com to shorten long URLs

To post pictures, also using other supportive software, e.g. TweetPhoto

Organizational benefits

Build a community - making the conversation private

Enhance critical thinking and exchange between colleagues

Push out information for sharing purpose

Job postings for clients, research about potential leads in targeted industries / companies, build networks

Tina

Tina began by providing a definition of blog/blogging. It's essentially a journal online.

3 points to focus:

1. how to use blogs to work with clients?

2. what are the benefits for the organization?

3. how can blogs help PR and marketing?

For clients:

- personal blogs are like their online portfolios, thus requiring long-term commitment

- self-marketing

- requires good writing skills

For organizations:

- org learning blog / sharing knowledge and expertise

- internal info blog

- use blog for training

(Tina asked for feedback and comments at this point)

- colleagues to help one another in learning by sharing their thoughts

- use blogs to post resources and information as a way to reduce the flow of emails

For PR/marketing:

- helps search engines ranking if the blog is ACTIVE

- timely, dynamic, useful content for clients

- showcasing org accomplishments - establishing credibility

- content should be valuable for clients, not just for promoting the organization - "sticky" content

Some considerations:

- be very cautious about the content - it's your organizational publication

- know your reader

- be precise and concise - "byte-sized" content for easy reading

- what's your niche - what's unique about the content

- continuity of the blog requires staff training and succession strategy

- takes time - capacity of staff

- learning curve - also takes time

- maintain an organizational voice

- be careful with privacy and confidentiality

- be truthful in your content

Major tools:

- WordPress

- Typepad

- Blogger

BCCDA Training Day on Social Media

Well, here we are at Tii finally. Tina, Paul and I have been preparing for the Training Day. It has been an interesting experience collaborating online and meeting face-to-face. We hope that what we have planned will interest participants.

CDC 2009

Michael Yue and Maria Starosta delivered a presentation at the Career Development Conference 2009. The topic was "Collaborative Learning for Career Development Practitioners".

You can view and download the PowerPoint presentation here. Also, thanks to Isabella Mora who live blogged during the session, there is a summary of the workshop on her blog.

(Below is the original workshop description that appeared on the CDC program.)

Collaborative Learning for Career Development Practitioners- Merging Online and Offline

The Age of Web 2.0 is here, reflecting the values of collaboration and sharing to achieve collective knowledge growth. As career development practitioners, are you ready to lead by examples to become active collaborative learners - online and offline? This session features a simulated collaborative learning experience based on the ENET Philosopher's Cafe and Book Club models. You will also learn how to use online tools to benefit from collaborative learning – for yourselves and your clients.

Michael Yue - Vancouver Community College

Michael Yue is a Project Coordinator at the Vancouver Community College and has 18 years of experience in adult education and career development.Michael has presented on We 2.0 and to career practioners in various conferences and workshops, and is currently on the ENET Board as VP, Education and Professional Development.

Maria Starosta - Training Innovations

Maria Starosta is a Career Services Manager at Training Innovations and has 8 years of experience in the career development field. Maria has been involved in various online collaborative learning projects over the past 5 years and has been facilitating the ENET online Book Club since June 2008.
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The workshop participants were engaged in a collaborative learning experience whereby they first worked in groups to generate ideas in response to 3 questions and then rotated between the questions to add, delete and revise others' ideas. The points below are therefore the work of a collectivity.

1. What are the benefits of individual and group (social) learning?

• group learning has different dynamics
• individual learning is personal and independent
• group learning is supportive
• individual sets his/her own pace
• groups work in slower pace
• individual learning is narrow, while group learning is broad
• individuals set their own directions in learning
• group forces you to examine your own learning
• group establishes norms
• in groups, we learn from one another
• in groups, we have access to more information; as individuals, we only access specific information
  

2. How do you distinguish between formal and informal learning?

• formal learning is often linked with certification and credentials
• formal learning is often led by someone else, while informal learning is more self-driven
• information learning has less structure , while formal learning is structured
• formal learning is connected to an institution
• formal learning is evaluated in a regulated way
• informal learning has a more practical approach
• informal learning entails working collaboratively with a group
• facilitators allow a group to learn from one another
• formal learing equals "authority"
• why do we have to make a distinction

3. Face-to-face and online learning: how are these learning environments similar and different?

• virtual learning uses technology
• has no time contraint, 24/7, and there is time for reflection
• it can be lonely, self-directed, but time consuming
• it is anonymous
• in virtual learning, teams can be established
• face-to-face learning is instant and spontaneous
• traditional, and directed by personality
• there is often a formal schedule
  

Technology & Career Services - Group 7

Tool
Blog
Service
Have a blog online that discusses the problems accessing employers and employment related issues and resolutions to the barriers posed by the clients.

Concerns
The time it takes to input the information into a coherent format
Setting appropriate access permissions

Benefits
Creative resolutions
Allow funders to read the exchange

Support
Agency support - committment to monitoring the tools

Technology & Career Services - Group 6

Technology Tool
networking tools
facebook or ning.com

Service Idea
Networking group for clients to extend an online program after the session ends.

Concerns
getting client buy in to use the platform
privacy - identifying the different elements of informed consent between structured program and voluntary post-program networking

Benefits
incorporating social networking into platforms clients are using
able to connect with people they wouldn't normally connect with - extend beyond the other program participants

Supports Required
time for monitoring the site
technology support
encouraging the group to learn self-monitoring as well

Resources
facebook
ning.com

Technology & Career Services - Group 5

Technology Tool
e-learning space

Service Idea
Deliver online career service workshops and make workshops available for registered users - both live (facilitated) and downloadable (self-directed)

Concerns

privacy and confidentiality
the amount of training for staff and wondering what kind of training for students/clients is -required for them to learn online
tech support
power outages
creating norms in the workshop
ethical alignment

Benefits
reach more people
easily accessible
easy to update content of workshop materials
data management
low cost

Supports Required
tech support and training
digital video camera
participation in the workshops

relevant course content
cost