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Presented byQuinn Battersby

@qbattersbyMelanie Parlette

@melanie_sarah

Beginner

DEFINITION OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media are primarily internet and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings. The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology, telecommunications and social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio.

More than just a definition it impacts people and our society enormously.

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES

Overall: Understand the benefits of social media through application.

• Define RSS feeds

• Find RSS feeds that match your interest, and add them to Google Reader

• Create connections between RSS content and Professional Development from a fundamental standpoint

• Define Twitter

• Understand Twitter terminology, including RTs, @mentions, #hashtags and more

• Follow people and companies of interests

• Learn how to apply Twitter to your Professional Development

INTR

ODUCTION T

O RSS

FEEDS

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Image Source:http://www.flickr.com/photos/25031050@N06/3292307605/sizes/z/in/photostream/

Image Source:http://www.flickr.com/photos/verbeeldingskr8/3638834128/sizes/z/in/photostream/

AN RSS FEED READER CAN HELP.

www.google.com/reader

www.google.com/reader

www.google.com/reader

Or sign in if you have already created a Google Account that you would like to use.

GETTING STARTED (2 WAYS TO ADD FEEDS)

In Google Reader:1. Click the Subscribe button

in your left-hand sidebar2. Enter the URL of the blog or

site you’d like to subscribe to.

From a blog or site using Firefox:1. Click Bookmarks2. Click Subscribe to this Page3. Select Google from dropdown

for Subscribe to this feed using:

4. Click Subscribe Now5. Click Add to Google Reader

WHAT CAN I SUBSCRIBE TO?

Conestoga College Newshttp://bit.ly/conestoganews

Dilberthttp://bit.ly/m74kNG

Subscription Options . . .

Naturehttp://bit.ly/

leo3MV

News Sites

Academic

Journals

Magazines Blogs

• Prioritize, you don’t need to read EVERYTHING!

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR GOOGLE READER. . .

• Do a weekly cleanup

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR GOOGLE READER. . .

• Dedicate a certain time to read your feeds

(build it into your routine)

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR GOOGLE READER. . .

GOOGLE READER IN THE CLASSROOMfor students

Keep track of news and

information relative to their

studies and personal interests

Collect and Share research

materials for projects

Read items shared by their teachers to help with assignments

GOOGLE READER IN THE CLASSROOMfor staff+faculty

Keep track of student blogs all

in one place

Read other educator’s blogs for ideas, current

research, and tips

Share news with colleagues and students (you

can annotate to add value!)

Share news and current events

relevant to current

classroom topics

INTR

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REALLY, WHAT IS TWITTER?

Twitter is an online social networking tool in which users post 140 character updates of what is going on in their lives along with links to things they think are interesting, funny, or useful to their followers (“following” being essentially what “friending” is on other sites).

REALLY, WHAT IS TWITTER?

People use twitter in many ways:

• as a newsfeed by following prominent people or networks

• as a pseudo-chatroom by limiting their followers and whom they follow to close friends and family

• as a microblog for updating people about the work they are doing and their personal lives.

TWITTER TERMINOLOGY – FEED (TWEETS)Feed: The stream of tweets you see on your homepage. It’s comprised of updates from users you follow.

You can always access your feed by using the Home button on the Twitter website.

TWITTER TERMINOLOGY - RETWEET

Retweet or RT – is when you want to forward or share a tweet that someone else said with your followers.

• You can use the RT button • Copy the tweet and paste in your message with RT in

front of it• Include via @username

TWITTER TERMINOLOGY – MENTION (@)

A way to reference another user by his username in a tweet (e.g. @qbattersby). Users are notified when @mentioned. It’s a way to conduct discussions with other users in a public realm.

Semi private, must be following @sendinguser and @receivinguser to view.

TWITTER TERMINOLOGY - #HASHTAGS

A way to denote a topic of conversation or participate in a larger linked discussion (e.g. #AmericanIdol, #Obama). A hashtag is a discovery tool that allows others to find your tweets, based on topics. You can also click on a hashtag to see all the tweets that mention it in real time — even from people you don’t follow

They contain no spaces or punctuation and begin with a # symbol.

• Events like conferences or concerts will encourage attendees to add a particular hash tag to their tweets to unite attendees. (ie. #e3conestoga)

• Trending topics are typically created by using hash tags – for instance a user might create a hashtag as a fun way to start a conversation. (ie. #13thingsilove)

LETS LOGIN & GET STARTED

1. Goto http://www.twitter.com

2. Input your username and password you created before this session.

3. You will be presented with your newsfeed (Tweets), when you start following people their tweets will show up here.

4. Start following some people – search for the person next to you using their “handle” or username!

5. Tweet the person next to you using @username and some text.

6. Add more interests and follow more people using the search or the sidebar with recommendations and trending topics or by clicking Discover.

FOLLOW SOME MORE USERS

Some suggested accounts to follow:

@conestogac @conestogabooks @nytimes @qbattersby

@melanie_sarah @groupon @ignitewaterloo

@tedxwaterloo @nationalpost @wr_record

@conestogamall @martinsapples @guykawasaki

@wagjag @flyykf @torontostar @ctvswo @ohlrangers

@kw_oktoberfest @tedtalk @wired @dougcoupland

@rickmercer @dtapscott @astro_paolo

RELATING TO YOUR VOCATION

Faculty may follow users that provide valuable information about the field of which they are preparing their students.

Some suggestions

Engineering - @twittereng

Media & Design - @smashingmag

Nursing - @nursingideas

Sciences - @guardianscience

RELATING TO YOUR VOCATION

Staff may follow users that relate to their specific area – ability to provide fresh and relevant information about their area in general.

Some suggestions

Bookstore - @pearson

Co-op & Career Services - @kitchener_jobs

Continuing Education - @allaboutcareers

Alumni - @wonderfulwat

NEXT STEPS WITH TWITTER

1. Write your 140 character biography

2. Include an image of yourself (use a current facebook photo?)

3. Engage with users or just be engaged by users

4. Smart phone applications (iPhone, Blackberry, Android)

SOCIAL MEDIA BEST PRACTICES

1.Social Media is social, what you do online other people will see

2.Keep in mind the image you are presenting online as a Conestoga community member

3.Give credit where credit is due

Be Social.Have fun with it.