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Matt meets Scout for the first time.
I know… I know… this blog is about social media education. But I thought I’d quickly share an update on our adventures into dog ownership as many people have been asking! Kelin and I have been planning to get our puppy since last semester – I told my students all about it and we talked names – so we are both very excited to have finally brought home Scout last night.
Scout (a literary reference, of course) is a bergamasco and right now peacefully napping! The car ride home was peaceful and she remained calm through the night. We spent the morning wearing her out, freeing me up to writ this quick post.
As a way to combine my need to get more hands on experience with Instagram along with my desire to be an ambassador of this rare breed, I’ve decided to create a Scout Instagram profile. If you are interested in following the puppyhood and beyond of our new bergamasco scout on Instagram, check out instagram.com/scoutbergamasco. I promise lots of photos. I’ll try not to overdo it but in all honesty I probably will post far too many photos.
What is a Bergamasco?
Not many people have heard of bergamascos before. I hadn’t. And in fact, some people mistake bergamascos for komondors while others incorrectly think that bergamascos are messy or unclean due to their unique coat (more on that below). This unfamiliarity is a major reason why I want to share our adventure with Scout.
Bergamascos are Italian sheep herding dogs and come from the Italian Alps. Their unique feature is their coat which consists of 3 different types of “hair” and forms flocks that look a bit like dreadlocks. They are hypoallergenic. Despite appearances, they shed very little and coat maintenance is minimal. They are said to be very clean dogs and the coat does not smell.
According to the American Kennel Club, “The Bergamasco is a sociable, highly intelligent breed that possesses a deep desire to please its master. The breed thinks independently, however, and often sees itself more as an equal partner than as a subordinate to the members of his family.” The Bergamasco (Comprehensive Owner’s Guide) describes these dogs as “intelligent and balanced,” “peace-loving,” loyal, great with kids, among other qualities that drew me to the breed.
When doing research on what type of dog would match our lifestyle, the bergamasco came up again and again. I did a great deal of research (I tend to overdo it sometimes!) on this and other breads and Kelin and I decided this was the right dog for us.
From time to time I will post updates on this blog about our life with Scout as I know many people are interested. But this blog is a social media blog and I know that is why you read this blog. I promise not to lose sight of that. I will also label all Scout-related blog posts under the category “Scout” (see “blog topics” on the left menu).
Feel free to contact me via other social channels (twitter, G+, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc) or via a comment below if you have any questions about Scout or our experience with her, or thoughts on raising puppies. While I am a novice with dogs and bergamascos, I am more than happy to share my experience.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for details.
Google recently updated its link schemes and it means an important change to how we teach students to write press releases for the web. This is because the change directly targets articles or press releases distributed on other websites, like an online wire service.
I’ve written a lot on this blog about teaching students to write for the web. And this is the biggest change I’ve seen to what we should teach since starting this blog.
Google wants links to your site to emerge naturally, that is organically via its popularity on the web because others like it and link to it via Tweets, blog posts, etc. That doesn’t include a press release, because essentially a press release is seen by Google as an advertisement you are putting out to drive traffic to your site. Google calls this “unnatural.”
“Lots of links, lots of repeated key words, and multiple postings of a press release to different sites, are all red flags to Google under the new rules. Such actions are viewed by Google as blatant attempts to trick its algorithm into ranking a site higher than its allotted position,” writes Tom Foremski.
When Barry Schwartz of Search Engine Roundtable asked Google Switzerland’s john Mueller “Why were press releases called out?” during the July 29 Webmaster Central Google Hangout, Mueller replied: “It is something that a lot of people are doing to try to promote the website. That’s something that we want to make clear, that we essentially see this as an unnatural link…” Later in the hangout, Mueller likened a press release to an advertisement. He is saying this in the sense, again, that the purpose of the press release distributed on the web is to drive traffic to a client’s site, the way an online advertisement does. I.e., an “unnatural” link. Of course, the purpose of a press release is to do more than drive traffic to your site, but not in Google’s eyes.
You can see this exchange by watching the first 10 minutes or so of the below video:
So what to do?
Having keywords be linked has been Best Practices for press releases over the past several years (in fact, if you have old press releases up it is best to go change them to the new format or risk hurting your client’s PageRank). I was planning to go into my Writing Across Platforms class (See syllabus. See other blog posts about the class) this fall with the advice to optimize keywords with links in the Social Media News Release assignment. As a result of this change by Google, this is what I’ll be telling my students:
Be safe:
Link Sparingly
nofollow all URLs in press releases and distributed articles on web.
Code for no-following: Why I’m telling them this:
I spent a great deal of time researching this new change and reading through varying opinions and reactions to the new link scheme update. While opinions differed slightly, Mueller’s own advice seems to be to no-follow all URLs just to be safe.
The penalty for upsetting Google? Possibly having your client’s site drop in ranking on Google search results – and no one wants that! In fact, in an article with the alarmist title “Did Google just kill PR agencies?” Tom Foremski warns ” PR agencies could be held liable for the damage they caused to the online reputation of client businesses through the execution of normal practices. It could lead to legal action and compensation claims on millions of dollars in lost sales. ”
So it seems best to me to not risk it.
Some great articles to learn more about this change and see what others are advising (note: I got many of these from a great podcast on For Immediate Release last week – listed below):
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After a great trip to Washington DC and a wonderful #AEJMC2013 conference, I am back in West Virginia enjoying the last few days before classes start. Though I didn’t get to do all the things I had hoped nor meet all the great people I’ve gotten to know on social media at the conference, I came away from AEJMC having learned a lot.
Two quick observations:
1) As a field, our understanding of social media is growing exponentially! – When I started researching YouTube and the 2006 election, not many scholars were looking into the new medium. Walking around the conference, I saw tons of very interesting and exciting studies and had a great time talking to folks with great research questions and findings.
2) Coverage of #AEJMC2013 on social media was robust, insightful, and engaging – Here are a few cool stats:
The PR division of AEJMC was a clear leader when it came to coverage across platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Storify.
Though my own access to the Internet was limited by poor to nonexistent cell phone coverage, I was able to follow along via my tablet. At the 2008 NCA conference in San Diego, I met one person using Twitter via an iPhone at the conference (it wasn’t me) and we later connected online. This year, I’ve met a number of great people either in person or via the #AEJMC2013 hashtag. I’m excited to learn from them! In fact, the difference between people Tweeting about the conference and “thinking social media” to express their experiences was noticeably up from just two years ago in St. Louis, a great deal in part due to the proliferation of smart phones I imagine.
A few articles with big implications for Education this week:
Majoring in a Professor – Insight Higher Ed – This study finds that a student’s choice of major is most influenced by the quality of introductory professor” This article explores the role that a student’s first experience with a major via a professor teaching an introductory course has in whether that student will major in that field. As the article states: “Maybe it’s much more simple: Undergraduates are significantly more likely to major in a field if they have an inspiring and caring faculty member in their introduction to the field. And they are equally likely to write off a field based on a single negative experience with a professor.” Read more on the potential implications of this finding. —
A letter from a high school teacher warns college professors about the incoming group of students went viral – The author, retired teacher Kenneth Beirnstein, argues that mandating testing and the No Child Left Behind program have hurt critical thinking and writing among the burgeoning student population and asks professors not to hold high school teachers who have little control over these matters responsible. But not many people have seen the follow-up. After I tweeted this article, he Tweeted me back stating he was returning to the classroom, and here is why. The piece is moving and motivational, as Kenneth proclaims “because even with the restrictions that exist I believe I can make a difference for my students” and ” because public schools are too important for me to abandon the field of conflict on their behalf.”
That’s all for now! Hope you are relaxing before the semester starts! Kelin and I are so excited to be picking up our new puppy, Scout, on Wednesday. Scout (pictured above) is a Bergamasco, an Italian Sheepherding dog! I’ll admit, as a first time dog owner I am a bit nervous! Advice gladly accepted!
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The start of the semester is right around the corner. So I thought it’d be fun to do series of posts titled #trythis! on teaching tools and techniques I hope you will try this fall. The first is an invaluable tool I’ve been using for years that makes teaching technology more efficient!
Want to teach students how to use software or a web tool for an activity or assignment but don’t want to waste class time?
Try screencasting! It is a wonderful way to augment your teaching materials and ensure student learning. Plus, it is easier, and quicker than you might think!
Screencasting is a video of a computer screen and is used to demonstrate tasks on a computer. For example, I have used screencasting to show students how to set up social media accounts, edit wikis, complete complex processes such as on SPSS, and much more.
Benefits:
Saves time in class – I already said this but it is worth repeating. Rather than stand before the class using valuable time to show 1 or 2 students how to do a task at the risk of losing the attention of the rest of the class, you can 1) point students to screencasts you’ve already made, or 2) tell them you’ll make a screencast after class and post a link to it on the class website.
Visual component makes it easy to follow.
Particularly useful for complex subjects – If a student is confused, he can pause, rewind, etc. I’ve had students comment that they were so thankful for a screencast I’d posted on using Spundge.com because the task I was requesting was rather complicated and they were having a hard time following paper instructions.
Students can watch screencasts at any time
Less time repeating the same instructions over and over in your office hours, via email, etc.
Less excuses from students that they couldn’t complete the assignment because they couldn’t follow your instructions.
Here’s a video I made teaching students how to use Piktochart for an Infographics assignment:
Don’t be nervous – though you might be saying to yourself, ‘why would I be nervous!?” you may find yourself a little timid when you go to record. A lot of us don’t like the sound of their own voice or you may worry you are going to sound unorganized or say “um” too much. Just relax. Be yourself.
Plan but don’t over plan – if you over plan every little thing you are going to say, you will come across rigid. In fact, I find it impossible to plan everything I want to say or do. Sometimes I am recording and in the moment I’ll think of something to add, or to show. Embrace that. Those little insights add value just like they do in the classroom. What I do to plan, is make a list of the things I want to cover in a video and have it in front of me.
Don’t be afraid of doing a ‘redo’ – sometimes I get 5 minutes into a recording and make a mistake or forget what I was going to say and have to stop, delete, and start over. Because I don’t bother to edit the videos in order to save time, I end up having to do a redo now and again.
Consider the video length – It is easy to get going and going when doing a screencast and quickly find 5-6 minutes have flown by. I try not to record videos that are longer than 7 minutes. I find students won’t watch a video if it is too long. So if I can keep it shorter by all means, I try!
Shorter and more is best – Ideally, I’ve found a few short videos beats 1 long video. Students are going to fast forward in searching of the content they want anyhow.
How to Make a ScreenCast
To make a screencast, all you need is: a microphone, screencast software, and an account for a free online host like YouTube or Vimeo.
There is paid software with more advanced features. But the options I will show are free and will suffice for all your needs:
First, check your built-in or plug-in mic to make sure it is working.
If you have a Mac computer, you can use the free software QuickTime. Open QuickTime, Click File -> New Screen Recording. Click the red icon to start the recording. When you’re done, click the stop icon. The video will be created. Watch it to make sure you are happy with it. Export it for uploading by clicking “Share” from the menu. Select the account Vimeo or YouTube you are using and follow the prompts, including entering your username and password.
If you have a PC, there are a few options. One option is the online screencasting software screencastomatic. I used the free, open source software Cam Studio (http://camstudio.org/) to create the TeacherTube screencasts. The software is easy to use. But getting it installed and working is easier explained through screencast. So, in the spirit of this post here are two great videos on getting going with Cam Studio:
Installing and getting started with CamStudio version 2.7
A detailed look at Cam Studio 2.7 Settings (for those wanting more guidance)
In sum, screencasting is a great supplement to any class where you need to teach students how to do things on a computer. Any educator who wants to improve the way they teach software and web tools to students can benefit from using this easy and effective tool.
I hope you will try screencasting this semester! If you do, stop back by and share your screencast and let us know how it went! If you currently use screencasting, what do you find it most effective for? What tips do you have for someone new to screencasting?
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for details.
A quick post from #aejmc2013 via my tablet.
Though there have been many highlights such as seeing old colleagues and seeing creative and innovative scholarship, I want to take a quick second to share one thing that I have really enjoyed.
I came across this great infographic summarizing a study by Alhabash, Quilliam and Zeldes from Michigan State at my high density session Thursday on Social Media, Attitudes, and Behaviors (I apologize for the poor photo quality). At high density sessions, presenters are supposed to provide a summary handout of their article. This is a visually engaging way of presenting complex info – making me realize yet another great use of infographics I hadn’t considered.
I plan to keep a hard copy to show my social media class as an example for their infographic assignment. Note to self for future conferences: An article summary is a perfect candidate for an infographic. Though I haven’t seen any yet, I imagine an infographic would make for a great poster at a scholar-to-scholar session.
This is why I love conferences.
As an aside, I am getting no service on my phone at the conference. My apologies for the lack of tweeting! Got to run.
Off to the scholar-to-scholar Advertising session at the grand ballroom south. Saw some interesting social media and advertising studies listed in the program!
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Quick Update: The NCA conference is also in Washington, DC this year. The below information is applicable to folks visiting DC for that conference, or any other conference too! Enjoy! – Matt
You may not know it, but I grew up in Suburban Washington (near the Dulles airport) and have spent a good amount of time in that wonderful city. So I thought I’d mention a few great things to help you get the most of your visit to my favorite city!
Getting To the Conference!
Flying into Dulles?
Many people think the Dulles Airport (IAD) is in the city. It is not. In fact, it is a good 45 minute drive from downtown Washington in Dulles, Virginia. If you are not getting a rental car or catching a ride from a colleague, your best bet (that is, your least expensive option) is probably the Metro bus system. That is because there is no Metro train from the airport to the city. Instead, you need to ride the Metro bus to the Metro train (aka, subway) station. Then, board the Metro train to get to the conference hotel. Fortunately, the bus system is pretty great and it isn’t too hard. Here is all the info you should need to get from IAD to a DC metro train stop.
Flying into Reagan National Airport?
You can take the Metro train right into Washington DC. No, you are not in DC yet! You are actually in Virginia across the Potomac river. There are great views of the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument from this side of the river.
Getting Around the City
Cycling
First off, DC has a great bicycle program called Capital Bikeshare. You can rent a bike for as little as 1 day! Kiosks for picking up and dropping off bikes are located throughout the city.
Demystifying the DC Metro Transportation System
The DC Metro train is your best bet for getting around DC. In my opinion, the DC Metro is 1 of the best, cleanest subway systems in the US. (tip: You wont’ find any bathrooms in the Metro stations). Here are a few things to help you maximize your use of the DC Metro:
Purchasing a fare card – When you enter the train station, there are kiosks where you buy your ticket. You can buy a paper card or a Smart card (discussed below). Fees are based on the time of day and distance traveled – that is, you buy a ticket with enough $ on it to get you where you are going. A chart above the kiosk will show you how much your ticket is ONE WAY. Peek hours cost more – so check the time of day. The kiosks accept cash, debit, and credit cards. Each person must have their own fare card.
After purchasing your fare, slide your fare card / or swipe your Smart Trip card to gain access to the station. (Just watch what others are doing, it is straightforward). Keep your fare card/ Smart trip card. You will need it to swipe when you get off the Metro to exit the station!
Smart Card versus Fare Card
Tip: DO NOT put your paper card or your smart trip card near a credit card in your wallet. The magnetic strip on the credit card often “erases” your fare card, causing you hassle because the exit station will not read it. It will think your card is empty. If this does happen, talk to the workers at the exit station and they usually are kind and understanding. This happens all the time. If you are unlucky, they may make you buy a new fare card for the distance you have traveled.
Paper Fare Card – When you buy a paper fare card you can put as much money on it as you like, up to a limit. When you exit the station, the amount you used for that trip will be reduced. And the leftover money can be used to ride the metro again. This saves you from having to buy a paper fare card every time you travel. This cute video shows you how to use a paper fare card, and ride the metro!
Smart Trip Card – Smart trip cards are plastic cards that cost $10 – that covers the $5 for the card, and $5 balance on the card to be used for riding the metro. You can add up to $300. However, each ride with a Smart Trip Card costs $1 less ($2 roundtrip) than a paper fare card. If you plan to ride the metro more than 5 times ONE WAY, it is worth it to buy a Smart Trip card. Here’s a great video on how to buy a Smart Trip card and what you will need to do! Here’s another great video on using Smart Trip.
Planning Your Trip on Metro
The metro system contains multiple lines, each indicated by a color. So changing from one line to another is sometimes necessary at interchange stations. Also, in rare cases you may need to ride a Metro bus to get where your going as the Metro train system is somewhat limited. The great news is, you can use the online Trip Planner to calculate the time, cost, and route needed to get from here to there including transfers between train lines and busses.
Maps and Apps
Like any subway system, maps are easy to find in the stations and on the trains. The Metro offers a great “Visitors Kit” with a PDF with maps, fare prices, etc. But if you own a smart phone, there’s a better way to get around the DC metro.
The best thing about DC is that you don’t have to spend much money to truly enjoy it.
The National Mall and Memorial Park Iconic Monuments and Buildings – If there is one thing I recommend, it is to spend the day on the National Mall seeing the icons of DC: The Capitol, the White House, the Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln Monuments, the World War 2, Vietnam, and Korean War memorials, and the new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. The National Park Service offers this great map of the area. It is a bit of a walk from one end to the other (the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial). But well worth it! Bring water as there is little shade on a hot day!
Smithsonian Museums – These museums are FREE!! and are located near the national mall (not a shopping mall, but a big field between the Washington Monument and the Capitol) There are a lot to choose from (19 in total!), each with its own focus such as the American History Museam, Natural History Museam, etc. My favorite growing up was always the Air and Space Museum!
Other Great Things to See and Do!
The Newseum – Any media scholar or fan should see this!
Night Life? Georgetown is great for nightlife. Adams Morgan is another area with a lot of night life and has a bit more of a party scene. But there are bars, clubs, etc., here. If you are looking for something more low key, I would avoid Adams Morgan.
Music – The 9:30 club is a famous club for all sorts of music!
I hope you found this post helpful in making the most out of Washington DC! If you did, please share it on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Got advice, tips, or places you suggest people see? Please drop a comment below!
Masahiro Yamamoto, Francis Dalisay, and I are presenting our paper titled “Social Media and Mobiles: Examining the Moderating Role of Online Political Expression in Political Participation” Thursday, August 8th 1:30-3pm in room 071. This will be my first time participating in a “high-density session!” The theme is “social media, attitudes, and behaviors.” Hope to see you at AEJMC!
Note: This post is NOT affiliated with AEJMC in any way.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for details.
This week flew by! Today’s Web Roundup contains a variety of articles.
Search:
This week’s subject has been search, as on Monday I published a post on Snickers use of search in a very creative campaign – if you haven’t seen it, check it out! In an article “Why search is much bigger than you can measure,” Chris Penn talks about some of the ways in which web traffic from search is being masked, preventing us from realizing the true volume of people who are being referred to our site from search.
Social Media and Education:
Recently, Karen Freberg (@kfreberg) Tweeted a great article with Infographics from MediaBistro on social media and education. Of course I agree with the article that: “Social media has revolutionised many industries, but it’s perhaps its impact on the classroom, and the education system as a whole, that is the most striking.” There is a lot of interesting data here. A few things that stuck out to me:
59% of students who use social networks talk about education topics online
50% of those who talk about education online talk specifically about schoolwork.
Also, there is a great infographic exploring just some of the benefits of using social media in school for teachers, students, and parents. There is also another infographic showing the uses of a variety of social media tools to enhance the classroom.
Current Events and Social Media
“Twitter user swiftly sabotages Zimmerman juror’s book deal“ on Yahoo news – With the outpouring of emotion and opinion regarding the verdict in the George Zimmerman case, one person turned to Twitter in an attempt to block a juror in the case from getting the book deal. She succeeded. Here again we see the power of social media to rally support for/against an event. I’m not so sure such the effort could have succeeded in the pre-social media age, or at least so quickly (The article claims she succeeded in 6 hours!) The decision by the Martin Literary Agency to seek to publish a book on the controversial trial has certainly left many people shaking their head. The agency was forced to respond to social pressure and did so quickly, releasing a statement. What do you think about how the Martin Literary Agency responded to this situation?
If you’re an old school Internet nerd like me, you’ll appreciate this list of “Things that will make you miss the old days of the Internet” from the masters of the web list, BuzzFeed Rewind. Take a walk down memory lane with classic screen savers, AOL, the comforting sounds of dialup, and much more!
Dr. K Roundup
In personal news, my wife Kelin and I will be getting our very first puppy later this month, a bergamasco! My wife grew up with dogs but this is all new to me! I’ve been reading a lot of Cesar Millan books! I’m considering joining Instagram or another photo-sharing social site to share photos of our new dog experience. My Instagram knowledge is rather limited, so this may be a fun way to get up to date on this burgeoning social network. If you’ve got any thoughts on what the best photo apps are, or have any tips and tools, I’d love your input.
Hope to see you at #AEJMC next week! Have a great weekend.
A Social Media Education Blog by Matthew J. Kushin, Ph.D.
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