Copy / Paste by Peter Pappas

Curating the Social Web at TEDxPortland - PM Edition

I'm attending the April 30 TEDxPortland. I'll be curating the best of social media feed without the RTs, hype and chatter. I'm following the hashtag #XRD on Twitter, FaceBook, and Flickr. So don't forget to tag!  Newest tweets will be at the top of the page - older below. Check back for updates. Go to AM Edition

Curating the Social Web at TEDxPortland - AM Edition

I'm attending the April 30 TEDxPortland. I'll be curating the best of social media feed without the RTs, hype and chatter. I'm following the hashtag #XRD on Twitter, FaceBook, and Flickr. So don't forget to tag!  Newest tweets will be at the top of the page - older below. Check back for updates.   To see posts from the PM edition click here.

3 Ways to Use Social Media to Crowdsource and Blog a Conference Backchannel

One of the goals of my blog is to research, curate and effectively share information with my audience. Conferences are a great aggregator of expertise and information that have inspired some of my most popular blog posts. Here's three strategies that I've used to crowdsource my research and harness the conference backchannel. All three tools employ hashtags - the popular practice where conference attendees include a common tag in their tweets. Typically conference organizers will designate an official hashtag - some combination of letters / numbers prefixed with a hash symbol "#."

Use Twitter Visualizers

There are many great Twitter visualizers that can be set up to automatically gather specific Twitter #hashtags. Two of my favorites are Wiffiti and Twitter StreamGraphs. Wiffiti displays entire tweets, while StreamGraphs graphs frequency of keywords within the tweets. Both are interesting visualizations of the conference backchannel. Each tool is free and can be embedded on your blog. And neither requires you to attend the conference. 

Here's how I used these visualizers  to cover the 2010 ASCD conference. 

• Use Wiffiti to Follow the Twitter Backchannel at ASCD Conference 2010 
• Twitter StreamGraphs: What are the Key Words Being Tweeted at ASCD Conference 2010

For some fun, I used StreamGraphs to blog "comparative coverage" of two conferences that were in session at the same time in this post, "Humanities Conference Smackdown! AHA vs MLA Twitter Visualizers."

 

Use Prezi

Prezi is a presentation tool that adds a dimension of space and scale to information. It can be displayed both as a stand alone presentation and embedded on a blog. Here's how I used Prezi at the ITSC 2011 conference in Portland Ore, where I had been invited to attend as a guest blogger. My onsite tools included my MacBook, iPhone and Flip Video.

During the conference I attended sessions to gather photos / video and tweeted my observations along the way. I also gathered content from other attendees by following the conference hashtag #ITSC11. The finished Prezis can include - tweets, images, video, YouTube video, PDF's, screenshots, text, hyperlinks and clipart.

Periodically I gathered all the content and created a Prezi. (BTW - I used the same Prezi technique to blog the San Antonio ASCD in 2010.)  

 

Use Storify

Storify is a new platform that allows users to quickly tell a story using material from the social web. Recently I received an invitation to try out their beta and I've been putting it to use as conference blogging tool. 

The Storify web-based interface divides your screen in two columns. On the left (screenshot - to the left) are a variety of social media feeds - Twitter, FaceBook, Flickr, YouTube, RSS feeds, Google searches, SlideShare as well as any URL you select. It also has built in search tools that allow you explore your sources using hashtags. My favorite feature is that the Twitter search allows you to exclude RTs. As you find your content,  you drag it to the right side of your screen where you also have options to add text, delete or re-order content. When your Storify finished it can be embedded in your blog. To help you get the word out Storify sends out a Tweet to anyone you have quoted. 

Here's how I used Storify to cover the recent 2011 ASCD conference in San Francisco. I received many positive comments from viewers who thought I gathered some of the best social media being posted from the conference. I saved them the time of wading through all the RTs, side comments, and promotional tweets. BTW - I did not attend the conference. 

Stay tuned for may ongoing conference coverage - I'm sure there's a new tool being created that I'll get to take for a spin!

ASCD 2011 Conference: Sunday's Social Media Highlights

I'm following the ASCD conference in San Francisco via the social web. Here's the best of the feed from Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and SlideShare.  I follow the feed from #ASCD11 - so you don't get overloaded with RTs.
Image credit: flickr/wallyg 

ASCD 2011 Conference: Saturday's Social Media Highlights

I'm following the ASCD conference in San Francisco via the social web. Here's the best of the feed from Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and SlideShare.  I curate the feed from #ASCD11 - so you don't get overloaded with RTs.  Image credit ASCD 

ASCD 2011 Conference: Social Media Highlights - Friday

I'm following the ASCD conference in San Francisco via the social web. Here's the best of the feed from Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and SlideShare.

Be sure to tag your posts with #ASCD11 so I can include your content in my daily updates.  (Hint: how about posting some photos and videos!) Stop back, I'll be updating through the day. Have a great conference. ... Sorry I can't be there! Image credit: flickr/-ratamahatta-

The National Writing Project Needs More Than Praise, It Needs Funding

On March 2, President Obama signed a bill eliminating direct federal funding for the National Writing Project (NWP), the nation's leading effort to improve writing and learning in the digital age.

Contact members of Congress and President Obama and tell them why the National Writing Project needs more than praise - it needs funding!

Image credit: The Seven Valleys Writing Project at SUNY Cortland 

Jobs, You Evil Genius! I - Must - Have - iPad 2!

Jobs - stop messing with my head. I've lived this long without an iPad. Why do I suddenly feel a growing obsession to get one? 

 

Use Storify To Tell Your Story and Document the Social Web

Storify is a new platform that allows users to quickly tell a story using material from the social web. Yesterday I received an invitation to try out their beta.

Just as I began exploring it, my Twitter feed alerted me to the tragic events in Japan. Without much planning, I began using Storify to collect material about the earthquake / tsunami from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr  and other news feeds.

While I kept my narrative to just a few sentences, users can add additional comments to each element. My finished story appeared on the Storify site and I used the embed code to also post it on my blog. 

As an advocate of document based instruction, I realized that Storify has great potential in the classroom. It's a easy tool for teachers and students to gather a variety of social media and web content. It would be especially useful way for students to critically evaluate web and social media content.  As a historian I also think if it as a first, rough draft of history - a social document for future generations.

~ I regret that my first use of Storify was to document such a tragic event. My prayers go out to all those impacted by the earthquake and tsunami. I hope to be able to tell happier stories in the future.  

Storify Overview from Storify on Vimeo.

 

Earthquake and Tsunami Devastate Northern Japan

This Storify essay is a first, rough draft of history - a social document for future historians. Text, image, video and tweets from the initial reaction to the event. (March 10, 2011 GMT-8)  ~ I regret that my first use of Storify was to document such a tragic event. My prayers go out to all those impacted by the earthquake and tsunami. I hope to be able to tell happier stories in the future.