Using social media in the classroom: Interview

I recently had the pleasure to talk with wired educator and online writer Lisa Mansfield for an article about the benefits and challenges of using social media in the classroom. From the interview:
LM: What Advantages Does Social Media Afford Educators?

MM: Social media is a great tool for bringing the classroom to life. I use social [...]

Social media in the workplace: Interview

Along with her education piece, Lisa Mansfield also spoke with me about using social media in the workplace. From the interview:
LM: “What Advantages Does Social Media Have in a Work Environment?
MM: For my corporate clients, social media serves as a means of extending their brand reach, driving traffic to their websites and offering a variety [...]

[survey] Social Media: Beyond adoption

Are we truly past the adoption stage?
What are the most significant barriers to adoption?
What are the most critical “need to knows” with social media (in your organisation)?

These are a few of the questions I’m asking my social media savvy networks and visitors to my blog in my most recent survey: Social Media: Beyond adoption [survey [...]

Howard Rheingold unveils Social Media Classroom

I, along with many other educators, have been eagerly awaiting news of Howard Rheingold’s radical new social media / virtual communities course at Stanford. What makes this course so different is the focus. Instead of stand and deliver lecture format, Rheingold’s students will direct their own learning through student-led inquiry and cooperative projects:
“Within less than [...]

5 tips for (better) social media writing

If you want people to share and bookmark your content you have to write with their needs in mind. Hard news style and web usability writing are key.
[tags: socialmedia writing webwriting usability headlines socialbookmarks ]
Let’s start with what you’ve just read.My keyword specific headline tells you what this post is about in plain language. The [...]

Social networking and social class: Survey

For those who have experienced inequity on the wrong side of the social and digital divide, social networking sites may not be experienced in quite the same way as those who enjoy material privilege and/or stability. In this sense, webby fun is relative to inclusivity. Especially in spaces that are not designed according to our [...]

Classroom2.0: Avoiding the “creepy treehouse”

As today’s wired learners become increasingly alienated from an education system that is 50 years out of date, innovative teachers are exploring ways to make learning more relevant to learner’s social and cultural identities.
In addition to making learning more meaningful, these explorations have the potential to revolutionize education and transform it into something that equips [...]

Social media: Essential user controls

What are the most essential user controls for social media?
NOTE: When I created this little poll it was my first time using poll daddy. I configured it to allow people to choose more than one option. I’m not sure the results say as much as I’d like them to. Thanks to all who participated in [...]