Monday, November 18, 2013

Mentoring for Twitter on Twitter?

This year I started thinking seriously again about mentoring and how to carry out a mentoring relationship on Twitter. Basically, I'd like to use my knowledge and experience with Twitter to help others get a better grasp of its benefits and features. As a mentor, I'd like to combine instruction and tasks with helpful support.

Mentoring for Twitter on Twitter? Yep, alongside helpful tips and advice in video format and via Google Hangouts and with blog posts here, I aim to guide mentees through an 8-week mentoring 'program'. We'll not only look at using Twitter effectively and efficiently, but also the voice you are broadcasting through it and how you may be perceived by your followers on it.

If you're interested (it's free) all you need to do is send a tweet letting me know, and include the hashtag, #learnwme, in your tweet when you do.

How do you do this?

  1. Open a Twitter account
  2. Compose and send a tweet that looks like this:









Follow the Twitter Mentoring Program on this page!

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Training through Twitter: It IS possible!

I recently facilitated an evening workshop for the CSTD Toronto Chapter. The aim of the workshop, 'Training through Twitter: It IS possible!', was to help people working in the Learning and Development field see that Twitter is a valuable and viable training tool.

As my approach to workshop facilitation is to always have as much hands-on interaction as possible, I planned to use Twitter the entire evening, and had pre-published some tweets in advance by using HootSuite's Publisher feature. No Power Point slides, just tweets on the screen all night!

I used Twitter to introduce the Learning Objectives for the evening:


I then set up the ice-breaker via pre-published tweets as well:


The ice-breaker, with tweets appearing on the screen in real time, accomplished a number of things: 
  • It helped me see who had what level of experience using Twitter, so I could form groups accordingly.
  • It got participants using some of the 'hallmarks' of Twitter right off the bat: tweet, hashtag, retweet and mention. 
  • It facilitated social learning as groups at each table were helping each other to tweet, learn and use Twitter correctly. 
  • It briefly had participants already thinking about Twitter as a customer service tool, which warmed them up for the main activity. 
  • It was damn fun! Lots of laughter and engagement! 
The main activity, a training challenge, was also explained via pre-published tweets:


Rather than have me as the 'Sage on the Stage' explaining how to use Twitter as a training tool, I had the groups dig in, use Twitter and come up with a solution to my training challenge: Use only Twitter to train a group of CSR's -customer service representatives - how to provide effective customer service on Twitter. The groups' solutions were then to be tweeted in 15 tweets maximum under a given hashtag, rather than presenting in front of the 'class' on chart paper. 
*(NOTE: Unfortunately, yours truly didn't realize that Twitter only allows search for past tweets up to a week into the past, so I can't send you to the hashtags to see the wonderful solutions! Sorry.)

I was blown away by the full-on engagement, the wonderful ideas and the social learning that was taking place once all five groups dug right into the Twitter mud and got their hands dirty! It was fantastic, exciting and so much fun! 

Here are some of the tweets explaining some solutions to the training challenge: 




I was very pleased with how the evening went and that everyone who attended gained a fresh new perspective on how Twitter, an increasingly ubiquitous platform that to some is still threatening, can be a powerful and useful tool for training. 

How about you? Have you trained through Twitter? 



Wednesday, April 24, 2013

I #foundMomo Today!

It's not a secret that I love Social Media networks and the possibilities they can bring. Although a rather 'late adopter' to Instagram, I've come to really enjoy the platform and all the connecting and sharing it has allowed.

On a weekly basis, I post an Instagram Weekend Challenge - #wkndchllnge - which is often guest-curated by one of the many regular participants. When I began using Instragram, I figured it was a good excuse to look at the world around me creatively again. And why not see if others would like to do the same? So, every weekend, numerous IG'ers worldwide submit photos specific to a chosen theme and exercise our creativity while sharing it with others. I love it and still can't believe we're up to 436 #wkndchllnge photos since autumn last year!

Instagram Weekend Challenge example. Curated by @_awad on Instagram

One of my favourite parts about the #wkndchllnge is that @ianbusher's great dog, Finn, has become our official mascot moreso 'by accident' than anything else. The whole creative affair brightens my weekends and often amazes me at the demonstrations of creativity that participants share. The connections and friendships that I've created through the #wkndchllnge are such an integral and rewarding part of it, too.

 Finn the #wkndchllnge mascot. Photo by @ianbusher on Instagram

Months ago, I stumbled upon an article that was written about #findmomo on Instagram. Andrew Knapp - @andrewknapp - of Sudbury, ON, has a wonderful border collie named, Momo, who obediently hides in photos. To the delight of myself and approximately 5,000 IG'ers per day, we must then spot Momo in the photo! The #findmomo meme brings smiles to my face and outright laughter at what Andrew comes up with on a regular basis.

Spot him? Momo in Toronto. Photo by @andrewknapp on Instagram

Well, Andrew's been in Toronto for an extended stay and thankfully organized an #Instameet today in Trinity Bellwoods Park here in town where Momo fans could meet the star and his gracious owner. Brilliant.

#Instameet announcement by @andrewknapp

I don't care what you say about Social Media, but the ability to gather some fun, creative people together on a cold, wet evening to meet a spirited dog, other dog lovers and an imaginative dog owner is something I'm glad some savvy Instragram use could bring about.

We #foundmomo and had a  blast! Thanks @andrewknapp!

Keep your eye open in 2014 for the #FindMomo book that will be released. You know it's going to be on my bookshelf!

Momo brings lots of smiles to many faces, including mine. @jgoodto on Instagram



Thursday, April 18, 2013

Get Lucky! -Daft Punk's Marketing Brilliance

Daft Punk got lucky this week. Or did they?

The duo knew exactly what they were doing last weekend at Coachella when they released a funky, catchy teaser for their new single, 'Get Lucky' which also aired during SNL the same night.

Featuring Pharrell on vocals, the song has stuck in my head ever since hearing it. And apparently I'm not alone. It harkens back to the smooth and 'robotic' sound that made Daft Punk huge in the late 90's and has certainly caught the attention of thousands worldwide.

So, what does a DJ duo expect will happen once a 1 minute teaser track is released in this digital age that they have been a big participant in? That hundreds of 'full-song' edits would start appearing online and be shared extensively. Laptops and tablets were logged into right away with tech-savvy fans creating unofficial versions of the song overnight. Social Media channels accelerate the sharing of, and in less than a week, news of the song and forthcoming album (release date May 21) is known worldwide without any further effort nor spending on Daft Punk's side.


I say brilliant.

Until May 21, many more versions will pop up on SoundCloud (500+ and rising), get shared, commented on and liked (or disliked) and without lifting a finger, anticipation for their new album will be high. Will people be sick of the song before it even hits the iTunes store? Maybe. Will those who already love it - like me - be looking forward to hearing the real version? Most definitely.




But wait. Maybe they've come to regret their marketing decision. Or are they worried about that possibility of people getting sick of the song before it even gets released? I can't answer that, but I can report that the official release has been announced, and it is at 12:01am tomorrow, Friday April 18 2013. It appears all the hype gave their plans a quick change. Maybe their fans, as amateur DJ's, have created some unappealing versions that many have mistaken for the real thing, and this doesn't sit well with the duo. Who's to say?

Whether they regret what I think was an ingenious marketing approach or not, their use of Twitter's new video service Vine to announce the track listing for the album and the teaser being featured at Coachella where they performed what is now a legendary show in 2006, have certainly prepped the masses for a new Daft Punk album.

I, for one, will be purchasing the song tomorrow.

Monday, February 04, 2013

Learn with Me Experiment #learnwme - Feb4'13

As you're reading this, I'm probably either in the Caribbean Sea or lying on a beach.

Every Monday night at 8pm EST, I host my Learn with Me chat. Tonight that will prove rather challenging and I've yet to secure a co-moderator for such nights like tonight, but I don't want to cancel.

So, I've opted for an experiment that I hope some of you are willing to try. Through HootSuite's publisher feature, I have pre-scheduled tweets to go out between 8-9pm tonight -February 4, 2-13- and as part case study and part experiment, I'm curious to see what comes of it.

My commitment to you, if you choose to engage, is to make it meaningful, thought-provoking and fun! So please take part and let me know how it goes and what you think of the chat. And thank you.

Use the hashtag #learnwme and I recommend TweetChat.com to make it all easier and smoother. Cheers!

Friday, February 01, 2013

Effective Questions - #learnwme Chat Expansion

Not all blog posts need to be typed out, right? Have a listen to my expansion of the most recent Learn with Me chat -#learnwme- that happened Monday, January 28, 2013, with a focus on Effective Questions: Deep Learning and Personal Accountability.


The visuals that were used for the chat are below and can be viewed while listening to my audio excerpt, and the articles that are the basis for the drawings are hyperlinked above. Please let me know what your thoughts are on the topics, this post and my approach. Thanks!

(Special Thanks to Julie Schell and John G. Miller for their help and inspiration!)


Stay tuned for upcoming #learnwme Twitter chats that will be co-hosted and visual! Brandy Agerbeck and I will look at Graphic Facilitation! TBA

Judy Lee and I will look at Leadership Development and Emotional Intelligence! March 4, 2013.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Learn with Me Chat #learnwme - Effective Questions - January 28, 2013

Lately, much of my conversation with a good friend and some colleagues has centred around the issue of effective questions. The two main sources that have triggered my exploration of proper questions and the act of proper questioning have been Julie Schell's, "How to Write Effective Questions to Evaluate Deep Learning", and John G. Miller's book, "QBQ! The Question Behind the Question".

Therefore, I've decided that tonight's Learn with Me chat will focus on effective questions and how they relate both to learning and to our own daily lives. I believe that Julie's wonderful focus on evaluating deep learning will connect well into John's thoughts on questions that facilitate personal accountability.

Join us tonight at 8pm EST for an engaging, fun and interactive Learn with Me Twitter chat that as always, will include visuals to deepen the experience. Use the #learnwme hashtag and TwitterChat.com and we'll see you tonight!

Update: Here is the Storify link of the transcript with the sketches I created to visual the concepts we touched on. Enjoy!

Friday, January 18, 2013

What I'm reading - January 2013

As a lifelong learner, I'm reading books, articles and blog posts constantly throughout the day, almost every day. I love to learn more, be challenged and have my mind stretched and strengthened.

The great thing about being Social online is that you can discuss, debate and share what you learn and discover with other bright minds from any geographic location. I'm currently in the planning stages of some fun and meaningful collaboration with a few great people I have met via Twitter and LinkedIn.

I'd like to share with you the books I'm digging into on a monthly basis. Hopefully, some of you may have already read what I'm discovering and some others will want to do the same. I would love to have discussions with any of you about what I post here and what I'm reading, so please don't hesitate to contact me.

As an extension of this, it would be amazing to create an informal, social, online book club around the titles I aim to read this year. If that sounds like something you're interested in, let me know and we can get the ball rolling. (Marc Binkley has created an amazing group of like-minded individuals to learn with together on Google Plus.) I believe that discussing and furthering your thoughts on a book rather than just shelving it after, helps you to process and remember the ideas better. And hey, it helps deepen relationships which is always good.


Speaking of relationships, Never Eat Alone, by Keith Ferrazzi, is a book I am really enjoying currently. It's practical, insightful and spot-on with it's focus on networking and how it can enhance your professional and private lives. I was one of those people who shuddered at the sound of the word, 'networking', in the past. It invoked images of business card wielding, overbearing suit and tie executives who were more concerned about 'What's in it for me?', than how they could contribute to the path of others.

My approach to the Social Media universe -and hopefully life in general- is to make everything a two-way street. To incorporate the 'pay it forward' mentality to as much of daily life as I can. And to be generous. These concepts are what networking is about, as Ferrazzi points out. If your focus is only on your benefits and what others can do for you, then you better quit now.

So far, I'm folding down the corners of quite a number of pages I want to go back to (yes, it's an actual physical book, not on my Kindle). Never Eat Alone is full of great practical advice and successful examples from his own life. I also think the Networking Action Plan he asks you to commit to in the beginning of the book is a wonderful way to help gain focus and plan accordingly so that you succeed rather than flounder.


Thanks to someone posting a picture on Twitter a while ago, I came across The Sketchnote Handbook, by Mike Rohde. Now, for someone visual like me and with a background in the arts, this is pretty much a must-have IMHO. 

Brilliantly looking more like Mike's sketchbook than a 'real book', you learn how to focus on the 'big ideas, using a mix of words, drawings, and type' so that your notes at meetings, conferences and other events become more visual and fun. How cool is that? Check this excerpt:


As you may have noticed, I'm trying to steer away from less text and more images in my work, planning and instruction, so I think what Mike has created here -along with his videos and podcast work- is wonderful and needed. Similar to Dan Roam's approach, whom I'm also finding inspiration from these days, The Sketchnote Handbook will engage more of your brain and help you to integrate concepts and ways of thinking more successfully into your everyday. I say go for it! Grab your pencils and start drawing!

Please let me know what you're reading and/or suggest, and if you'd like to join me on my exciting learning journey. Cheers!

Monday, January 14, 2013

#learnwme chat - January 14, 2013: What Do I Tweet?

If I had to state which question I get the most from people when talking about Twitter, it would be, 'What do I tweet?' Many are willing to jump into the Twitterverse, but once they do, they have no idea what content or message they should be sending out in 140 characters or less.

Tonight's Learn with Me Twitter chat will focus on this issue, so please join us for a fun conversation about what to tweet!

Our focus will be the following:

1 - What should you tweet about?
2 - What should you NOT be tweeting?
3 - What should you do on Twitter besides tweet?

See you tonight at 8pm EST, using the hashtag #learnwme ! Cheers!

Update: Here's the Storify link for this chat for your reference. Thanks. -Jamie



Sunday, January 13, 2013

Idle No More: Rethink Social Media & Hire an Instructional Designer

If there's one thing that comes up in conversation a lot these days, it's Idle No More. The #IdleNoMore hashtag is buzzing, their Facebook page has racked up almost 75,000 Likes and Chief Theresa Spence has over 35,000 followers of her Twitter account. Impressive numbers, but so what?

Idle No More is taking the wrong approach to Social Media, despite what the press is saying. In a recent Toronto Star article titled, Social Media helps drive Idle No More movement, Karissa Donkin writes:
Idle No More and its rise have been driven by social media, a place where anyone — no matter how physically isolated they are — can participate in discussion and follow news if they have an Internet connection or smartphone.
Yep, similar to the Arab Spring and the Occupy Movement, Idle No More (INM) has used the convenience, simplicity and ubiquity of Social Media to connect, grow and speak out. And with good reason. Facebook and Twitter are free to use and available in the palm of your hand and in a vast country such as Canada, these platforms get the word out fast and to all corners.

But, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram need to be used by INM as tools to educate, not simply to rant and collect people together around drum circles and public squares. And they'd do well to hire some expert Instructional Designers to help create their Social Media strategy.

Currently, there are significant gaps between what the 'average Canadian' knows and believes about Aboriginal Canadians and what the latter would have us understand and accept. This obviously limits any support they hope to gain from Canadian taxpayers and the voting public. As instructional designer Connie Malamed states in her post, 'What is instructional design':
Instructional design involves the process of identifying the skills, knowledge, information and attitude gaps of a targeted audience and creating, selecting or suggesting learning experiences that close this gap, based on instructional theory and best practices from the field.
Therefore, hand in hand with skilled instructional designers, INM must design an approach to closing the knowledge, information and attitude gaps that exist between themselves and the rest of Canada. And the tools to educate, connect and engage should include, at the very least, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. Here's what I briefly worked out on my whiteboard that I will expand upon more after the image (please click on photo for enlarged version):


Let me elaborate on what I'm getting at in the photo. Chief Theresa Spence is being criticized -and I think rightly so- for not granting access to the media on Victoria Island where she is undergoing a hunger strike. If INM wants to garner support, then transparency is key. 

Via Facebook and Twitter, INM is connecting and updating supporters, building momentum and organizing protests. 

And the media is doing its part to confuse and overwhelm the public with their biases. 

The result? Idle No More vs. Canada. 

How do INM go from versus Canada to plus Canada instead? Through creative instructional design and use of Social Media. For example:

1) Twitter
  • Host Idle No More Twitter chats that broaden the discussion and involve more citizens. 
  • Educate Canadians on the Idle No More issues via succinct tweets and links to documents that explain what INM is demanding. 
  • Tweet links that illustrate the history of Native Canadians and why current demands exist. 
  • Engage followers AND detractors on the Twitter stream like many corporations do effectively. 
2) Pinterest
  • Pin recipes and photos of unique Aboriginal cuisine. 
  • Pin photos of Native Canadian clothing, styles and fashions from all Aboriginal nations. 
  • Focus on individual chiefs by giving them a pinboard spotlight. 
3) Instagram
  • Show the 'rest of Canada' who you are = photos of reserves, paintings, sculpture, textiles, etc.
  • Demonstrate daily life through photos = Native Canadian portraits, customs, events, etc. 
  • Encourage Aboriginal photographers to submit and participate. 
4) Facebook
  • Include documents, posts and videos that educate and illustrate what it is you're wanting from the rest of Canada and the government. 
  • Announce activities that Canadians can attend and experience, giving opportunities to rub shoulders with members of INM and create meaningful connections. 
This is just the tip of the iceberg as far as I'm concerned, but I think even these few ideas I've explored would help bridge the gaps immensely. What do you think? 




Monday, January 07, 2013

#learnwme chat - January 7, 2013 : Productivity

The theme of Productivity pervades our professional and private lives on a daily basis. We are not only pushed to do more by our bosses, families and friends, but we often believe that we must. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I am regularly frustrated by how many tasks I need to fit into a 24-hour period.

It seems Productivity is most on our minds at the start of a new year, too. So, tonight's Learn with Me Twitter chat will focus on this ever-present idea of Productivity.

We will discuss tools (a few are mentioned in my previous post) that can help you accomplish more and share approaches that work for some that might work for others. Regardless of your profession or interests, you can pretty much guarantee that Productivity is something you will struggle with at times.

Join us tonight at 8pm EST for #learnwme and learn, share and discuss how 2013 can become the year you accomplish much and Productivity is no longer elusive.


Friday, January 04, 2013

App Review: Productivity - 30/30 and EZBuzz

It seems like so many people start their new year off by saying, 'I resolve to be more productive this year!' This is followed with lists, plans and inbox emptying and lasts until mid-February at best. Sound familiar? Trust me, I can relate.

As those close to me know, I'm a self-confessed 'App Addict'. I have spent considerable time discovering apps and testing them out and endeavor to share my findings and favourites with you from time to time on Let's Learn Social.

Let's start with two apps that I feel are good for those looking to be more productive, shall we?

1) 30/30 :
I love the 30/30 app. It's perfect for helping you to focus on tasks, but not get overwhelmed by them all. I use it to chunk my tasks into more manageable time 'pieces' as well as give myself variety throughout the day. There's lots of research out there that attests to the benefits of keeping yourself and your mind fresh by 'switching it up' and this app helps you do so brilliantly.


For example, as you can see in the above screen shot from my iPhone, I focus on writing a new blog post for 45 minutes and then give myself a 'break' by washing dishes. Then I may have blog writing scheduled in later in the day for another 45 minutes following some other task. This prevents me from sitting too long and provides necessary mental breaks. 

Another advantage to splicing up some tasks this way is that when I return to said blog post, I may note some parts that need improvement or may add some better content I thought of while allowing my mind to daydream during the chores that happen in between. 

My most productive days have been thanks to this app and this approach of focused work followed by unrelated tasks. I say give it a try. It's free and and very user-friendly and intuitive. 

2) EZBuzz
If you're like me, you remember things you are supposed to do at inopportune times, ie., when you can't write them down! For a while I was using the native Voice Memo app to simply capture the tasks orally and have them saved, but then I'd forget to check that app later!

EZBuzz takes the convenient voice memo approach a bit further by allowing you to schedule task reminders verbally. And easily. And quickly!




You simply tap on the calendar for when you want to be reminded of the errand or task, record what it is and save it. Easy-peezy. And if you want to add a note, photo or other details you can, but I like it simple and just stick with voice. At the allotted time, your phone will beep, you open the app and listen to what it is you need to be working on, buying or whom you should be calling. I love it.

When I'm out walking, I prefer to use the apps on my iPhone that I can 'speak into', like Evernote and Vlingo, and since I am still without Siri (yes, it's true!), then I find something like EZBuzz a wonderful, free and user-friendly tool.

In terms of productivity apps, this is tip of the iceberg, but I'll leave it at these two for now. Please comment below on your experience with the apps I've mentioned or others you can't live without.