Composing a TweetBook for DevLearn 2009

A while ago a Twitter project from another conference was tweeted by Mark Oehlert about a compilation of all the tweets that came out from conference attendees in to one digital book. The conference had well over 4000 tweets posted during it's run. Thinking this was a really intriguing idea and an incredible challenge I contacted Brent Schlenker at the eLearning Guild and began discussing a similar project be launched for the upcoming DevLearn conference in San Jose.

After several emails and phone calls about the best method to collect possibly that many tweets and more we devised a system that we hope will help to group the tweets once they come out into categories for posting them to the collective book. Once the conference is finished the hope is that the book will contain a complete collection of tweets broken into "overall conference" postings and "individual session" postings. It will then be made available to members of the eLearning Guild as a digital book.

If you will be attending this year's conference I hope you will be tweeting all the best bits of "What's What" and "Who's Who" for those of us that are unable to attend. Also, if you can remember the hashtag system we've created to assist in grouping the tweets into more significant chunks of infomation it will help those that wish to read postings about specific topics within the conference much more efficiently.

• For the OVERALL CONFERENCE (example: keynotes, expo, masterclasses, breakfast bytes, demofest, evening gatherings, etc.) - use #DL09
  


• For INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS (example: concurrent sessions (Session 209 "Five Easy Steps to Create e-Manuals for the iPhone and iPod"), and Certificate Programs (P1 "Designing Scenario-based e-Learning ") - use #DL09-SESSION NUMBER (ie: #DL09-209 or #DL09-P1)

Looking forward to seeing some great coverage from the tweeters at DevLearn.

Not attending and want to follow all the action. Use your Twitter search tool of choice and search for DL09 (no hashtag #) to see all tweets (including user DL09) or filter by searching for #DL09 or #DL09-session number (for a specific session).

Using #lrnchat as an example of the benefits of an online social group

Discussion Task for Online Course: select one effective moderating principle that you feel most comfortable with OR most challenged by, briefly explain why.

I feel most comfortable with the principle of "Moderating Takes Place in Both a Professional and Social Context" because of the numerous social online communities I am currently involved in. The first 2 questions posed in this section of the text (Facilitating Online Learning) asks "if one would see any real benefits from participating in a cyber community" and the other "can the feeling of community be created online?"

I see both of these being answered with a loud and clear yes. I currently participate in a weekly online chat that takes place through Twitter called #lrnchat. Each week 3 questions are posted to the group over the course of an hour and a half. The benefits each week are that I know I am guaranteed to learn something new or be directed to a new elearning resource that I previously was unaware. Brainstorms occur constantly as the conversation progresses through the course of the evening. One can see an increased progression in the discussion and even the energy level as the dialogue goes back and forth from one participant to another.

As for the feeling of community, I too think this group has an overwhelming sense of community as once the event is complete the same people continue to chat the remainder of the week. They continue sharing information, asking questions of one another, looking for guidance, support, and motivation in regards to the own increased learning, careers and even personal goals.
The person that moderates gives the questions to the group, keeps the group basically on track and on time. However, because the discussion quickly takes a life of it's own, they too are able to participate further increasing the knowledge of the group.

What is truly wonderful is each week the group grows little by little and because it is an online event there are participants from all over the world involved. Primarily because of the timing most are from North America, but that is not a steadfast rule and because of that we each gain increased perspective from various cultures. I'm truly thankful to have found the group and even more grateful to the moderator for creating and maintaining the group weekly.

What Makes Great eLearning?

I sat in and participated last night in the weekly #lrnchat through Twitter. If you haven't yet joined in to listen (read) and talk (write) in a #lrnchat session, you really should join us. Some extremely brilliant minds in the field of elearning (and I use that loosely as it includes social media, sims/games, teaching K-12 and beyond, etc) get together each week 8:30pm (EST) and chat over three questions posed by a moderator.

Question 2 asked to the group last night had to do with "What makes great elearning?" The brainstorm that followed was extremely interesting. I tried to capture the thoughts expressed into a mindmap (list version)(map version). I hope I have done the group justice in the way I grouped their ideas together in the map below. Please feel free to send me comments to add/adjust the image.

If you'd like to see the transcript from last night's chat or for any further information on the series of chats please look to the #Lrnchat Blog.

LMS has brought new stress; therefore new toys

(A few general ramblings below.)

My LMS is hopefully piloting on Tuesday of next week. I've got a couple of things I want tweaked before I send it out, but am getting very hopeful. Not to mention I can feel the fire of many dragons just at the nape of my neck to get it out.

All is very stressful when you have so many tasks before you to complete and your work computer is twice as slow as your home computer. That doesn't seem quite right, however, it may push me towards working in my pjs more often. I'm not sure that's a horrible idea. (It is hard not to picture anyone who says they work at home sitting in front of their computer in flannel pajamas, bunny slippers and coffee right?...mine aren't bunny shaped though).

It's also hard to keep motivated to come into work when the weather has taken a turn for the better. It's been a long, long, cold winter....this proves I'm getting old; I never use to complain about the snow. Seeing the sun com back was invigorating. The weather also then got warmer and many of us Ontario folks have been in shorts this week. This makes it all very hard to want to stay behind the computer instead of getting up and going.

I have for some bizarre reason decided to really get moving and have taken up running (I don't advise this....every time I go out I wonder what the heck I was thinking). I've also started walking every day there has been sun. So far that's been for a few weeks. I'm guessing on of my new toys to purchase is going to be a new umbrella and rubber boots for the rainy days.

Another sign I've been stressed is I went out and got an iPod Touch instead of buying things that I really need (like bunny slippers to work in). Hense the NikeWomen widget at the side of my blog. I'll leave it there for a bit - I know it stretches the blog and I apologize for that to those that need to scroll left/right now. Seems like a neat little workout tool, tracker, etc. gadget to add to my Touch and I'm happy to find/join anyone else who wants a "buddy" using this app. It looks like you can utilize this directly through your computer as well. Give me a shout through twitter and I'd be happy to link up with you and get moving together. Oh an it says NikeWomen, but you can make your avatar look boyish too.

This has been a strange rambling post, but to summarize I'm looking forward to (in no particular order):

• more sun
• more warm weather
• camping
• biking in the woods
• swimming
• campfires
• holidays
• LMS finally working so I can move on to something else

Great Day One at AG09

Well the eLearning Guild Annual Gathering for 2009 has once again not disappointed. I've learned so many great new things here today. I find it amazing every year that I seem to learn more from just networking and speaking to people over the lunch hour and at demo booths than some of the actual sessions.

I found a flyer in the lobby about Captain Smiley (which I'll insert a picture of once I return home) and went off to visit the Articulate booth. Turned out to be one of the best half hours of the day. I listened to Tom Kuhlmann and learned some amazing tricks. Simple enough tricks that will take me a few times to get right, but really neat ways to bring even more into your courses.

I found out through the dinner discussion board that the Shuttle was going to launch. Then looking at information about the best place to view it over the lunch hour, I found Nasa's Twitter link. Later in the afternoon, sure enough a tweet from Nasa that the launch had be cancelled. I'm loving Twitter more and more.

My lunch discussions also gave me a few brainstorms about how to get more buy in for social tools from the CEO and upper management. One included getting our physicians more interested in using Twitter to collaborate and consult with one another on cases. Sounds like a great idea and if you can get physician buy-in then you're definitely part way there.

I did my breakfast byte session this morning, which wasn't exactly what I envisioned it to be and I'm unsure if I gave the participants any more than they already knew. However, I really enjoyed the experience and I think it has better prepared me for tomorrow's session.

I'm looking very forward to the rest of the Gathering and all it has to offer. Oh and a big shout out to my many new Twitter Friends. Tweeple? Twiends? you get the idea. Oh and follow http://twitter.com/jzurovchak he's got great tweets going out during each of the sessions he's sitting in on.

Tweets Back on for Bell Subscribers

I'm excited to learn that Bell has worked out a plan with Twitter to re-continue SMS feeds/sends to subscribers. This may be a bit to my family's dismay as they were getting a little annoyed by the constant beeps of my phone, but was starting to feel cut off. (Chronic...perhaps).

It's interesting to see a Canadian company actually be one of the first to "jump back on". It didn't surprise me that our carriers stopped the feeds early last year. It did take us well over a year to get iPhone's available to the masses. However, to find a way to get back into the action is exciting.

To read more take a look at Twitter's update here.

Still Don't Know What Twitter Is or What You Can Do With It?

If you haven't yet discovered Twitter and what it can do for you as a blogger, student, politician, entrepreneur, or anything else then take a few minutes to look at this video.

Here is quick 8 minute video of Evan Williams, co-founder of Twitter, at this year's TED talk. It's a great way to see how Twitter came to be, how users changed the way it works, how users are using it to their benefit, and how other "gadgets" are finding ways to tweet you.

Getting addicted to Tweets? Maybe.

Last year at the Annual Gathering someone asked if I was hooked into Twitter that they would send me a message that way about where to meet up later during the event. I wasn't but quickly did to give it a try and check it out.

It did take me a little getting use to setting up and using as I still have an old regular cell phone. (hmm no iphone, instinct, or other yet) I'm also in Canada so it took a few more screens to get it going, but it wasn't overly frustrating. Soon I started finding a few key people who I follow on blogs to follow on Twitter. Messages started to come in about what project they were working on. What articles people were reading. Blogs they were posting. So on and so on the work related info came to me.

My hubby kept wondering why my phone was going off all the time. So I tried to explain how it was a connection to peers and I was learning from them some of the latest and greatest of what they were learning. Then came in the messages on the weekend...kids just won a swim meet, flying my kite at the park, sitting at the ball game, watching a race, meeting with other Twits (lol....is that right...perhaps not...but I kind of like it).

So many months later I now have a few more people following me, I'm following a few more people, and the messages are coming in more and more and more. And frankly I really like it. Now I'm wondering hmmmmm am I getting addicted to knowing what others are doing. At first I wondered why would someone tell me that their kids just won a race, now I've changed my thoughts and am thinking I'm really happy they are sharing this with me. Not only is the work stuff important to share, but the personal stuff is as well.

It's strange how the little bits of personal messages that flow in after the work hours and on the weekends help you to learn more about the people with whom you are connecting. It takes the "coldness" (if there was any to begin with) and turns a bunch of stranger peers into friend peers.

It's much like coming into work, going to the coffee break table and asking what people did on the weekend. I'm thrilled to know that someone and thier wife just tried cooking lobster for the first time. I'm happy to find out that someone is in downtown Omaha. I'm estatic to find a new free video capturing tool. It's all good.

Check with me in another 6 months to see if I still like it....lol.

B.J. Schone is a Twitter Star!!!

Well if you haven't heard of Twitter yet you should maybe take a look at it. If you use Facebook already, it's an application just like the status updates you enter on Facebook. The term is microblogging. It's a quick 160 character message about what you are doing now.

The messages can be as simple as "I'm eating toast" or pointing others to something they may be interested in quickly "more tickets were just released get yours at www.blahblah".

Once you set yourself up you can follow others that are using the application and friends that are signed in can follow you as well.

B.J. (brown shirt) who got be into using the tool (and yes you can use it in Canada, I've got it on my Bell cell phone - no special blackberry or pda) was just recently at a Tweetup (a meeting of Twitters) and had his picture placed into the article.

Here is the article for more information about Twitter and this particular tweetup.

Twitter and Second Life - 2 things I'm still figuring out

Just a quick note on some things I still haven't got the whole point of yet. Twitter - so I'm signed up and I'm following a few people. It took me some time to get connected to updates through my phone. I found out that it was a Canadian thing related to the number I post to for Twitter. Since then I've started getting little messages from this person and that person. Over the last few days several of the "Twitts" or is it "Tweets" have been pointing me to some interesting information. I think to myself this is actually kind of neat.

Today Brent Schlenker threw out a call for others to respond so he could demo it in a presentation. What a great way to collaboratively help someone in 160 characters or less. So I get these messages from my "eLearning Friends" but for my "Personal Friends" they stick to the tried and true Facebook and I mobile into that every day to see what everyone is up to. Both are like the one person you can always go to in the office because they know the gossip on everyone. I'm definitely going to give this a little more time before I turn it off from my phone.

The second thing I keep playing with is Second Life. It really can suck you in dramatically as you search around for the perfect shoes, pants, accessories, and most importantly just the right hair. It seems to me until you figure this part all out then there is little sense wandering around searching for anything else.

I am struggling to find some legitimate learning activities through SL. I was really hoping to sit in on a bunch of different topics, but this appears to be hard to find. Perhaps I am unassociated with the proper schools to participate. The only one I have sat in on was a discussion on NASA related topics, but it was above my knowledge. That and I found the guy with bat wings sitting behind be distracting.

I've tried to find some places where I have visited to see if they are true to life or close to real layouts. This too has proven unsuccessful. I guess this is part of the whole experience any way. It's not suppose to be real it's suppose to be a second life. I have been able to find a place that resembles Rome, another that looks similar to the Duomo in Florence, and Capri was laid out a little the same. If anyone has suggestions for more academic/learning type locations I would love to wander and explore.

Again with this, I haven't quite decided not to "play" anymore as I am having fun walking around in purple, pink, or blue hair and occasionally finding a place to dance. (I know sounds ridiculous).