Discovering Useful Ideas

Amplifying Your Brand on a Fractured Web

This was my conference presentation at the "The Expert Educator Exchange Conference" on June 19, 2024. My slides are also available. The session description was:

"Trusted Voices"

(5.5 min, 29 May 2024) Reflections on how the ability to “cultivate trusted voices” is one of the most important skills we can develop, particularly in today’s polluted and fractured information landscape.

Part of my YouTube series, "Wisdom with Wes." Referenced blog post, "AI and Cheating."

Diversifying Social Media Use for a Creative and Rewarding Ideological Return

Wes Fryer discusses diversifying social media use for creative and rewarding connections, sharing techniques and insights on various platforms.

Highlights

• 🌍 Emphasizes the importance of connecting globally through diverse platforms.

• 📚 Discusses nine social media platforms to explore and utilize.

• 🎨 Advocates for creative sharing and collaboration in education.

• ⏳ Highlights the challenges of time and attention in the digital age.

• 🥚 Uses the metaphor of diversification to avoid relying on one platform.

• 🚀 Introduces new platforms like Mastodon and Blue Sky for educators.

• 🔗 Suggests effective workflows for sharing content across platforms.

Key Insights

• 🌐 Global Connections: Diversifying social media allows users to connect with like-minded individuals worldwide, enriching personal and professional experiences. 

• 📱 Platform Awareness: Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of various platforms helps in selecting the right tools for effective communication and sharing.

• 🎓 Educational Collaboration: Platforms like K-12 leaders foster collaboration among educators, enhancing teaching practices and resource sharing.

• ⏳ Attention Economy: Recognizing the value of time and attention is crucial in a digital landscape filled with distractions, prompting strategic content consumption.

• 🥚 Investment Metaphor: Just as one diversifies investments to mitigate risks, diversifying social media usage protects against potential platform failures and enriches engagement.

• 🚀 Emerging Platforms: Newer platforms such as Threads and Blue Sky provide fresh opportunities for connection and sharing, especially as traditional platforms face challenges.

• 🔄 Workflow Optimization: Streamlined workflows for content sharing across multiple platforms enhance efficiency and ensure consistent messaging.

Mastodon Tips!

Tips on using Mastodon, highlighting its potential as an alternative to Twitter for sharing and collaborating.

Highlights

• 🌍 Mastodon is gaining attention as an alternative social media platform. 

• 📱 The "Toot" app is recommended for a better mobile experience. 

• 🗂️ Lists help organize and filter content from followed accounts. 

• 🔖 Favorites act as private bookmarks, unlike Twitter likes. 

• 🔄 Mastodon allows for easy data portability between servers. 

• 🔍 Users can curate feeds by following specific interests. 

• 🔗 Hashtags can enhance content sharing, similar to Twitter.

Key Insights

• 🌐 Emerging Alternative: Mastodon presents itself as a viable alternative to Twitter, especially amidst recent controversies, fostering a community-centric environment. 

• 📲 Mobile Experience: The "Toot" app offers a user-friendly interface, making it easier for users to engage with content on their phones. 

• 🗂️ Effective List Management: Utilizing lists in Mastodon allows users to categorize and prioritize content, enhancing the overall user experience and information retrieval. 

• 🔖 Private Favoriting: The favorites feature on Mastodon serves as a private bookmarking tool, offering users more control over their interactions compared to public likes on Twitter. 

• 🔄 Data Portability: The ability to transfer accounts and followers seamlessly between servers is a significant advantage, promoting user retention and satisfaction. 

• 🔍 Curated Content: Users can tailor their feeds based on personal interests, enhancing the relevancy of the content they consume and share. 

• 🔗 Hashtag Functionality: While not as prominent as on Twitter, using hashtags in Mastodon can effectively categorize and amplify important topics within the community.

This was offered as a BYOD session at ISTE 2016 in Denver on June 27, 2016.

That session description was:

If “chance favors the connected mind,” as Steven Johnson maintains, what are some of the best strategies educators can use to discover new ideas useful for teaching and learning? Learn how to use the free apps Flipboard and Nuzzle,Twitter lists, and other strategies to more effectively discover, save and share ideas useful professionally and personally. Learn why it is important to customize your personal or classroom Twitter account to show others your particular educational focus and interests. Learn to use Twitter hashtags to connect locally and globally to learn and grow as a professional educator.

Why Become a Connected Educator?

1. That's like asking "why use electricity" in the 1880s 

2. Moonshot Thinking (video - now offfline)

The value of information filters:

Apps for Digital Social Learning

1. Pocket (F)

2. FlipBoard (F)

3. Nuzzel (F)

4. Kifi (F)

5. Ecofon (F)

6. Google+ (F)

7. Feedly (F)

8. Audible (F)

9. PocketCasts (F) - my podcast subscription OPML

10. The Wider Image (F)

Twitter Lists I Love

1. Astronauts

2. Oklahoma Ed

3. STEM Teachers

4. STEM Innovation

5. Visual Notetakers

6. Go Outside

7. Gigaom Vets

8. All my Twitter lists

(Subscribe to these in Twitter & then add them in Flipboard!)

Links

1. Wes' STEM Curiosity Links (current version in 2024)

2. 2015 Classroom Challenge: STEM Curiosity Links

3. Wes' iReading FlipBoard magazine