Marketers often find good business advice in the unlikeliest of places. Why? Because everything is marketed whether you’re talking gizmos or ideas. Today’s pearl of wisdom comes from an interview at Mediabistro’s GalleyCat of blog-to-book-to-movie phenomenon Julie Powell.

With a strong opening weekend behind them, the movie Julie & Julia about the author’s quest to recreate all of the recipes in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking while blogging about it is already the stuff of urban myth. In the interview, Julie cautions others to not get caught up in the social media aspect of the process. Read the rest of this entry »

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Kudos to Dr. Monica Rankin at the University of Texas for an outstanding implementation of Twitter in her history class of 90 students. She shares a critical insight when she said, “I just had to come to grips with the fact it was going to be messy.” Her goal was to create more opportunities for all students to participate in class discussions and interact about course content. 

Anyone know any high school or middle school history teachers doing the same thing? Thanks to Darren Rowse at Twitip for sharing this wonderful application of Twitter in the classroom.

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More than a year ago, I made the decision NOT to sign up for Twitter. This decision was made strictly from a time management perspective. I often lose myself in email and blog reading and instinctively knew that Twitter would become a major distraction. So, I opted not to join. Actually, I thought it was a passing fad and that if I sat it out long enough, the world would be on to something new.

Many of the folks I admire in social networking fell in love early with Twitter and now have incorporated it into their online presence and business promotion. After months of being told that I should reconsider my Twitter position, I recently joined and became a part of the Twitterverse. Read the rest of this entry »

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After attending Blog World Expo in Las Vegas this past weekend, I can say with full authority that bloggers come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. They write about politics, religion, education, books, health, life as a parent and a myriad of other topics. While the technology that facilitates communication is important, it is the writers’ points of view and clarity of expression that make blogs compelling reading – or not.

No matter the topic, bloggers are encouraged to write with passion and honesty. Authenticity and transparency are the currency in the blogosphere, and there are those who define success by the size of their readership or their ability to connect with others of like mind. Successful monetization is the Holy Grail for many as they look to turn their passion into profit. Influencing the conversation is sufficient reward for others. Spreading the gospel, whether biblical, political or something in between is a function of creative and original content supported by insightful commentary from readers. Read the rest of this entry »

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Originally, the video posted below  was a presentation for high school students. Since it’s first showing in 2006, it has been seen by millions of people around the world thanks to the viral nature of video sharing. The new version updated last year has been seen by several million people as well and both versions continue to circulate on the Internet.

It is thought-provoking, awe-inspiring and a little bit scary. This 2.0 version is 2 minutes longer than the original but there is no fluff. Among other things, it puts the impact of rapidly growing technology in easy-to-understand terms. Whether you are a K-12 publisher, a K-12 educator or just an interested party, there is plenty to chew on here.

After you watch the video, check out the Shift Happens website wiki for some excellent follow up questions. These are terrific questions that can apply to work teams, strategic planning, education reform, curriculum design, municipal green initiatives, you name it.

We talk a lot about teaching students 21st century skills. These skills are more than just technology skills. The ability to think critically and work collaboratively on a business or social problem will be part of a citizen’s basic toolkit moving forward. Watch this video and you’ll understand why.

What do you think should be in a 21st century toolkit?

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