SCFMMC2000 Introduction to Mass Communications on Ning!

I created a living ning.com site called SCFMMC2000. It is the portal for my students to find resources about mass communications, syllabus, discussion questions and other pertinent information about the course.
I have also created a Facebook fan page called SCFMMC2000 and a twitter.com account called SCFMMC2000,

I teach Introduction to Mass Communications at State College of Florida – Sarasota Manatee. My primary interest is in developing online courses that are portable. Since I am an adjunct, I would like to develop my content and store it on an offsite location rather than at the State College of Florida site, so if I chose, I can eventually market my creation if I choose to do so.

I created a living ning.com site called SCFMMC2000. It is the portal for my students to find resources about mass communications, syllabus, discussion questions and other pertinent information about the course.

I have also created a Facebook fan page called SCFMMC2000 and a twitter.com account called SCFMMC2000, so my students will be able to connect with me as well as others involved in the course. I have also invited mass media professionals to become members of the Ning group as well as fans of the Facebook page and to follow up on Twitter.

I used a book called Introduction to Mass Communication: Media Literacy and Culture 6th edition by Stanley J. Baran, because this book is well written and edited and has myriad sources both offline and online for students and instructors.

I have taught this course since 2004 and have found that interactive media such as YouTube and other sources has been very practical and beneficial to my students as learning tools.

I have or will add links to a variety of online media sources and students will be encouraged to use Facebook, Twitter and other social media tools including BlogTalkRadio and YouTube for special projects, which include: a radio talk show, a career presentation and a research project aimed at expanding everyone’s knowledge of useful tools available on the Internet.

As part of the course, which includes both face-to-face meetings and online interactions, I have developed some discussion questions that require thought and have instructed the students to respond to their media partner’s posts. This learning tool is helpful in generating both face-to-face discussions as well as online ones and is very useful to the overall heightening of media literacy.

The value of a social network such as Ning.com, Facebook and Twitter in today’s ever-changing media environment for tomorrow’s journalists is unfathomable. As an instructor of mass communications, it is my obligation to help prepare the journalists and media professionals in training about the past, present and especially, the future. It is imperative that they understand their role in a democracy as purveyors of solid, accurate information for the masses.

Creating Comics for fun and education

Creating comics for professional and instructional use is a fun pathway to learning. I used makebeliefscomix.com to create a mini lesson about cell phone use in the classroom. Before you begin, DO NOT USE BACK BUTTON or you will lose all of your work. I learned this the hard way, but like in most projects, editing improves your final product. This site has easy to use pop-up balloons for thoughts and speaking, as well as tools for scaling the size of the images.


I like this site because it’s free, easy-to-use and has a selection of cute characters that you can change in a few different ways to show emotion. It takes a few minutes to learn, but I think even very young students could benefit from playing with makebeliefscomix.com.

For example, young readers and writers could be given a list of vocabulary words and they could write impromptu comics or write a brief script and than create their comic strip.


http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/?comix_id=23737783C166412



The nice thing about www.makebeliefcomix.com is that it offers writer’s prompts, teaching resources and other educational tools.

The following link offers 21 ways to use www.makebeliefcomix.com in the classroom.

http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/How-to-Play/Educators/



Toondoospaces.com
Just launched September 16, 2009, check out the blog at http://toondoospaces.webblogs.zoho.com/

I checked out http://www.toondoospaces.com. This has both free and paid components. You can create your own characters or use pre-drawn characters. It seems a bit complex, but once you play with it you could create very interactive and ornate cartoons for many use. See the demo videos, they are very comprehensive.

ToonDooSpaces should be a fun way to learn for all ages. It’s unique and should encourage engagement for anyone interested in using. It can be used to learn new concepts, skills and even languages. It can also be used for students to collaborate on projects and is a productive tools for both teachers and students. It is a good addition to social networking for education.

http://www.toondoospaces.com/demo/
This link takes you to a nice slice presentation about Toondoospace.com

http://www.slideshare.net/shend5/tap-into-the-world-of-comics?src=embed



I went to stripgenerator and made a similar comic strip about cell phones and Ms. Chuckles at the following link.

http://tapflorida.stripgenerator.com/post/tapflorida/2009/11/15/ms-chuckles/

Overall, comic strips can be a useful education tool. I think they would also be useful for online classes. For example, if you want to make some fun instructions for a mass media course, why not use a cartoon format to tell your students where to find information.


GLOG
I found glogster. It is an interesting site to make posters with. They are called glogs. Not sure what the g stands for, but with a little time, anyone could create a nice poster. This could be used for making posters in schools for recycling, environmental issues, etc. My sample is: http://tapflorida.glogster.com/glog/

Writing for Careers: Comics in the Curriculum

Writing for Careers: Comics in the Curriculum

Building Brand Awareness with Social Media: Facebook

Building “brand” awareness (you are your BRAND.)
I have expanded this from a recent posted outline.

When we say “brand”, we are really talking about your personal image or persona that people will see and learn about via your social interactions on the web.

1) Use your company logo or avatar (symbol) with your personal photo to help people “see” you online. This is an excellent time to update, freshen and get some good photos of yourself. You don’t have to have a professional head shot made, but do choose a photo that brings out your best qualities. Choose a photo that is friendly, inviting and professional looking. Don’t choose photo of yourself that might offend anyone (avoid having a shot of you drinking, smoking or partying). Remember, your image will be on the Web for the world to see.


2) Build Sphere of Influence (People are hanging out on the Web): You have access to your sphere of influence’s sphere. This is powerful! You know many more people than you realize. As with any networking system, start with the people you know. All social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn search through your email for possible friends requests. Start here and than watch your friend list grow as you make connections with former classmates, co-workers, friends of friends, etc.

1) Personal and Interactive: You are a real person, so interact as YOU! People want to do business with people not a company! When you first start using Facebook or any other site, it’s wise to Lurk (web talk for listen, watch and read). You will learn about your social community and this in turn will help you learn how to interact with your online friends.

2) Customers expect “instant” information and want to deal with legitimate, trustworthy PEOPLE. If you promote yourself as an expert, your social network will expect you to deliver regularly about what you know. The days of promoting yourself as a Superstar or No. 1 in your field are over. Now it’s about delivery. What can you do for me right now.


3) Permission-based marketing vs. Interruption-based marketing. You invite people to be part of your social group. If they accept, great. If not, that’s OK, too. The

4) Educate consumers. Your potential customers have probably already done their due-diligence. Be a Resource. Bring value to your clients. You can bring value to your social network in many ways. Not only can your provide information about real estate and mortgage information, you can provide local community information. You can always share a local news feed on your social sites, or provide information about local events. Use your imagination about types of quality information you can provide to your internet neighbors.

Your assignment for this month is to join Facebook. It’s simple. Just go to and follow the directions. Be sure that you create a complete profile, so others can understand who you are. Yes, please include me as your friend on Facebook: Tamara Patzer

Tools to Use: Social Media for Business

If you own a computer and use email, more than likely you have been invited to join some social network. If you haven’t jumped on Mr. Toad’s wild social media ride, it’s time. Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter and myriad other social sites are where today’s real estate buyers and sellers are socializing. As a matter of fact, if Facebook were a country, it would be the world’s fourth largest.

Try it
One of the keys to marketing success is visibility. Your online presence could include your personal website, corporate website, Facebook, LinkedIn, and myriad other online tools. Everything you do can help boost your visibility and helps make every other bit of your marketing efforts more powerful! You don’t have to belong to every social networking site out there, but do join one or two and try it. Find out what works for you. Embrace it. Social Networking should not be seen as a quick fix for your marketing woes, but Social Media should definitely be part of your media mix.

Create an online presence (interesting info for anyone interested in using social media for marketing)
According to the National Association of Realtors, more than 75 percent of people buying a home today start their search using the Internet. This means you need to have a presence. Don’t be in a big hurry to see quick results. Social Networking Marketing is about relationship building and trust. It takes time – expect 6 to 12 months to get any results. It’s a long-term project, so you have to give it a fair shot.

Prospecting time
If you are telling yourself, you don’t have time to update your Facebook or Twitter on a regular basis, eliminate that excuse right now. Your time on Facebook or any social networking site is prospecting time. Yes, it’s legitimate time well spent cultivating your relationship with future, past and present clients.

Simple rules
There are few rules to using social media. First, don’t spam people with boring advertorials about yourself. The days of “I’m No. 1” are out and now it’s about how you can help others.


1) You want to share useful information with everyone. Use this natural tendency to share information about your community, other people’s successes and interesting bits and pieces of information you pick up along the way.


2) Be yourself. For some, this means you’re funny. For others, it’s about sharing the latest statistics and trends. Still others have hobbies, pets or pet peeves to share. It’s all about being U!

Here are some ideas about how social media will help you build your business:

1) Build Brand Awareness – Use your logo with your personal photo.

2) Build Sphere of Influence (People are hanging out on the Web): You have access to your sphere of influence’s sphere. This is powerful!

3) Personal and Interactive: You are a real person, so interact as YOU! People want to do business with people not a company!

4) Customers expect “instant” information and want to deal with legitimate, trustworthy PEOPLE.


5) Permission-based marketing vs. Interruption-based marketing. You invite people to be part of your social group. If they accept, great. If not, that’s OK, too.

6) Educate consumers. Your potential customers have probably already done their due-diligence. Be a Resource. Bring value to your clients.

Your assignment for is to join Facebook since it seems to be where people are hanging out these days. ( If you break up your efforts, it's not as scary!) It’s simple. Just go to and follow the directions. Be sure that you create a complete profile, so others can understand who you are. . It’s simple. Just go to and follow the directions. Be sure that you create a complete profile, so others can understand who you are.

Thoughts about some FREE Tools

Camtasia: screen recording software: "the easy way to demonstrate a process, a product, or an idea...Record onscreen activity. Edit it into a polished video. Share with the world." (Commercial; open source, Windows)
30 days free trial

I tried Camtasia and found it's an easy-to-use screen recording software with some really good editing features such as screen in screen and nice transitions.

Jing: "the always-ready program that instantly captures and shares images and video…from your computer to anywhere"; the Pro version allows for a wider range of sharing (Free, with Pro services available; Windows/Mac)


Jing is easy. You download it and learn how to use it in about 5 minutes. It's handy for capturing screen shots and for adding your own text comments to them. You can pull it into a recording program and make nice graphics.

In Search of Meaning Letters Found at U of M

I enjoy using the Media Mill at U of M for uploading vlogs and other slide shows and pod casts. I posted the video presentation of In Search of Meaning Letters Found at the U of M and was impressed how simple it is to import a video link into the blog.  
 

Vlog link

Here are some Florida photos from Tami Patzer

http://mediamill.cla.umn.edu/mediamill/display/44577

Final Project Thoughts

I am thinking about developing an online course for Mass Communications using Stanley Baron's book at the foundation. I have taught Introduction to Mass Communications for several years and my goal is to create an online version. The course is a survey course introducing students to the different media and their histories. I like to use online sources and tools such as YouTube for current, up-to-date media use in all mediums.

My course would be interactive and use collaborative tools including discussion boards, wikis, podcasts, vlogs, etc. I think as a professor, vlogs in an online course are very helpful.

Research Search via the Internet

Search for Research… What’s real that is the question. As a newspaper reporter and educator, it’s important to find sources that are beyond question. With this said, it’s fun to find sources that are undoubtedly false or not viable. These sources can also be a valid and valuable learning tool for students.

In my experience, using both reliable or documented sources juxtaposed with false sources help students learn how to recognize unreliable information while comparing it with better reliable sources.

I look for reliable sources by digging into the material presented and looking for documentation at a Web site. I also look for other sources to verify materials found at a variety of sites. This would be a web-based literature review of sorts. When I am doing news research I look to traditional resources such as government sites, news sites and other trusted sources such as known experts in the field of whatever I am researching.

I like to use search words and tags in an experimental fashion. I like to try different words and see what comes up. I have found that librarians are the best sources for help when I get stuck on a topic and can not find relevant hits in my research. As a photographer, I have used tags related to my photos. For example, I shot a lighthouse in Boca Grande, Florida. I used my name, lighthouse, Boca Grande, Florida, Gasparilla Island, historical lighthouses, etc…

As a graduate student, I like to use the databases from the University. These are generally very reliable and offer millions of pieces of information that are academic sources. I think all students should understand how to use information for personal use and academic use.

As for RSS feeds, I am overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of feeds available at the moment. I think RSS feeds should be carefully selected and not just chosen at random. I would suggest to students that they examine some sites recommended by their instructors or even their friends and check them out prior to subscribing to a feed. Information is wonderful, but unless it is selected, it won’t be used. I am going to use RSS feeds to do research on a paper topic with some classmates related to the environment and media framing. I haven’t selected them yet, but I will use diigo.com and delicious.com to help share this information with classmates.

I think using a variety of sources such as blogs, vlogs, podcasts and online magazines as well as traditional sources is a good idea for any active learner. It seems the trend is toward all electronic or digital media for many papers. I know I have used many online digital resources that can also be found in hard (paper) form.

Again, I’ll reiterate that students should experience both good resources and poor resources, so they can tell the difference. In this manner, I would say practice or hands-on learning is key.

Blogging and Teaching Journalism and Media 9/14/09

Blogging in an educational setting is an exciting way to teach and learn in a collaborative environment. I have used blogging as part of a Public Affairs Reporting class. As a journalist, blogging is one of the new requirements a reporter/editor has to learn to communicate with readers/participants in the news arena.

This is an exciting time for educators in the mass media field because it is our job to teach up and coming journalists how to write well and also maintain the integrity of information in a world where anyone with a computer and the Internet can produce information for publication to the World.

Beyond teaching media writing with just words, Web 2.0 can help journalists use all forms of media including photos, video, music, and other useful links to help solidify the knowledge base.

One of the challenges instructors will face in the coming months and years is the fact that most students are media savvy and have high technical skills. However, they may not have developed higher level critical thinking skills required to produce content that is based on accurate information. Blogging lends itself to opinion writing with or without accuracy checks, so it is imperative that students learn how to think critically and do research with solid sources when producing blogs for media outlets. It is important to teach students how to be reporters with a passion for accuracy and truth telling in an ethical sense as well as creative collaborators.

I think blogging and all emerging media tools have great potential for the educational process as a whole. It truly does offer an opportunity to every person with ideas and Internet access the ability to participate in a Democratic society upon which the ideals of the First Amendment are built.

I would like to learn more about digital writing and how to help students write with clarity, accuracy and some formality. I understand that blogging lends itself to informality, but it is still important to learn to write in complete sentences with words spelled correctly, so other can understand the blogger's meaning with ease.