EduTek n Social Media Advisor

Google Related is Cool!

‘Google Related is a Chrome Extension that shows you useful, interesting content while you browse the web.

When you're surfing with Related, you'll often see a thin bar along the bottom of your screen that offers videos, maps, reviews and other content that's relevant to that page. When you see an item you like, you can spread the word by using the built-in +1 button’

You can install the Google Related Chrome Extension by clicking here.

What you can find by installing Google Related can be realized by watching the following video.

 

The following screenshot (My Twitter a/c in Hoot Suite) shows the presence of Google Related as thin bar with the items such as video and webpages. 

Pointing the arrow near ‘web’, lists related websites that can be +1d as shown below.

In this case, Google Related suggests web pages related to HootSuite not even competitor’s applications. Of course I have not tried many web pages to generalize this.

 

 

 

Adding Vanity URL for Your Google+ Web Page

Today I got the Google+ invitation from one of my friends and just added a vanity URL for that. It is quite simple to get the vanity URL. Google provides your Google+ webpage identity in the form of string of numbers that is quite difficult to remember. Hence you can create a vanity URL that is easier to remember as follows.

gplus.to  enables you to achieve this easily. Just visit glpus.to webpage. The screenshot of the webpage is as shown below.

Decide a nickname for your Google+ web page.  It is better if you select a nick name related to your profession. Since I am a Consultant for eLearning and Social Media Marketing and my website is advisor2u.com, I chose my nick name as Advisor2U4eLnSMM.

Then add your Google+ Id, that is a string of numbers. Foe e.g. my URL for Google+ web page is

https://plus.google.com/106528453610174284802/posts  The highlighted portion of numbers is my Google+ ID.  Add the ID as shown above and click the button ‘add’. That’s all there is to do.

You get your vanity URL. Mine is as shown above, i.e. http://www.gplus.to/Advisor2U4eLnSMM

Do create your vanity URL for your Google+ webpage and Google+ this if you like the blog post.

 

Enhancing Learning through various Experiential Learning Strategies

Last Saturday, i.e. on 13^th Nov. I was invited as one of the speakers for National Level Faculty Development Program on ‘Experiential Learning in Higher Education: An Innovative Approach’ organized by ECE Dept. VIT, Chennai

I introduced Kolb’s experiential learning cycle through the following diagram.

 
Source for image: http://iteslj.org/Articles/Kelly-Experiential

Then I classified Experiential Learning into non web 2.0 based web 2.0 based ones.

In Non - Web 2.0 based Experiential Learning strategies I introduced the following:

• Case studies
• Simulation and Role play
• AdZap
• Mend – Debugging
• Tech-Wist (Tech and non-tech, comparison of similar products)
• Directed studies
• ILOP - Intensified Learning Opportunity Programme

In Web 2.0 based Experiential Learning strategies I introduced:

• Collaborative Mind Map (MindMeister)
• Google Applications for sharing, collaborative work (Google Docs, Google Groups and Google Calendar)
• Reflection on podcasts /videos
• Games based software simCEO

I demonstrated live, Google Docs for educational applications. But for Google Groups and Google Calendar, offered the demonstration through following links.

• Google Group
• Google Calendar

For games based software, I Introduced simCEO and explained how it can enable the student to become a good entrepreneur and a good investor.

Finally I just introduced Elgg, a social network application

• What can be done using Elgg
• Who can use them

The photographs taken during the program can be accessed by clicking here.

 

Services n Products of Advisor2U

View the ‘Services n Products of Advisor2u’ by clicking the video.

Social Media Marketing (SMM) & SEO

I have been saying about the importance of Social Media Marketing (SMM) and how it should be complemented by SEO. My earlier blogs related to SMM are:

· SML (Social Media Learning) & SMM I & II (Social Media Marketing

· Real-time Search Using Bing Twitter and Twoogle

· Social Media Optimization

· Role of Organic Twitter Optimization in Determining Twitter Grades  

· Social Media Marketing 4 Business Owners

As I have been saying, I have been participating effectively in various networks such as Linkedin, sending tweets regularly on Twitter and updating my status in social networks such as Facebook, Ning and other networks.

These participations followed by SEO have enabled my websites Advisor2U and blog EduTek n Social Media Advisor to occupy first few positions in first page of major search engines such as Bing, Google and Yahoo.

I have done a comparative study of analyzing the results for various keywords on two different dates separated by almost 6 months. The results confirm that effective SMM complimented by SEO not merely enable you to retain your earlier positions but enable you to achieve even better results.

The comparative analysis of my websites and blog can be accessed by clicking the following hyperlink ‘Progress of Advisor2U’s Websites & Blog’  or Download Progress of Advisor2U

Do share your experience if you’ve implemented SMM & SEO for your website.

ERP 4 Educational Institutes

 

 

View my latest slideshare upload : 'ERP 4 educational institutes' at http://slidesha.re/dgGArz

SML (Social Media Learning) & SMM I & II (Social Media Marketing)

I have just uploaded 2 files in pdf format:

1. SML-ELGG

2. Social Media Marketing

SML-ELGG suggests

· What can be achieved by installing and using ELGG

· What type interaction can be realized by users

· Where it can be used

· Institutions already using Elgg

Social Media Marketing consists of 2 parts I and II.

Social Media Marketing –I suggests how one can promote business through

1. Twitter

2. Linkedin

3. Facebook

4. Youtube

5. Blogs

6. Other micro-blogs

7. SMR (social Media Release)

8. Social Media Bookmarking

Social Media Marketing –II suggests how one can generate business leads and get lead intelligence through Social Media Marketing.

1. SML-ELGG is available at https://www.box.net/shared/dchkm2u2cr

2. SMM I & II is available at http://www.box.net/shared/18in4fjgsv

If your institution has installed ELgg and not listed in my file, do inform me through comment box so that I shall include it. If you are using any other application, do share your experience with me.

Similarly share your experience with me such as which of the applications are effective in realizing ROI, if you’ve implemented SMM for your business.

Various Ways of Engaging Students

In my earlier blog titled ‘Is Blended Learning the Future of Educational Scenario?’ I had mentioned that instruction offered through blended mode enhances learning. It is not enough that technology is utilized for offering instruction. The instruction must be designed in such a manner that enhances recall, application and retention of knowledge that has been imparted.

 

 I am reminded of a famous Chinese Proverb, that says,

 

“Tell me, and I’ll forget

Show me, and I may remember,

Involve me, and I’ll understand.” 

 

It is true one hundred percent. Hence technology should be utilized in such a manner that learners are actively engaged after transfer of knowledge and utilize the knowledge that has been transferred.

 

Therefore, I am suggesting various ways through which one can engage the students interestingly.

 

1.    Activities through social networks so that the learners share, collaborate and arrive at a solution.

2.    Activities through games (suggested link to a simple game to teach English preposition) as they allow the learners to realize the pre-determined objectives through usage of acquired information, deploying various mental methods and physical actions related to specific concepts or areas of learning in enjoyable way quickly.

3.    Interactive and engaging assessments as they improve learning, since immediate feedback is offered in most of the cases.

4.    Mind maps as they work similar to brain, allowing associations and links to be recorded and reinforced.

5.    Videos, since they send the messages to be delivered effectively.

6.    Virtual Reality as it enables you to offer active, realistic and immersive experience to the learner.

7.    Rubrics as they help learners set and realize goals and assume ownership for their performance.

8.    Timeline generators (example) since they enable one to record historical. planned or projected periods and events according to the sequence of their occurrence.

 

I have just suggested few ways through which one can engage the students where transfer of knowledge gained takes place. These activities would reduce ‘‘inert knowledge’, the knowledge learners fail to transfer from one setting to another.

 

 

Please share how you had engaged or would engage your students.

Social Media n Learning

Let me first explain what ‘Social Media’ is and then explore the possibilities of using them for enhancing learning.

 

Social Media represents the online tools that enable anyone to interact in one-one, one-many and many-many conversational format deviating from typical one-way broadcasting options offered by media. The real-time, borderless interaction offered to participants provide an opportunity to make use of 3Cs Collaboration, Community, Communication effectively to enhance learning and pave way for innovation.

 

Various Social Media Tools for Learning are:

 

• Blogging
• Microblogging
• Social Networks
• Podcasting
• Wiki, Google Docs

Why should you Use Social Media for Learning?

 

According to Lave & Wenger, 1991, “Learning is an integral and inseparable aspect of social practice”. Since we are moving towards a Knowledge-era model, where social networks provide an opportunity to community and individuals to share, construct and reconstruct knowledge, we should make full use of the opportunities offered by social media to enhance better understanding of concepts.

 

Various Applications of Social Media Tools for Learning

 

 

Blogging: Can be used for publishing purposes. In case of group work, blogs can be made use of to share, edit information. The final outcome of group work, after filtering not so important things can be finally published, which can be shared easily. For blogging one can start with Blogger, WordPressand TypePad

 

Micro Blogging: Twitter plays an important role in enabling short communication of 140 characters among users. It can be used for exchanging reference links and to inform about important announcements such as events, conferences to users.

 

Social Media Networks: Here Ning lets you join and create new networks based on your passion and interests.

 

Podcasting: Podcasting is a new type of online delivery where one can publish audio files via internet and enable your users to subscribe through an RSS feed to receive new files. The sites listed in the link accept podcast submissions. Expert lectures by professionals can be recorded (ofcourse with their permission) and can be podcasted.

 

Sharing & Editing Tools:  Google Docs, Wiki (PBWorks). These tools enable one to share and edit information. Hence can be used for announcing assignments for students and monitoring their progress by offering useful suggestions.

 

Thus Social Media with Web 2.0 capabilities has made the world a flat one. It is in the hands of educationists to use them effectively to enhance learning.

 

Role of Organic Twitter Optimization in Determining Twitter Grades

Let me first introduce the factors that play an important role in determining Twitter Grades (TG). They are:

 

• Power
•  Reach
• Authority of a twitter account

 

Or in other words, TG determines the quality of tweets sent by you and the influence of them upon others. 

 

The following factors play a crucial role as Twitter Algorithm take note of these things;

 

• Follower / Following ratio – The greater the value better it will be for Twitter Grades (TG).
• Power of Followers – If more people with high TG follow you the better it will be.
• Tweets – Here all the three, quantity, frequency and the recency matter.
• Dialogue – The dialogue you establish also plays an important role in getting higher TG.

 

Let me now come to Organic Twitter Optimization and its role in determining TG. Organic Twitter Optimization, refers to increasing your followers organically by methods such as

 

• Sending tweets of high quality so that they get retweeted.
• By means of getting reference for Follow Friday
• Getting Tagged references
• Sending tweets with # tag, thereby increasing the results for search results.
• Manually following people with high grades relevant to your field, so that reciprocal effect occurs when your tweets are of good quality.
• Getting followers through participation in social networks

 

Building followers by this way takes some time and requires considerable effort from the tweeter, as unless the quality of the tweets are good, he or she will not get much response.

 

But if you do send quality tweets and grow your followers organically, then you stand a good chance of getting good grades.

 

View the result for my case, where my twitter identity is @ELnSMediaExpert

 

The following screenshot shows the result I obtained on 22^nd Sep 09.

 

 

The above page can also be accessed by clicking the link here.

 

 

The figures are not so great. I just had 103 followers and the number of people I follow is 101. But the quality of tweets I send, and the people I follow played a very important role. Since both are good, I got a decent grade of 86/100.

 

This confirms that quality matters and Organic Twitter Optimization, not merely plays an important role in improving your Twitter Grades, but in retaining or improving the grades too!