Slide Deck on Social Media for Skool Project 2009

September 15, 2009 By

I had been apprehensive in advance of my presentation on social media today at Griffith University, as a contribution to the Skool Project 2009, organised by cricketer and Griffith staffer Michael Jeh and which I posted about earlier this afternoon. After all, I would be presenting to a group of digital immigrants and I was frankly not sure I would be able to say a lot that was news to them.

They took it in good part when I showed them in the slides how I had envisaged them as an audience in relation to me (slide 2), bringing gifts they would know all about.

Skoolproject2009
View more presentations from Des Walsh.

I really don’t know how much I achieved my goal of helping the group see the value of developing their own social media strategy as part of building and caring for their own brand, but I had fun, several people thanked me and a few said they got good value from it.

And I learnt things.

A few things that, if there is a next time with a young group like this, I will want to definitely include:

  • introducing them to VisualCV – this was a big hit (practical for young people going for jobs)
  • more on a practical approach to having a blog without it being a burden
  • explaining and illustrating RSS more and how it can help you manage information and promote yourself
  • explaining why and how to get your own domain as an investment in your career and your branding, and how you can park it until ready

They liked posterous and I would not be surprised to find that several participants have posterous sites before the week is out.

Filed Under: Events, Social Media, Social Networks Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Social Media for Young Elite Athletes and Performers

September 15, 2009 By

When I first met Michael Jeh, former top cricketer and now staff member at Griffith University on Australia’s Gold Coast, back in June, I was impressed by the story he told me of his Skool Project and was very pleased to sign up. Today I had the privilege of participating.

I did a 90 minute session with the students about social media and social networking, with an emphasis on developing and protecting their personal/career brand. More of that in a separate post.

Right now, here is a short interview I did with Michael just before the next lot of presenters kicked off with the final sessions of the project’s second day. The Gold Coast City Council gets an appreciative mention and there is a challenge to other levels of government and the business sector to get behind this terrific project to support and develop our young leaders.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

BarCamp Gold Coast July 5th

July 4, 2008 By

BarCamp Gold Coast

Tomorrow I’m attending my first BarCamp ever, at Griffith University on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. And this will actually be the first BarCamp Gold Coast to be held to date.

The Griffith campus at Southport is only about 40 minutes drive from where I live, so it is very accessible. And as it is on a Saturday I will feel less guilty about all the things I’m supposed to have done by now this week and don’t look remotely like finishing!

According to the media release, BarCamp originated in California in 2005 and “provides a series of informal and informative workshops and discussions around open source, web based applications and social networks”.

BarCamp events are “unconferences” and a motto of BarCamp is “no spectators, only participants”. In other words, if you attend, you are expected to share your ideas, your knowledge on the day and/or to share what you have learnt, once you leave.

As “Unorganiser” Steve Dalton says “Anyone is welcome to attend to share their views on web technologies and experience lively discussion on the latest trends”.

The BarCamp Gold Coast 1 wiki has extensive information and links, including a map link. And you can follow on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/barcampgc

There is no charge to attend and there is still time to register, which the “unorganisers” would like people to do, especially so that they can assess what is needed in the way of food.

I plan to take my new Asus eee and camera with me and do some event blogging, or at least some tweeting.

Filed Under: Social Media, Web 2.0 Tagged With: , , , , , ,