I Am Thankful For Social Media Because...

“I get to keep up with people”- Anonymous

“It keeps me employed”-Anonymous

“I like connecting with old friends and the quickness you can find things online after they happen. Also, I like reading what athletes have to say.”-Brandon Paul

“I am thankful for YouTube, which makes it possible for people to become famous outside the walls of California”-Anonymous

“it is two-fold. The ability to self express and share ones emotions is at an all time high. Also, I am thankful for the ability to keep in contact with individuals I otherwise would not be able to. It allows them to stay in sight and in mind.”-Craig Allen

“it has allowed me to reconnect with old friends, colleagues, and family that I have not seen in years. Social media has created an avenue where I can rejoice, celebrate, and even weep with others that I have reconnected with.”-Jennifer Frescott

“so I can catch up with family/friends that live far away.”-Anonymous

“it keeps me in touch with people I normally don’t talk to on a daily basis”-Jennifer McCandless

“even though I am over 1,000 miles away from my family and friends, they will get to see my little baby growing up through pictures and videos with one easy click!-Meag Warren

“it keeps me in touch with those friends that have moved away”-Taylor Warmoth

Google+ Is Better Than You Think

How many people currently have a Google + page? In my circle of friends, hardly any. I know that a majority of people are not on Google +, however, the more I read about it and learn about it, the more I love it! There are so many unique features, ones that I cannot wait to learn how to use. Here are just a few of my favorite features:

1.       Direct Connect allows businesses to become easily searchable by just enter + [Page Name] into the search operator Google.com. Most people do not look past the first page of search results, so having another social media outlet that can be pulled in the Google search engine is a big plus.

2.       Topic Circles: Users can create a post about a certain topic and ask others to comment on it. From there you can create a circle around this topic with the users who expressed interest. This allows for people to have a more personalized experience and puts them in contact with others who share similar interests.

3.       Hangouts on Air: This is basically live streaming video. Up to ten people can participate in the chat and an unlimited amount of people can view it. Currently, only certain businesses can use this feature but it is definitely a great tool! I am sure that it will soon be available for everyone to use.

There are a lot more features that are pretty awesome on Google + so if you have time make sure and check it out! If you create a page, make sure and add me! That’s all for today’s post, short and sweet.

What Can We Learn From The Penn State Situation?

As a majority of us are already aware, Penn State has been involved in a massive sex abuse scandal. Accusations have been made against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. However, Sandusky is not the main face under attack by the media and the university; instead it is head coach Joe Paterno.

The interesting part about this crisis is how the university is handling the situation. They have not conducted one press conference and have cancelled the remaining press conferences originally scheduled. No one is saying a word to the media. What this crisis at Penn State really teaches us is to address situations head on. Ignoring the media, students, faculty, staff, alumni and fans is a bad idea in a situation such this severe.

During my Mass Communication Theory class last night, we discussed the Penn State crisis, all agreeing that as an organization, Penn State cannot nor should not hide from the media. The university should have held a press conference (not taking questions or anything) with just a brief statement of the facts such as, “We are investigating the matter and will let you know when we learn more.” Easy and simple, yet it does let people know that the university is aware of the situation and taking steps to solve it.

I also am having an issue with Joe Paterno’s statement last night. I just cannot wrap my head around who advised the university to let him give that statement.  For starters he called the children involved “victims.” While it appears that these people are indeed victims, it has not been officially investigated to prove the accusations. Therefore, Paterno makes it sound like he already believes the accusations against defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. Audiences thinking that Paterno believes the accusations will make it more difficult for the university to solve and handle. Paterno is the face of Penn State, so his opinions can and most likely will influence and be shared by a majority of fans.

Also, Paterno ended his statement with a Penn State cheer. In this type of situation, a university should want their leaders to be professional. Leading a cheer made Paterno appear as if he didn’t think the sex allegations were a big deal, almost as if he was not taking the situation seriously.

It will be interesting to see what Penn State decides to do crisis management wise in the upcoming days and throughout the investigation. I believe that this scandal will be studied by PR professionals for many years to come. How much damage was done to the universities image by this situation? How could they have prevented it? How could their crisis communication plan been activated and implemented differently? How many years will it take the university to get back their reputation and image?

Technology and Social Media in the Classroom

Guest Blogger: Meaghan Warren

I am currently teaching geometry in Arizona. As a teacher, your always trying to find new ways to reach your students and get them to learn. Since technology has become such a big part of this generations up bringing, I have tried to incorporate it as much as possible into my lessons. I am currently using social medias, such as facebook, a website, cell phones, computers, internet, QR codes, etc.

If you had been there when I first told my students they were going to get to use facebook in class, you would of thought I had just given them a million dollars. I am sure your thinking facebook in school? How is that productive for students? My class has a facebook page and I post daily questions where students can "vote" or submit their answer to daily review questions. I keep track of their posts. I also post critical thinking questions for homework and all the students have to do is get on and respond. If I had asked them to do it on paper, it just wouldnt be as exciting. It also gives me the chance to have them respond to each other, almost like a blog. I also post important reminders, etc. which they can see daily.

Our class also uses tools such as a website, where students can find all the resources we use in class online. It is a great tool when a student is absent and is also a great study tool. We use the internet almost everyday whether it is just looking up pictures or examples of the current content or watching youtube videos. Search for the Quadratic Formula Rap...its a good one! The kids love it because it directly relates to what they are interested in.

If you have ever taken a minute and observed teenagers at a mall, school, or anywhere for that matter there is a cell phone glued to their hand. Last year, I collected over 100 cellphones throughout the year for students texting in class. It hit me at the end of year..why not just incorporate it into the lesson? There are some great websites where you set up questions and students can text their answer. They provide great feedback for teachers. It gives you a graph of correct answers and incorrect answers and is a great tool for check for understanding. Also, there are a thousand websites where you can create QR codes. I created a QR code for a project and kids went nuts because they got to use a new app on their phone and could scan it and find their project. Never in my life have I seen so many kids so excited to do a project. So anytime you can put technology into a lesson, your bound to get some good results.