I ran across a company, Common Craft, that produces these really awesome introductions to different technologies - but in plain english (and really cute paper cutouts). Interested in what RSS is? Twitter? Or just social networking? They’ve got some really neat short videos to help. Here are three you might be interested in watching:
SOCIAL NETWORKING
RSS
I was asked yesterday by a reader of the PTA Tech Corner how I create this and other websites. Good question. While my business (TargetX.com) - aka “the full time gig” - manages electronic campaigns and does a little bit of web work for colleges and university, those are much more sophisticated than many organizations need.
I built and currently manage many websites that utilize the same setup:
These are all either organizations my family is involved in (my step-son’s and daughter’s school PTAs, the gym my daughter went to, the swim club we hope to join some day, the place my wife plays tennis some times, etc.) or for friends (the great Rocky storyteller and journalist, a friend’s church and employer). I normally set these up and then give them the keys to the kingdom along with a “hit by the bus” folder (usernames, passwords, contact information, etc. in case something would happen to me).
So how do I set these up? I use the same hosting company for all of them - not only do I like them, their prices are right and dealing with one company is a lot easier on me - and since I don’t accept payment from any of these folks, making it easier for me is a high priority. There are many hosting companies out there but I’ve been using 1and1.com since around 1997 - later they conveniently setup operations near me in suburban Philadelphia.
To run the site I use a free blog software called Wordpress. Now you need a little technical help to get it setup on your own hosting company and to manipulate the template to get it to look just right. So Wordpress setup a hosting service at Wordpress.com to make it a little easier. You don’t get all the capabilities if you were to host it yourself, but it’s a good start.
The reason I use Wordpress is that it provides a very user-friendly interface for folks to update the website. They don’t have to learn HTML and they don’t need to know such things as FTP, PHP, etc. - Wordpress handles all of that in the background. Also we can setup different user access permissions - so they don’t mess up the site! There are also tons of templates to choose from that people have created and offer for free on the Internet for Wordpress.
Hope this helps get your organization started. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me by submitting a comment to this post. I’m glad to help. And if you have any suggestions for folks reading this, by all means, contribute to the discussion!
Yesterday I saw a very interesting story on CNN about the “Tween Angels” network, started by the owner of Wired Safety.
She started the program to help tweens (and the sister group “teen angels”) and parents deal with safety issues online. Issues ranging from fraud, cyberbullying and cyberstalking.
I was especially taken by the young children in this video:
Tweens Push Online Safety
We TV is broadcasting an important new series that has been in development for the past four years called “High School Confidential.” It’s the real stories of 12 high school girls. It was created by Sharon Liese, a single mom of a 12-year old daughter who saw the challenge girls have in creating their own identity while dealing with the pressure from friends.
The first episode starts tonight at 10pm/9 central on the We Television Network (check your local listings or cable provider for the channel on your system)
To learn more, visit their website:
highschool.wetv.com
If you’ve been following my previous posts about getting your life in order, specifically the family calendar, you’ve also heard that for you Windows folks, Google just recently announced a tool to sync your Google Calendar to Microsoft Outlook.
Thank goodness because before this, it really wasn’t very easy to sync calendars to Outlook. It still not as easy as syncing between Apple iCal and Google Calendar, but at least it’s a start.
Nearly half of all teenagers did NOT buy a compact disc in 2007, according to a research study done by the NPD Group.
Online music sales continue to climb confirmed by a report earlier in the week that Apple’s iTunes has become the #2 music seller behind Walmart, and analysts predict that iTunes will eclipse Walmart later this year.
And finally, in January the debate behind HD-DVD and Blue-Ray high definition compact disc formats (echoes from the VHS-Betamax mess of the 1980’s) was finally settled when major movie companies picked Blue-Ray over HD-DVD. Toshiba, the maker of the HD-DVD drives, put it to rest when they stopped production on the units.
But who cares? Downloading movies is upon us. Only two days after the beginning of the end of the high-def debate started, Apple announced their iTunes Movie Rental service and updated Apple TV device.
The times they are a changin’!
My full-time job is as the owner of a college marketing firm, TargetX. We work with over 450 colleges and universities helping them craft and execute their recruiting efforts. And for almost the past 20 years I’ve been on the other side of the table from parents and future college students. But this year it’s my turn.
I write another blog called “The Recruiting Revolution” about the changes happening in the college search process. Much of this change is attributed to the Internet as well as unique traits of this Millennial generation.
Today began my posts about my step-son, Julius’ search for the perfect college. I welcome you to visit my other blog if you have a high school student at home. It’s going to be a long journey but well worth the effort put into it.
If you’re like me, keeping your schedule together is anything but easy. Between my work schedule, my kid’s schedules and finding the occasional opportunity for my wife and I to get time together, it’s amazing I’m still able to function. Looking for the perfect solution to manage it all not just for me but for the rest of my family has been a constant challenge.
Many years ago we started with the large wall calendar - you know, the month-at-a-glance type you find at any office supply store. This works fine especially since we put it on the wall between the kitchen and the dining room where we must pass it a hundred times a day. The problem with it is that it’s physically fixed in the house - many times when making appointments or schedule activities I’m not at the house.
The next natural step was to use a PDA (personal digital assistant). Even better is if it also is a phone. We can all thank Palm for the Treo - one of the many wonderful devices available on the market that combine both phone and calendar (and a bunch of other stuff I rarely used) that I can fit in my pocket. I can even sync it to my computer’s calendar so my stuff is there too. The downside is that only I have my schedule with me - what about everyone else? And what if anyone else I deem important (aka my wife) wants to see my calendar and vice versa?
One technology that might help is called iCal (which is sometimes known by its computer filename extension, .ics). Built into the Apple OSX operating system is a great program called simply iCal. A great online calendar system that uses iCal is the Google Calendar. And there are tools available to connect these two so your calendar can exist in many places - for example, on your phone, your computer and online. They can be protected so only specified people can see your calendar too.
UPDATE: Google just recently announced a tool to sync your Google Calendar to Microsoft Outlook.
There are many ways to do this depending on the operating system you use, the phone you have and the number and types of people you with which you want to share your information. I’ll share with you how we do it, if for any reason, to provide inspiration.
My wife has a Palm Treo 650 and an Apple Macbook. I have an Apple iPhone and a Mac Powerbook. Both the Treo and the iPhone can sync easily with iCal on our computers. Then I can publish each calendar to a website and password protect it. Finally, I setup my iCal to subscribe to my wife’s calendar, and her calendar to subscribe to my calendar. That way we both have not only our calendar, but also the other’s.
To do this right it’s probably best for each person to have multiple calendars, if you will. I have a calendars setup for work, home, volunteer stuff, birthdays, holidays and travel. That way I only publish which types of events my wife cares about.
It’s not as difficult as it sounds. But if you want to start someplace, check out either Google Calendar, a wonderful online calendar you can share with others. Or Plaxo, a free online site to host and share (with permission) your contacts, calendars, tasks, notes, etc. with specific individuals you grant permission.
In the end, it’s all about 24 hours in a day. Perhaps these ideas will help you avoid trying to squeeze more hours into the day than possible, and enjoy the time you have with your family. Best wishes!
Frontline, funded by PBS, posted a new video documentary and related discussion website called “Growing Up Digital”. I highly recommend all parents watch this show and get involved in the discussion online with other parents.
Here’s the Link to the Website
Here’s the Link Directly to the Videos
I’ve mentioned before one of my favorite podcasts is from the TWIT (This Week in Technology) crew lead by Leo Laporte called Jumping Monkeys and hosted by Megan Marrone.
It’s all about parenting in the technology age and they have great ideas and advice to new and not-so-new parents.
A couple of weeks ago I was honored to be on their show to discuss the PTA Technology Corner and today the episode was posted online for folks to download.
Click here to listen to it directly online or get links to the iTunes free download subscription
This time of the year it’s become common to receive along with a holiday card a multiple-page, photocopied update from the sender on how their family (and others I probably don’t know) are doing and succeeding (my dad and I were talking this weekend that isn’t it funny that they never say anything bad in these letters? “Well, John was arrested in August and still serving time …”).
In this “social networking” age, why not think about putting all of this online and keep it running all year long? As you’re sitting by the fire, surrounded by opened presents, perhaps on your new laptop you just received, why not think about starting a virtual site to share with others about what’s going on with the family. Updates on the kid’s sports, travel experiences, accomplishments, favorite videos, etc. - the possibilities are endless.
There all types of really great tools that are easy to use (and many are free) to do this. Here’s a list of possibilities:
Flickr.com - create photo albums online
Wordpress.com - go beyond just photos and start a family blog
MyFamily.com - get the family online together (best part are the birthday reminders!)
Twitter.com - regular, quick posts you can enter from the web, from IM or text message
Facebook.com - sure, why not? My 70+ year old dad just became my friend!
I had the pleasure of joining my daughter’s girl scouts today at a tea party in our town - twenty-seven 8-year-old girls, a few moms and me. Did I feel out of place? Not at all - it was a lot of fun and the girls were great.
Before tea was served, the troop leader asked each person individually to mention what they would like for Christmas. It was very interesting, so I took notes for all of you (and Santa):
Nintendo Wii. Well, if you haven’t purchased it before Thanksgiving, it’s going to be difficult to find. Almost every child wanted one of these - 89% of them! We just purchased one for a friend (who doesn’t have a computer at home and couldn’t find one in the store) for his son for Christmas. We got it on eBay for $475 - which is $225 more than the list price. I did, however, find a website that will help you find a Wii if it’s on your daughter’s list (and chances are it is) - click here for the secrets!
Apple iPods. Anyone surprised? Actually, I was surprised how many did NOT already have one. 85% of this group wants one. Did anyone mention a Zune or a Creative Zen MP3 player? Nope. All iPods. I was at the Apple Store today at Noon on a Tuesday and I saw about eight mom’s looking at all the cute little iPods for gifts. They are hard to resist! Want to save a little bit? Ask at the store if they have any “refreshed” units - these are simply iPods that were returned unopened and put back on sale at a discount. Or check out Amazon.com for a few dollars off new units.
Cellphones. Yup. 26% of these 8 year olds want a cellphone. Well, we think it’s a little too early for us to get our daughter one, but it’s on their minds. If only cellphones came with free replacements when they lose, drop or break them. But it is the greatest device to stay in touch with our kids when we’re not being a physical helicopter parent.
Webkinz. Just about everyone wants one of these - I think I counted 100%. And let’s not forget, the point of a webkin isn’t the toy necessarily, it’s the social networking that happens online with it! But my daughter tells me the toy is nice too 
Computer laptop. This one surprised me. They don’t just want a computer (in their room of course), they want a laptop. 20% of them specifically mentioned a laptop. How technologically savvy of them! Be sure to check out the post below regarding the Get One. Give One. campaign (that was recently extended through the end of December) if you’re thinking of something unique that is also a gift for someone in need. Biggest issue here for young children and a laptop is probably durability.
Ok, those where by far the top five requests of these girls. A couple of them mentioned trampolines and one mentioned a book. But do you see anything in common with the list above? This is the most wired generation in history. Are you prepared to help them out when they get stuck?