Recordings of eXtension Professional Development Sessions

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    This list includes recordings of professional development sessions offered by eXtension.
    For upcoming events, see our Learn site.

    If you would like to get a feed of the Recordings as they become available, use this URI for all sessions held in the "Learn" room in your Feed Reader: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/feeds/learn.atom (Viewing the feed page also shows number of views a recorded session has had.)

    Links to newer recordings are at the Learn application.

    Contents

    MediaWiki Trainings

    Basic Wiki Media

    • MediaWiki Bare Essentials - We'll cover the basics you need to get started working in an eXtension wiki. Whether you're part of a Community of Practice, helping to copy-edit articles in CoP wiki, or working in Collaborate wiki, join us so you can get started! (for all Extension). February 6, 2008 by Beth Raney. Watch the Recording.

    Categories

    • Categories in the Wiki - Categories are the primary mechanism for navigation that to lets you find what you're looking for at the right time in a wiki. (for CoP leaders & members, and all Extension) April 16, 2009, by Beth Raney, eXtension Professional Development Leader. Watch the Recording.

    Finishing Touches

    • MediaWiki Finishing Touches – using templates for final stylistic touches in the CoP wiki, March 27, 2007 by Craig Wood. Watch the Recording.

    Images and Graphics

    Links in a MediaWiki

    • Links in a MediaWiki, September 19, 2006. Watch the Recording.

    Lists in the MediaWiki

    Metadata for MediaWiki

    Tables in MediaWiki

    • Sometimes the information you're sharing in your wiki article will be better understood if displayed in a table. A WikiTable is an arrangement of columns and rows used to organize and position data. We'll show how to use a table in the wiki, syntax to build a table, and where to find more help. (for CoP leaders & members, and all Extension) May 20, 2009 by Beth Raney, eXtension Professional Development Leader. Watch the Recording.

    Questions and Answers

    • MediaWiki - Questions and Answers, September 21, 2006. Watch the Recording.

    Social Networking

    Blogging

    • 30 Minute Session: Get Started Blogging - So you think you want to be a blogger? How you can use blogging to enhance your educational programming? What's involved, how it's done, and how to get started. Participants will be exposed to several blogging tools with an emphasis on Blogger.com a free service available from Google. September 17, 2009 by Kevin Gamble, eXtension. (for all Extension) Watch the Recording.

    Designing for Participation

    • Creating Web Applications with User-Centric Design -- The barriers to building web applications have never been lower. Individuals and small teams can create, deploy and test a web application in as little as a few months, weeks or even days. This iterative process gives designers and developers a chance introduce small changes over time and constantly refine the end product. This is a look at web application development from a design and user interface point-of-view. August 21, 2007 by Ben MacNeill. Watch the Recording.

    Drop.io for Filesharing and much more

    • February 19, 2009 by Larry Lippke. Watch the Recording.

    Engaging Communities on Their Own Turf: Secrets of Social Networkers

    • This session shows tips and tools that people use to discover and monitor online conversations. It focuses on the filtering mechanisms used to surface emerging conversations, and strategies for Extension educators to use to begin to engage with learners in communities of their own choosing. July 31, 2008 by Kevin Gamble. Watch the Recording.

    Extension 2:0 (Ohio State Extension panel)

    • Extension 2.0: Harnessing the Power of Blogs to Expand Programming Potential & Impact March 22 at 2:00-4:00 p.m. ET Extension 2.0: Harnessing the Power of Blogs to Expand Programming Potential & Impact, by presenters: Jamie Seger, Kara Newby, Mark Light, Jerry Thomas and Andy Kleinschmidt all of OSU Extension. This session will answer the why/how/when/where of blogging. Also learn how to utilize online statistical tools to capture feedback and impact your blog is having. Watch the Recording. 1:07 hours.
    • Extension 2:0: Beyond Blogging & into the World of Social Media. Online tools do not stop with blogging. Facebook, Twitter and other social media tools have transformed how the public receives information…. In other words—it is no longer laying dormant on a web page waiting for someone to find it… it is finding them. This session will go beyond simply introducing you to the major social media tools out there, you will learn how to best utilize these tools as an Extension professional. (for all Extension) April 16, 2010 by Kara Kewby, Andy Kleinschmidt, Mark Light, Jamie Seger, and Jerry Thomas - The Ohio State University Extension. Watch the Recording. 1:08 hours.

    Facebook

    • About Facebook - Now you can have a Facebook account too! What used to be open only to students has been opened to everyone. Find out what Facebook is all about and learn how it took over the college campus. Is this the social networking utility for you? This is an introductory look at Facebook, its networks, groups, event calendars and how they can be used by Extension professionals.. August 22, 2007 by Ray Kimsey. Sponsored by the ACE IT SIG. Watch the Recording.
    • Using Facebook for Professional Networking - Users will explore different features that Facebook has to offer. We will explore how many Extension professionals are utilizing social networking to connect to peers and clients. Also learn how to set your privacy settings to limit the information that others have access to. (for all Extension) April 1, 2009 by Mark Light, Ohio State Cooperative Extension. Watch the Recording.

    Flickr

    • Sharing images using Flickr and the Extension Photographers Flickr group, September 9, 2008 by Henrietta Richie-Holbrook, eXtension. Watch the Recording.

    FriendFeed

    • Making FriendFeed your Friend - Part 2. This follow-on session will introduce you to FriendFeed's most powerful features: lists, filtering, advanced search, groups, and those extra add-ons that make it's use so enticing: widgets, book-marketlets, and cross-posting to other social networking sites. (for all Extension) Presented June 23, 2009 by Kevin Gamble, eXtension. Watch the Recording.
    • Making FriendFeed your Friend - Part 1. FriendFeed is a service that makes it easy to share with your friends online. It offers a fun and interactive way to discover and discuss items of mutual interest. It falls into the genre of an aggregation and filtering tool. This session will show you everything you need to know to get started in sharing your own information. In Part 2 next month, we'll show you how to use it to intelligently sift through piles of information to find only those things of most interest. (for all Extension) Presented May 27, 2009 by Kevin Gamble, eXtension. Watch the Recording.
    • FriendFeed: You Learned to Share in Kindergarten. The web has become more social; with new connections and communication methods come tools that one should consider to help themselves become better playmates on the web playground. This session will take a close look at FriendFeed and why you should consider making it part of your digital workflow. Viewing "Secrets of Social Networkers" before this session would be beneficial. (for all Extension). Presented August 27 by James E. Robinson, III, eXtension Software Engineer. Watch the Recording.

    Foursquare

    • Business Rules of Foursquare. Foursquare is a new social media application which can help a business promote their business. It is part game, part friend finder, and if businesses use it, beneficial to all. This session will explain what Foursquare is, how to create a profile, and provide strategies for businesses to use to promote more traffic. Presented April 15, 2010 by Stan Skrabut, University of Wyoming. Watch the Elluminate Live! recording. Here is the slide presentation.

    Google Analytics

    • Evaluate Your Content with Google Analytics (by Category!) - Google Analytics (GA) reveals tons of information about which pieces of content perform the best on the eXtension Public Site. However, until recently, it was only possible to look at performance for all content or single pieces of content. If you wanted to find the top-performing piece of content in a specific category (eg. fire ants), you were out of luck. This all changed last month, and you can now use GA to drill down to a specific category. Come learn how to use GA to find your best (and worst) performing content. You will learn about bounce rate, the power of links, traffic sources, organic search keywords and how to get this information emailed to you from GA on a weekly basis. You have to have a Google account to access Google Analytics. (for CoP leaders & members, and all Extension) May 12, 2009 by Ben MacNeill, eXtension User Interface Designer. Watch the Recording.
    • Advanced Google Analytics - Now that you're familiar with the basic features and tools in Google Analytics, it's time to learn more advanced features. Come discover Advanced Segments, Goals and Custom Reports to get the most out of Google Analytics (for all Extension). March 31, 2009 by Ben MacNeill, eXtension User Interface Designer. Watch the Recording.

    Google Custom Search Engine (CSE)

    • 30 Minute Session: Finding Extension Resources Through the Google Custom Search Engine (Google CSE). This session will demonstrate how to use search.extension.org to search the vast resources of the Cooperative Extension System. In addition, we will show you how simple it is to use Google search technology to create a free Custom Search Engine that reflects your knowledge and interests. It will also show you the Cooperative Extension CSE, teach you how to place a custom widget on your own Web site, and show how you can participate in a collaborative environment to further customize and make the search results better. (for all Extension) September 8, 2009 by Kevin Gamble, Associate Director of eXtension. Watch the Recording.

    Google Search

    • Why Can't Google Find My Stuff? - We get asked on almost a daily basis, "Why can't I find my article when I search for it with Google" (or any other search engine). This session will hone in on the major reasons content is not found, and discuss concrete things you can do to try to fix the situation. Warning: Some of it you may not want to hear. (for all Extension). July 7, 2009 by Kevin Gamble, eXtension. Watch the Recording.

    Google Presentation

    • Google Presentation is a new tool introduced in September for the collaborative development of slideshows. It is cut from the same cloth as Google Docs and Google Spreadsheets and shows great promise as a new collaboration technology. Participants will be given an introduction to the tool's use, discuss its advantages and disadvantages, and see how this tool can be used to facilitate online learning. October 31, 2007 by Kevin Gamble. Watch the Recording.

    Google Sites

    • In February 2008 Google released a new wiki tool called Sites which is included in the Google application suite. The Sites application is derived from JotSpot, which was purchased by Google in 2006. Sites, allows users of the Google application suite to create wikis that may be edited by other Google apps users and may be made publicly viewable. While not as robust as an application like MediaWiki, Sites looks to be a promising tool for allowing users to create and manage a wiki, without knowledge of wiki markup conventions. This presentation will give an overview of Sites and demonstrate setting up and managing a wiki using the tool. March 25, 2008 by Stephen Judd, UNH Cooperative Extension, Manager - Information Technology and Distance Education. Watch the Recording.

    Google Spreadsheets to Conduct Surveys

    • A Google Spreadsheet is an easy and convenient way to create a survey, and to collect, share, and analyze your results. For instance, you might use one to collect your colleagues' preferred dates and topics for a meeting agenda, or to evaluate and educational program from a survey embedded on your Website. This session will show you a very powerful, but also very easy method to conduct surveys. All in just 30 minutes-- it's that simple. November 13 2008 by Kevin Gamble, Associate Director, eXtension. Watch the Recording.

    Google Voice

    • Intro to Google Voice. This session demonstrated the functionality that is built-in to Google Voice. Understand why so many people are proclaiming this as a killer phone application. (Indeed, some of us wonder how we ever survived without it.) We'll show you how to get started, and all of the basic things needed to fine-tune it for your own personal and professional use. (for all Extension) July 20, 2010 by Kevin Gamble, Associate Director, eXtension. Watch the Recording.

    Google Wave

    • Google Wave Tips and Tricks. This session will cover miscellaneous little goodies that are in Wave that you might not realize even exist. We'll explore some tips for working with your contacts. Show you where your personal profile is hidden (HINT: It's a wave). We'll show you how to protect your public waves. Talk about private message within waves, and finish off with some nifty bots for making your Wave experiences more pleasant. This session is for everyone, but it will probably have more meaning if you have attended some of the previous Wave sessions or are actively working in Wave. (for all Extension) April 13 by Kevin Gamble, eXtension. Watch the Recording.
    • Staying Organized in Google Wave. This is another in our series on using Google Wave in your workgroups. We will take you through all of the steps to staying better organized: folders, navigation, tagging, and constructing and saving searches. Get this part down-- and you've mastered Wave. Attendees should have a Wave account. If you need an account, send your Gmail address to kevin.gamble@extension.org for an invitation. (for all Extension) March 31 by Kevin Gamble, eXtension. Watch the Recording.
    • Making Your Waves Sizzle. Google Wave is primarily a system for collaborative document creation. This session will focus on the specifics of making your waves look their best. We'll show you how to use color, fonts, and other formatting techniques. We'll cover adding links, images, and videos. We'll demonstrate adding attachments. Then we'll dive into the robots that can assist you in maintaining your waves. This session is targeted for beginners-- with a focus on this one particular aspect of using Google Wave. Attendees should have a Wave account. February 18, 2010 by Kevin Gamble, eXtension. Watch the Recording.
    • More on Google Wave. This next step to using Google wave will be more advanced than December 2009's introductory session. You'll see search, organization, widgets and robots, and using Wave for real world collaborations. We will throw in some best practices for collaboration using wave. Attendees should have a Wave account. If you need an account, send your Gmail address to kevin.gamble@extension.org for an invitation. (for all Extension). January 27, 2010 by Kevin Gamble, eXtension. Watch the Recording
    • This introductory session discusses Google Wave and why it is the next big thing. It includes an introduction to the various components of the interface, creating new waves, organizing your waves with tags and folders, managing your contacts, and search. The session also discusses how this technology fits in to the emerging flow of knowledge, and how it is has the potential to reshape communication, and learning. Attendees should have a Wave account. If you need one send your gmail.com email address to kevin.gamble@extension.org for an invitation. (For all Extension.) December 15, 2009 by Kevin Gamble, eXtension. Watch the Recording.

    Jabber

    • Jabber — eXtension’s enterprise chat application, January 31, 2007 by Kevin Gamble. Watch the Recording.

    Ning.com

    • 30 Minute Session: Using Ning Groups to Improve Learning in Extension Programs - Social networking is a great way to continue the educational process after the classroom – where the real learning takes place. Ning.com is a tool that is very easy to use and could be used to augment many Extension programs to help achieve better results (participant learning). This session will show you how to create a Ning group for your programs and discuss how it can be used. Ning has lots of features that FaceBook has, but with some tools and features that make it more appealing for using in an extension educational program. (for all Extension) July 29, 2009 by John Dorner, NCSU. Watch the Recording

    OpenID

    • Using OpenID - Are you tired of creating a new account on every web site you visit? Do you not sign-up for new sites because they require you to create yet another account? Do you go to sites and can't remember your login, password, or both? OpenID is a new technology that aims to solve these problems. Everyone with an Extension ID already has an OpenID. Come to this session to learn how it works, and about the growing list of Web sites where it can be used. Once you go OpenID you'll never want to go back... (for all Extension). February 12, 2008 by Kevin Gamble. Watch the http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p69514141/ Recording].
    • Introduction to OpenID - More and more websites that require the site users to sign in with a username and password are taking advantage of an open protocol for authentication called 'OpenID.' eXtension is converting all of its web applications over to OpenID. In this session, we'll briefly touch on what OpenID is, and how eXtension is using it., August 15, 2007 by Jason Young. Watch the Recording.

    Second Life

    • Introducing Second Life Viewer 2.0 with interactive web on a prim and flash integration. The long awaited "easier to learn" Second Life browser has been released in beta test version, including provocative new mutimedia capabilites that can greatly enhance the educational experience. Take a look at what it can do and let's talk about how eXtension can repurpose content to leverage this new capability. March 25, 2010. No recording.
    • "30 Minute Session" on Navigating Second Life: If there's so much to see, how do I find it and how do I get there? March 11, 2010 by LuAnn Phillips, eXtension. Watch the Recording.
    • Why 4-H in Teen Second Life? February 22, 2010 let by LuAnn Phillips, eXtension's Virtual Worlds Coordinator. Watch the Recording.
    • Second Life Skills: Meetings and Conferences in Immersive 3D: Industry trends, eXtension opportunities. The hottest trend in Second Life and other 3D worlds is virtual meetings. We will review several case studies from enterprise, education and nonprofit sectors; see how money can be saved, reach expanded, and collaboration enhanced; and look at some of the obstacles and how they can be addressed. Also, see a preview of the new meeting spaces available on eXtension's Morrill sims. January 28, 2010 by LuAnn Phillips, eXtension Virtual Worlds Coordinator. Watch the Recording.
    • Second Life Skills: Communication In SL - Chat, Instant Message, Voice. January 14, 2010 by "LuAnn Phillips, eXtension Virtual Worlds Coordinator. Viewing a live shared desktop, learn the basic controls for each mode of communication, plus some advanced topics such as logging, and messages to and from external email. (for all Extension) Watch the Recording.
    • Second Life- Customizing Your Avatar Part 1, December 10, 2009. Watch the Recording.
    • Introduction to Second Life - Multi-user virtual environments such as Second Life (http://www.secondlife.com/) are growing in popularity. Learn what Second Life is and how it is being used. Some experts have predicted that 80 percent of active internet users will be using this type of environment by the end of 2011! Why not spend just a half hour in 2007 to learn more about it so you’re better prepared?, September 11, 2007 by Vishal Singh. Watch the Recording.

    SlideShare

    • SlideShare for Collaboration and Online Learning - Slideshare (slideshare.net) is sort of like a YouTube for sharing presentations. Agents and specialists are always looking for ways to share their slideshows, and Slideshare is an easy, powerful, and free solution. It’s also an effective environment for fostering online learning. This session will show you everything you need to know to get started with Slideshare, and discuss how this technology can be used for collaborative work across the Cooperative Extension System., September 19, 1007 by Kevin Gamble. Watch the Recording.

    SharePoint

    • An introduction to using Microsoft SharePoint for internal collaboration. This 30 minute session covers the basics for getting started with SharePoint for team collaboration; demonstrating out-of-the-box capabilities and a walking through a few example sites. (for all Extension) Professional Development session offered in partnership with the ACE IT SIG. August 7, 2008 by Sarah Johnston, Louisiana State University and Darin Dugan, Iowa State University. Watch the Recording.

    Social Bookmarking

    • Social Bookmarking as a collaboration tool -- How to keep your team on the same page without burying them in email... Social bookmarking is a great tool for reducing email, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing, and increasing team efficiency. The emphasis will be on delicious but other options will be shown. (for all Extension) April 23, 2009 by Kevin Gamble, Associate Director, eXtension . Watch the Recording.

    Tagging

    • It seems like everywhere you go on the Internet today someone is asking you to tag things. This session is targeted for people just getting started with social networking software, and is designed to get you off to a good start, and to help you avoid the most common pitfalls. January 24, 2008 by Kevin Gamble. Watch the Recording.

    Twitter

    • Twitter Orientation for AgChat. March 8, 2010. Watch the Recording.
    • Special Session: Twitter Clients, Tools and Uses. More and more extension professionals are using Twitter! This session will showcase a panel to demonstrate useful Twitter clients (Tweetdeck, Twhirl and ceTwit), a helpful tool to use with your Twitter account (Co-Tweet that allows multiple people to tweet for one account), and some ideas from an Extension specialist on how he uses Twitter, etc. Presenters will include Steve Newman-Colorado State, Stan Skrabut-University of Wyoming, John Dorner-North Carolina State University, Kevin Gamble-eXtension, and Chris Raines-Penn State. September 9, 2009, Watch the Recording.
    • Twitter: Easy Way to Microblog and Be Social by Anne Adrian, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Auburn University. Twitter is a presence, communication and social technology. It is a way to have short, disjointed conversations, maintain relationships, share information, and have fun. Additionally, Twitter has been used in emergency situations, such as during the San Diego fires. NASA also used Twitter to describe their recent mission to Mars http://blog.twitter.com/2008/06/nasa-twitter-and-news-from-mars.html. Twitter is easy, immediate, and easy way to connect, converse and learn. This session describes Twitter, shows how it works, and gives a few examples of Twitter being used by several Extension colleagues across the country to communicate inside and outside of the Extension community. (For all Extension) Watch the Recording.

    Using Feeds

    Video (YouTube, etc)

    • Instructional Video and Screencasting 101 - How to put together videos for consumption via YouTube and other video sharing sites, the tools they use, their workflow, and other tips and tricks, and get you started down the road to producing your own. March 25, 2009 featuring 4 presenters: Emily Rhoades of Ohio State, Janyne Kizer of NC State, Stephen Judd from the University of New Hampshire, and Kevin Gamble from eXtension. Watch the Recording.

    Web 2.0 (includes sessions by Special Guests: Luke Wroeblewski and Beth Kanter)

    • Designing for Web 2.0: The Visual Ecosystem, by Luke Wroeblewski. July 18, 2007. Watch the Recording (1 hr. 30 min)
    • Ten Steps to Web 2.0 for Extension, by Beth Kanter. May 24, 2007. Watch the Recording (1 hr. 35 min).
    • Ten Steps to Web 2.0 for Extension, by Beth Kanter. April 24, 2007. Watch the Recording. (1 hr. 43 min).

    Widgets

    • Widgets, December 6, 2007 by Kevin Gamble. Watch the Recording.
    • Follow up to Dec. 6 Widget session, December 20, 2007. Sharing by Chad Waters, John Dorner and Karen from Montana. Watch the Recording.
    • Getting Started with Widgets, April 18, 2007 by Kevin Gamble. Watch the Recording.
      Follow up to April 18 Widget session, April 26, 2007 by Kevin Gamble. Watch the Recording.

    Wikipedia

    • Getting Involved with Wikipedia, January 27, 2009 by Kevin Gamble. Watch the Recording.

    eXtension

    Get an eXtension ID

    • eXtension 101 on July 12, 2007 by Imported Fireants CoP, Kathy Flanders, Anne Adrian & Beth Raney. Watch the Recording.

    Connecting with Online Communities: The Seaman Knapp Model of Engagement

    • The Seaman Knapp model for online communities starts with the premise that your communities already exist and are engaging online. This session will focus on helping you to unearth existing networks in your areas of expertise, monitoring community conversations, and sensing emerging issues. A special focus will be placed on real-time search and trending topics. The session will concentrate on the tools and techniques for living in the flow. November 24, 2009 by Kevin Gamble, eXtension. (for all Extension) Watch the Recording.

    AJAX: Cleaning up your Web Applications and Reducing User Clicks

    • Many users today are preferring websites that provide information faster with a minimum amount of work necessary. AJAX is a mechanism that gives users almost instant availability of information when it is requested within web pages without having to redirect the user to new pages. This presentation familiarizes the audience with AJAX and its different uses in web applications, September 26, 2007 by Aaron Hundley. Watch the Recording.

    Ask an Expert

    • Discussion of the Ask an Expert System and Widget. This is a session aimed at experts who have been answering questions in the Ask an Expert system who would like to have a discussion around Ask an Expert. Topics can range from AaE strategies for answering questions to discussion about the AaE tools. March 23, 2010. Watch the Recording.
    • Discussion of Ask an Expert, Aaron Hundley, eXtension Software Engineer. This is a session aimed at experts who have been answering questions in the Ask an Expert system who would like to have a discussion around Ask an Expert. This will be an open format allowing and encouraging everyone to participate. Topics for the discussion can range from AaE strategies for answering questions to discussion about the AaE tools. (for all Extension) January 26, 2010. Watch the Recording.
    • Getting Started Answering AaE Questions. This session will show you how it works, how to get started, setting your preferences, creating your profile, getting involved in answering either through an eXtension Community of Practice, or by answering questions where there are no communities. We'll also discuss general question answering guidelines and etiquette. Answering questions can be kind of fun and we'd love to have many more Extension professionals participating. (for CoPs and all Extension) August 26, 2009 by Beth Raney and Aaron Hundley, eXtension. Watch the Recording
    • How to Answer Ask an Expert Questions - With expertise in so many areas, extension gets asked many questions! More and more are coming from the public via eXtension's Ask an Expert form on www.extension.org and through Ask eXtension widgets. This session will take you step by step through answering questions, and some of the guidelines to keep in mind. (for all Extension) June 11, 2009 by Beth Raney, eXtension. See the Recording.
    • The New Ask an Expert "Follow-up" Feature, Demo with Discussion, November 9, 2009, by: Aaron Hundley and Beth Raney. This session will be a one hour demonstration and discussion focusing on the new recently launched "Follow-up" feature in Ask an Expert. Everyone who has used the AaE system is encouraged to attend and learn how the follow-up feature works and the implications it has on experts who are actively working in the system. (for all Extension) Watch the Recording.

    Ask an Expert Question Wrangling

    Current members of the Ask an Expert Question Wranglers Community or those thinking of joining, joind us for a discussion on how AaE Question Wranglers can use the new features developed in the Ask an Expert application including re-opening questions and viewing completion percentages of AaE experts to better serve our audience and get a faster turnaround for getting questions answered. (For all Extension)

    • February 9, 2010, a "30 Minute Session" on Ask an Expert Question Wrangling with Aaron and Beth -- Aaron Hundley and Beth Raney, eXtension. Watch the Recording.

    Ask an Expert Question Wranglers Meet-up

    • Want to help people find answers to their questions? Work with your Extension colleagues from across the country? Help to serve Extension clientele in a new and exciting way? Become an eXtension Question Wrangler! We have opportunities for our public to ask questions through our "Ask an Expert" system, but in order to ramp-up this effort we need good people to volunteer to help make this a reality. If you think this is something you'd like to do please join us to talk about how we can handle this together. (for all who have signed up as Question Wranglers... or to sign up, go to https://people.extension.org/communities/38 and Join).

    New Features for Ask an Expert Question Wranglers

    If you are currently a member of the Ask an Expert Question Wranglers Community or are thinking of joining, please join us for a discussion on how AaE Question Wranglers can use the new features developed in the Ask an Expert application including re-opening questions and viewing completion percentages of AaE experts to better serve our audience and get a faster turnaround for getting questions answered. There will also be time planned for any other AaE Wrangler related discussion items that may arise. December 16, 2009 by by Aaron Hundley and Beth Raney, eXtension. (For all Extension). Watch the Recording.

    New Question Wrangler Orientation

    New Question Wrangler Orientation. As each state identifies Question Wranglers to help with questions submitted via Ask an Expert by the public at www.extension.org, we'll hold this Orientation to help you get familiar with your role, and tools available to make it easier. (for new eXtension Question Wranglers). April 13, 2010 by Beth Raney and Kevin Gamble, eXtension. Watch the Recording.

    Ask eXtension Widget (Ask an Expert Widget)

    How to use the Ask eXtension widget to receive and answer questions directly from your county Extension web site or Extension-related blog. This widget adds question asking capabilities to your site, but uses the power of the eXtension Ask an Expert and FAQ systems to assist you in answering. Take questions from your clients, and use the 40,000 questions in the FAQ system to assist you in providing a timely and accurate answer. Check out the widget tracking feature that allows you to name the widget and monitor questions coming from your site. Also learn about the widget routing capability that will allow you to have questions routed to you from your widgets. This session will introduce you to the tool, show you the latest features developed, and will discuss what is necessary to begin using it immediately in your own county sites and blogs with helpful tips. (for all Extension)

    • 30 Minute Session on Beginning with the AaE Widget,March 23, 2010 by Aaron Hundley, eXtension. How to use the Ask eXtension widget to receive and answer questions directly from your county Extension web site or Extension-related blog. Watch the Recording.
    • 30 Minute Session: Ask an Expert Widget, February 9, 2010, by Aaron Hundley, eXtension Software Engineer. Watch the Recording.
    • 30 Minute Session: the Ask an Expert Widget, January 21, 2010 by Aaron Hundley, eXtension Software Engineer. Watch the Recording.
    • 30 Minute Session: The Ask an Expert Widget, December 14, 2009 by Aaron Hundley, eXtension Software Engineer.Watch the Recording.
    • 30 Minute Session: The Ask eXtension Widget presented on October 27, 2009 by Aaron Hundley, eXtension Software Engineer. Watch the Recording.
    • 30 Minute Session: The Ask eXtension Widget - September 3, 2009 by Aaron Hundley, eXtension Software Engineer. See the Recording.
    • 30 Minute Session: The Ask eXtension Widget - August 11,2009 by Aaron Hundley, eXtension Software Engineer. See the Recording.
    • 30 Minute Session: Ask eXtension Widget - July 14, 2009 by Aaron Hurdly, eXtension Software Engineer. See the Recording.
    • 30 Minute Session: The Ask eXtension Widget - June 16, 2009 by Aaron Hundley, eXtension Software Engineer. See the Recording.
    • Ask Widget Early Adopters: special "open" session for counties that have installed the AskExtension! widget on their county sites (open to all counties with an installed AskExtension! widget on their county sites.) Held May 21, 2008 by Beth Raney. See the Recording.

    Ask an Expert Widget Implementation: Successes and Challenges of a Statewide

    North Carolina Cooperative Extension is well into a statewide effort to implement the eXtenson Ask an Expert widget on all of their county web sites. This session will discuss the steps taken to obtain administrative support for the project, enable adoption by field faculty and staff, and provide on-going training, support and motivation for using the Ask an Expert widget. November 10, 2009 by Rhonda Conlon, Kyleen Burgess and Adrian Gaskins, North Carolina Cooperative Extension. (for all Extension) Watch the Recording.

    Ask eXtension Widget Discussion and Q/A

    If you are currently participating in answering questions that come from any of the Ask eXtension Widgets, this will be a great discussion to be involved in. This session will focus on answering questions that you might have on the Ask eXtension Widget or the Ask an Expert system in general. We'll share tips and recommendations for using the Ask an Expert system and discuss surrounding topics. (for all Extension)

    • 30 Minute Session: Discussion and Q/A of the Ask eXtension Widget - September 29, 2009 by Aaron Hundley, eXtention Software Engineer. See the Recording.
    • 30 Minute Session: Discussion and Q/A of the Ask eXtension Widget - July 23, 2009 by Aaron Hundley, eXtension Software Engineer.
    • 30 Minute Session: Discussion and Q/A of the Ask eXtension Widget - June 18, 2009 by Aaron Hundley, eXtension Software Engineer. See the Recording.

    Ask an Expert Follow-up Feature

    • The New Ask an Expert "Follow-up" Feature, Demo with Discussion. Presented on November 9, 2009 by: Aaron Hundley and Beth Raney. This session included demonstration and discussion focusing on the new recently launched "Follow-up" feature in Ask an Expert. Everyone who has used the AaE system is encouraged to attend and learn how the follow-up feature works and the implications it has on experts who are actively working in the system. (for all Extension) Watch the Recording.

    Becoming a Community of Practice: The Application Process

    • Groups interested in becoming an eXtension Community of Practice either have to complete a CoP Application or apply for a grant through a CSREES competitive program with an eXtension-related component. This session will describe each process, application criteria and tips for writing successful proposal. If you've been thinking about applying for a grant this session will get you started on the right foot. (all Extension) April 21, 2009 by Dan Cotton, Director, eXtension. Watch the Recording.

    Browser Configuration and Use

    • Optimal Configuration and Use of Your Browser with eXtension Applications, April 17, 2007 by Beth Raney and Kevin Gamble. Watch the Recording.

    Collaborate

    • Using the Collaborate Wiki, the place for the whole Cooperative Extension System to work. This session will show you what you need to do to get started working in the Collaborate Wiki, and show you some examples of how others are using it today. October 15 by Beth Raney, eXtension professional development leader. Watch the Recording.
    • eXtension's Collaborate Wiki, January 8, 2008 by Kevin Gamble. Watch the Recording.
    • Using Collaborate -- for agents/educators to share your educational materials… photos, PowerPoints, diagrams, and other media, February 8, 2007 by Beth Raney. Watch the Recording.
    • Need a Place to Wiki? Come to Collaborate!, August 31, 2006. Watch the Recording.

    CoP to Public

    • A Guided Tour on how an existing CoP is organized and operates, March 12, 2007 by Craig Wood and Kathy Flanders. Watch the Recording.
    • From CoP wiki to public eXtension Web site workflow, February 28, 2007 by Kevin Gamble and Beth Raney. Watch the Recording.

    Corporate Development

    • February 15, 2010, a "30-Minute Session" on Corporate Development by Dr. Randy Raub, Director of Research and New Product Development for Purina Mills and Director of the Land O'Lakes Purina Feed LongView Equine Research Facility. Raub, a former research and teaching specialist at Kansas State and now working for Purina, will share his comments on Corporate Funding. Raub spoke at the eXtension National Meeting and will talk about how to work with Corporations, their expectations, why they invest in organizations, and what we need to do to secure corporate funding. His experiences on the academic side of fund raising and now being on the corporate side will provide a great view of corporate fund raising in today's world. (for all Extension) Watch the Recording.

    Developing Quality Web Content

    • Best Practices for Structuring Your Web Content, by Ben MacNeill, eXtension User Interface Designer. This session is an overview of best practices for structuring your web content. He introduces the idea of the three parts of the modern web page structure - content, presentation and behavior - and focus on how to improve the structure of the content. Focus is on the content structure because everything else will get stripped away as your content moves across the web. When mobile devices, feeds and search engines access your pages all that matters are your writing and the html markup. Make them count. July 8, 2008. Watch the [Recording].
    • What should you consider when developing Web content? What are the things that really matter? Should you concentrate on style or format, structure, redundancy, how search engines work, links to other sites, or how people read Web content? What are the critical things that matter? This session discusses creating high quality and discoverable content. October 9, 2007 presented by Craig Wood. Watch the Recording.
    • October 23, 2007 presented by Craig Wood. Watch the Recording.
    • Do you need to understand how people read Web pages? Should you concentrate on style or format, structure, redundancy, how search engines work, links to other sites?, September 27, 2007 presented by Craig Wood. Watch the Recording.

    Events calendar application

    • Cover the basics you need to get events related to one of the 16 Communities of Practice entered into eXtension's Events calendar application online. (for CoP leaders and members). March 6,, 2008 by Beth Raney. Watch the Recording.

    FAQ Sessions

    • Getting Started with eXtension 101: The FAQ App, September 30, 2008 by Ben MacNeill, eXtension User Interface Designer. How to start from scratch and get involved with the eXtension Frequently Asked Question tool. This session will be geared toward non-users (or brand-new users) who want to know "why" they should use and "how" to make it happen. (for all Extension). Watch the Recording.
    • FAQ Orientation for agents/educators, December 11, 2007 by Beth Raney. Watch the Recording.
    • Updated FAQ Application, November 13, 2007 by Ben MacNeill. Watch the Recording.
    • Updated FAQ session for recent, frequent users, October 30, 2007 by Ben MacNeill. Watch the Recording.
    • FAQ Orientation for agents/educators, March 28, 2007 by Beth Raney. Watch the Recording.
    • FAQ Orientation for agents/educators, February 15, 2007 by Kevin Gamble and Beth Raney. Watch the Recording.
    • FAQ Orientation for agents/educators, January 30, 2007. Watch the Recording.
    • FAQ System - Questions and Answers, September 6, 2006. Watch the Recording..
    • FAQ Orientation, August 29, 2006. Watch the Recording.
    • FAQ Orientation for IT Staff, June 28, 2006 (one hour). Watch the Recording.
    • FAQ Orientation, June 22, 200 (one hour). Watch the Recording.

    Finding Stuff (Managing Content)

    • Managing Content in the CoP Wiki, July 11, 2007 by Kevin Gamble. Watch the Recording.
    • Finding Stuff in the eXtension Wikis, November 9, 2006 by Kevin Gamble. Watch the Recording.

    Google Webmaster Tools

    • "Using Google Webmaster Tools, February 19, 2008 by Brian Webster. Google Webmaster Tools is a system where you can get information about how Google sees your site and troubleshoot potential problems. This presentation will show you how to configure your site to use the tools. It will also show what information Google Tools will tell you about your site. In conjunction by ACE IT SIG. (for all Extension) Watch the Recording.

    Lunch and Learn

    • Lunch and Learn Sessions as a Professional Development Tool presented October 6, 2009 by Jerry Thomas, Ohio State and eXtension Fellow. Watch the Recording.

    Nine Different Ways to Use Google

    • Nine Different Ways to Use Google presented on October 13, 2009 by Jerry Thomas, eXtension Fellow, Ohio State University Extension Leadership Center. Watch the Recording.

    InstantSurvey

    • InstantSurvey: Results and Reports (Session 3), by Michael Lambur, eXtension Evaluation and Research Leader. Presented October 23, 2008, by Michael Lambur, eXtension Evaluation and Research Leader. Watch the Recording.
    • InstantSurvey: Distributing a survey (Session 2), by Michael Lambur, eXtension Evaluation and Research Leader. This session will focus on distributing an online survey using the InstantSurvey web-based application available to eXtension CoP’s. It will focus on the two ways to distribute a survey in InstantSurvey. This session will be useful to Extension Professionals considering a web-based survey application, like InstantSurvey. (for CoPs and all Extension) Presented September 25, 2008, by Michael Lambur, eXtension Evaluation and Research Leader. Watch the Recording.
    • InstantSurvey: Creating a Survey (Part 1). This session will focus on creating an online survey using the InstantSurvey web-based application available to eXtension CoP's. It will focus on developing a survey using the eXtension CoP Survey Template to assess use and impacts of eXtension public website information and education applications. This session will also be useful to Extension professionals considering a web-based survey application, like InstantSurvey. (for CoPs and all Extension). Presented August 26, 2008, by Michael Lambur, eXtension Evaluation and Research Leader. Watch the Recording.

    Mentor Series

    • eXtension Mentor Series: Creating Learning Lessons - In this 30 minute session, an established CoP will cover how they plan, outline and implement learning lesson development. They will discuss some of the multimedia tools and technology they use including things like Google maps, Captivate, video, options for adding accessibility to your lessons, and more. (for CoP leaders & members, and all Extension) May 5, 2009 by Krishona Martinson, HorseQuest CoP and University of Minnesota, and Nick Broady, eXtension. Watch the Recording.

    Moodle

    • Moodle Showcase. Tour a real live Moodle course from the eXtension site, and hear how it came together and how it’s being used. Learn how real people are using Moodle and why. March 30 by Jennifer Jahedkar and Susanna Coppernoll, Texas AgriLife Extension. Watch the Recording.
    • Using Video in Moodle. Video can add a lot to an eLearning course in Moodle. Join us to learn about things to consider when using video in Moodle. We'll touch on things like... What format works best? How long should each video be? What low-bandwidth or accessibility accommodations need to be considered? What is the best way to insert the videos into the Moodle course? (for all Extension) December 8, 2009 by Jennifer Jahedkar, Texas AgriLife Extension, Extension eLearning. Watch the Recording.
    • Leading - Not Driving - the Moodle Learner presented on October 29, 2009 by Jennifer Jahedkar, Texas AgriLife Extension, Extension eLearning. Learn how Moodle tools like quizzes, passwords, certificates, and locking options can be used to encourage students to complete a course in a structured fashion. (for all Extension) Watch the Recording.
    • Scenario-based Learning. Scenarios put learners in a real situation, and allows them to make decisions and make mistakes and learn things that they'll be able to apply immediately in the real world. Join us to learn more about what scenarios can look like and how they can take your eLearning course to the next level. (for all Extension) September 23, 2009 by Jennifer Jahedkar, Texas AgriLife Extension, Extension eLearning. Watch the Recording
    • Repurposing content for Moodle. (for all Extension) August 25, 2009 by Jennifer Jahedkar, Texas AgriLife Extension, Extension eLearning. Watch the Recording.
    • Moodle Courses. In this session, she shows examples of different types of courses and shows how the pages and the settings are organized and arranged to better accommodate different topics and better reach different learners. (for all Extension) July 22, 2009 by Jennifer Jahedkar, Texas AgriLife Extension, Extension eLearning. Watch the Recording
    • Moodle - What is it? September 24, 2008 by Jennifer Jahedkar, Texas AgriLife Extension. Learn what all the excitement's about regarding the Modular Object Oriented Learning Environment known as Moodle. Hear what Moodle is, learn how eXtension is making it available, see examples of the types of education you can design, develop and deliver, and listen to lessons learned. (for all Extension) This Professional Development session is offered in partnership with the ACE IT SIG. Watch the Recording.
    • Introduction to Moodle, October 10, 2007 by Jennifer Jahedkar. Learn what all the excitement's about regarding Moodle. Hear what Moodle is, learn how eXtension is making it available, and see examples of the types of education you can design, develop and deliver with Moodle. Watch the Recording.

    People

    • 30 Minute Session: Your Profile in People - The Extension Directory at https://people.extension.org is valuable in helping the people in extension find each others in a variety of ways. It's important to update your profile to include your interests, areas of expertise, social networks, etc. Come for a tour and suggest how you may use it. (for all Extension) July 28, 2009 by Beth Raney, eXtension. Watch the Recording
    • eXtension People Application, February 25, 2009 by Kevin Gamble. Watch the Recording.

    Search Engine Optimization

    • Search Engine Optimization, November 6, 2009 by Wright Frazier, Webmaster for Purdue’s Agriculture Communications Service. Search Engine Optimization. What does it mean? Why is it relevant? Who is my audience? Join us as the answers to these mystifying questions are unveiled. He'll discuss search engine optimization concepts, the importance of subjects and bylines, using keywords, originality of text, and tools for measuring success. He’ll also help you ask your Webmaster the right questions to better understand what is going on. (for all Extension) This Professional Development session is offered in partnership with the ACE Media Relations SIG. Watch the Recording.

    Search Engine Optimization Training for DairyeXnet

    • Andrew Barnett's (Fleishman Hillard) training for DairyeXnet on August 6. This was conducted using FH's Webex service. Watch the Recording.

    Second Life Roundtables

    • Getting started in SL, tips and resources. eXperienced users encouraged to become mentors! November 12, 2009. Watch the Recording. Watch the Recording.
    • Holding meetings in SL, why this makes sense and how to set one up. October 8, 2009, Watch the Recording
    • Updates on current projects, changes to the Second Life platform, and discussion of various ways to use Second Life for Extension education. September 10, 2009, Watch the Recording
    • Reports on current projects and Open Discussion/ Bring your topic! August 6, 2009. No Recording.
    • Visioning session. A functional "virtual county extension" in Second Life: what? when? how? .... and why? July 9, 2009, Watch the Recording
    • Making the Case for a Second Life project, what makes sense to your boss and funders? June 25, 2009, Watch the Recording.
    • Virtual conferences, are we ready to offer one? Saving travel $ is a hot topic right now with many of our colleagues are unable to attend upcoming conferences. What would it take to offer a simultaneous event in SL? May 14, 2009, Watch the Recording.
    • Developing your Second Life project: planning, process, evaluation. April 9, 2009 Watch the Recording.

    Subversion

    • February 17, 2009 at 2:00 ET, a "30 Minute Session" on Subversion - How eXtension Developers use SVN by James Robinson. Subversion is used daily by eXtension developers. In this session you will get an overview of eXtension's workflow and other features that make SVN an invaluable source code revision tool for our needs. See the [xx Recording].
    • December 9, 2008 a "30 Minute Session" on Source Code Version Control: Use It or Lose It, by James Robinson, eXtension Software Engineer. See the Recording.
    • Subversion Clients Roundtable - A demo and discussion of various client applications/interfaces for subversion, a centralized version control system. (for all Extension). March 26, 2009 by Brian Webster, Iowa State Extension

    Stephen Judd, Univ. of New Hampshire Extension and Ben MacNeill, eXtension. Watch the Recording.

    Technology Trainers Meet-Up: Social Media

    • September 15, 2009. Meet-up of Technology Trainers. Last month we talked about ideas around teaching social networking in your states. We can talk more around that topic and maybe brainstorm good/better ways to hold the meet-up. No Recording.
    • August 11, 2009 at 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. ET, Meet-up of Technology Trainers and anyone else interested in discussing the best way of teaching social media to extension staff in your state. Possible questions to address might include: What kinds of information do you typically cover in discussing social media (i.e. blogs, wikis, podcasts, etc)? Do you devote entire sessions to a single topic (i.e. creating blogs) or do you cover a variety? What kinds of hands on experiences have worked best for your audiences in learning these topics? (for all Extension) See the Recording. See the Chat page.

    "The Public Domain: Enclosing the Commons of the Mind "by James Boyle

    • Discussion of the book, "The Public Domain: Enclosing the Commons of the Mind" by James Boyle, led on October 15 by Kevin Gamble, eXtension. Watch the Recording.

    There's a Place in the Wiki for Copy Editors

    • December 3, 2008 by Virginia Morgan, EDEN CoP manager/administrator, and Admin III and Extension Specialist for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. If you think there's no room on a Community of Practice (CoP) work team for a copy editor, think again. Copy editors' skills are critical to creating and adding to high-quality content in the CoPs. Join this session to learn how you can join a community, what tasks need to be done, what resources are available, and how you can get credit for helping make a CoP look good! (for all Extension) Watch the Recording.

    Web Site Accessibility

    Why Can't Google Find My Stuff, Search Engine Optimization, Google Juice, Titles in the Wiki

    • Why Can't Google Find My Stuff? We get asked on almost a daily basis, "Why can't I find my article when I search for it with Google" (or any other search engine). This session will hone in on the major reasons content is not found, and discuss concrete things you can do to try to fix the situation. Warning: Some of it you may not want to hear. July 7, 2009 presented by Kevin Gamble, eXtension (for all Extension). See the Recording.
    • Why Can't Google Find My Stuff - We get asked on almost a daily basis, "Why can't I find my article when I search for it with Google" (or any other search engine). This session will hone in on the major reasons content is not found, and discuss concrete things you can do to try to fix the situation. Warning: Some of it you may not want to hear. (for all Extension). March 18, 2008 presented by Kevin Gamble. See the Recording.
    • Search Engine Optimization - A large percentage of the hits to your web site come from search engines. This session on search engine optimization includes tips and techniques that will help people find your pages. We'll talk about things that you can do on your pages to help boost its ratings, things you should never do and things that other people do that help your site. January 15, 2008 by Brian Webster (ACE IT SIG). See the Recording.
    • Google Search Engine Optimization meeting, October 3, 2007 presented by Kevin Gamble. See the Recording.
    • "30 Minute Session" Google Juice - Help search engines find your information and ours! The basics of search engine optimization, May 22, 2007 by Kevin Gamble and Beth Raney. Watch the Recording
    • "30 Minute Session" Google Juice - Help search engines find your information and ours! The basics of search engine optimization, March 7, 2007 by Kevin Gamble and Beth Raney. Watch the Recording.
    • Google Juice, October 5, 2006. Watch the Recording.
    • Wiki Titles & "Google Juice and Categories, July 11, 2006 (one hour). Watch the Recording.
    • Titles in the Wikis and "Google Juice", June 1, 2006 (30 minutes). Watch the Recording.

    Special Events!

    2010 eXtension CoP Workshop

    June 6-8, 2010 at Austin TX
    Recordings of Keynotes and Concurrent Sessions

    2009 eXtension National Conference

    October 20-23, 2009, St Louis MO
    2009 eXtension National Meeting Session Recordings

    Three days of keynote speakers, concurrent sessions, and special workshops! See recordings for all three keynote speaker sessions, as well as a selection of the concurrent sessions!

    Ask an Expert Task Force Findings and Decisions

    In the Spring of 2009 eXtension initiated a pre-hypothesis complexity-based approach to examine the various factors that affect users’ perceptions of the Ask An Expert service. The research looked at the public's expectations of the service, and set out to answer the following questions:

    • were people receiving meaningful/useful answers to the question they asked?
    • were the answers provided sufficient to solve the problem the question addressed?
    • did the public perceive that the answers provided were based on scientifically defensible information?
    • were the answers provided quickly enough to affect the resolution?
    • were the answers were written in a way to be easily understood by a non-scientists/lay audience?
    • were people satisfied with using the AAE service?
    • did the people understood/realize that the answers were being provided from non-biased university sources?

    Join us for this special session where the results from this study will be shared. If you are trying to serve Extension clientele through Ask an Expert this is a must attend session. If you aren't actively involved with using the Ask an Expert service you should still find this session of interest. It will directly address the issues, opportunities, and challenges of serving online audiences in an era of instant communication.

    By: Kevin Gamble, eXtension. June 25, 2009. Watch the Recording (1:04 hours)

    2008 National CoP Meeting

    Several of the sessions at the 2008 National CoP Meeting (June 23-27) were recorded and have been converted to video and shared. Check out sessions on

    Copyright Issues for eXtension

    A special presentation featuring attorneys and MBAs Steve Wyatt and Amy Light Mills. December 18, 2007. Watch the Recording. (1:30 hours)

    Extension faculty and staff across the country are encouraged to engage in collaborative work with eXtension. This session will help more Extension employees understand copyright and how it applies to them as they work with eXtension.

    Designing for Web 2.0: The Visual Ecosystem

    by Luke Wroeblewski. July 18, 2007. Watch the Recording (1:30 hours)

    Do You YouTube? How to Adjust Messages to Meet New Audiences NEW!!

    by Emily Rhoades, PhD, The Ohio State University. July 24, 2008. Watch the Recording. (1:30 hours)

    If you're interested in joining the YouTube sharing and discussion with others in Extension, go to YouTube in Extension.

    eXtension Launch

    National Ribbon Cutting Ceremony MC'ed by Colien Hefferan. February 21, 2008. Watch the Recording

    Stump the Expert featuring CoP leaders. February 22, 2008. Watch the Recording. (Audio begins 5 minutes in.)

    Prediction Markets

    Adam Siegel, co-founder of Inkling Markets, shares how prediction markets are being used to forecast the answers by buying and selling shares in "stocks" representing alternative outcomes. Using a stock market-like mechanism allows people to express their opinion as a "weighted vote" over time in response to new information or a change of opinion. Unlike a poll, a prediction market is asking "what will happen?" vs. "what do you want to happen?" Lots of examples of progressive organizations using prediction markets to guide their decision making. January 30, 2008. Watch the Recording. (1:07)

    Social Media and Agriculture

    The purpose of this conference is to provide examples of how social media is being used in agriculture. Ag Extension agents, specialists and others who attend will become familiar and begin to understand how social media is being used in agriculture and begin to use the tools themselves. Presenters are: (1) Will Gilmer, Alabama dairy farmer, www.twitter.com/gilmerdairy, will discuss his use of blogging, Twitter, and video to educate others and serve as an ag advocate, by using contests, videos, blogging and Twitter. (2) Arlan Suderman, Market Analyst, www.twitter.com/arlanff101, will discuss the use of Twitter and mobile applications in sharing information that affects commodity markets. (3) Carrie Oliver, Oliver Ranch Company, www.twitter.com/carrieoliver & www.twitter.com/meatcamp, will discuss her use of Twitter and blogging in support of her business and in educating other about the specialty meat industry, Artisan Meat. She will also discuss an open Twitter forum called #meatcamp that focuses on issues pertaining to producing and consumer use of meat. This forum is a collaborative effort among Carrie, www.twitter.com/KYFarmersMatter (cattle producer and livestock processor), and Penn State meat scientist, Chris Raines, www.twitter.com/iTweetMeat. (4) Dan Toland, Ohio Farm Bureau www.twitter.com/OhioFarmBureau and www.twitter.com/d_toland, will discuss how Farm Bureau's success in using social media as way to educate and communicate about issues of agriculture. He will also discuss briefly Ohio Farm Bureau's social media policies. (5) Andy Kleinschmidt, Ohio State Ag Extension educator, www.twitter.com/akleinschmidt, will describe his success in blogging and Twitter as an Extension educator. January 21, 2010. 1.5 hours. See the Recording. Check out a summary of the session in Anne Adrian's blog, which includes links to notes, tweets and the presenter's slides.

    Ten Steps to Web 2.0 for Extension

    by Beth Kanter of Beth (Kanter)'s Blog. April 24, 2007 (1:42 hours). Watch the Recording.

    Understanding Social Comfort to Improve Social Tool Adoption

    March 24, 2010. There are three elements around social comfort to keep in mind when selecting and using social computing tools to interact with others: Social comfort with people; Social comfort with tools; and Social comfort with subject matter. These components of social comfort are factors that cause unease with most people outside the early adopters and those with technical ease with these tools and services. Thomas Vander Wal will discuss each of these three components of social comfort to help move social tools more toward mainstream adoption.

    Thomas Vander Wal is Principal & Senior Consultant of InfoCloud Solutions, Inc. (http://infocloudsolutions.com/about.php) In Thomas' more than 20 years as a professional in information services and web he has worked in many industries and in many roles. He has always been the problem solver and the person who can see the big picture and put it into details to get it accomplished.

    Thomas coined folksonomy in 2004 as part of his interest with how a novel approach to tagging aids a person refinding information and is also used to augment other information structuring methods so to help other people find information. Thomas also presents and provides training at many conferences, workshops, and in-house events. Thomas presents and leads discussions at many events across the U.S. and Europe on a broad range of topics including: folksonomy, Personal InfoCloud, social software, information architecture, design, web standards, ubiquitous computing (ubicom), tagging, and designing for use and reuse of information across devices. Watch the Recording.

    Virtual Work Arrangements

    Presenters: Dr. Jerry Thomas, Myra Moss, Dr. Cindy Torppa and Dr. Niki Nestor McNeely of Ohio State, Dr. Kevin Gamble of eXtension, and Dr. Jim King, University of Nebraska. August 20, 2008.

    This session will focus on the current research findings, the practical experiences and lessons learned from Extension distributed work/virtual teams and an actual virtual office pilot, and the new information technologies enabling new modes of work: lifestreaming, virtual environments, and social software. Watch the Recording.

    Wikis Work!

    featuring Kris Olsen, May 24, 2006 (2 hours). Watch the Recording.
    Comments and Discussion on the Wikis Work! session featuring Kris Olsen

    Help Wanted

    • eXtension: Help Wanted, April 20. Watch the Recording.

    ACE SIG Professional Development Sessions

    ACE Seal of Approval

    December 9, 2009 in partnership with the ACE Leadership & Management SIG. Presented by: Faith Peppers, University of Georgia. ACE seeks to provide the highest quality professional development programs for members. To promote development and dissemination of valuable tools, workshops and programs, the organization created a program, the ACE Seal of Approval. This program will demonstrate to others in the profession that any product carrying the seal has been judged by peers to be of exceptional relevance and quality. We anticipate that this peer-driven program will lead us to develop a rich catalog of tools and programs built upon the best our membership has to offer. This program will help ensure that all programs offered to members endorsed by ACE will be of consistent, reliable value and quality. We aim for this collection to be a valuable asset to you as an ACE member and communication professional. In this session, participants will learn how to submit items they wish to nominate for the Seal and see how the approval process works. Watch the Recording.

    Clash of Cultures: Linking Across a Seamless Spectrum of Access

    May 13, 2009 in partnership with the ACE Leadership & Management SIG and the ACE Leadership Institute. Presented by Dave King, Associate Provost, Outreach and Engagement, Oregon State University and Lisa Templeton, Executive Director, Extended Campus, Oregon State University. Issue: Aligning credit and non-credit university courses and programs so that there is effective synergy across the spectrum of available online access. From Extension and lifelong learning on one side, to fully cost recovery online credit programs on the other, this spectrum creates a culture clash between parts of the University with vastly different histories. However, the future of our institutions is based on being able address these kinds of difficult issues. At Oregon State, we are creating this spectrum of access. (for all Extension) Watch the Recording

    Cooperative Extension Brand Value: The Results of the National Survey

    February 16, 2010. In 2006, former ECOP Chair Larry Cote charged a task force composed of Extension directors, administrators, and communicators to "develop and implement more effective, higher impact, and likely more integrated marketing and communications for the national Cooperative Extension System" and to help "the state extension systems learn about, adapt, and adopt best marketing and communications practices."

    All good marketing efforts are built on foundation of sound research, yet a consistent, nationwide research base for Extension was lacking. In 2008, the task force commissioned a national study of Extension’s brand value and market potential, carried out by Copernicus, a Boston-based marketing and research firm. The study findings are both inspiring and daunting, demonstrating the strong brand value Extension has among those who know us, but also how far we have to go in building recognition and understanding. Sohel Karim, who led the research initiative for Copernicus, will present the results of the study and discuss the implications for Extension's future.

    The study results have been presented to the Extension directors and administrators and to the members of the Association for Communications Excellence. Now, the ECOP task force is making these important findings available to the broader audience of Extension employees. The ECOP task force has also created the eXtension Professional Development CoP on Extension brand value. The CoP is open to all Extension employees with an interest in building Extension's brand.

    Presented by Sohel Karim and Elizabeth Gregory North. Sohel Karim is currently Senior Consultant with Copernicus Marketing, Consulting, and Research. He provides Copernicus and its clients with expertise in not-for-profit marketing and branding. Elizabeth Gregory North is a member of the ECOP task force, co-leader of the Professional Development COP, and Associate Professor and Extension Program Leader, Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

    This Professional Development session is offered in partnership with the eXtension Professional Development CoP on Extension brand value. Work of the the Professional Development Community of Practice on Brand Value can be found on the Extension Collaborate wiki, and at their Drop.io site. Watch the Recording

    Creative Commons: Understanding and Using Creative Commons

    January 26, 2009 in partnership with the ACE Information Technology SIG by Anne Adrian, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, and Deb Coates, Iowa State University Extension. Sharing and obtaining information on the Internet is extremely easy. However, it is confusing to know what products you can use and which are restricted. You may want to share products, such as pictures and presentations, but don't know how to share with appropriate license or copyright. In the past, sharing products meant that you gave away your products with no control or that you restricted control of the distribution of your products by full copyright (all rights reserved). Creative Commons licenses provide options between the extremes of giving your rights away and all rights reserved. This session will describe Creative Commons license options, describe how to use Creative Commons licenses, and how to use products and content that are licensed using Creative Commons. (for all Extension) Watch the Recording. Slides.

    Drinking from a Fire Hose: Part 1

    April 14, 2009 in partnership with the ACE Leadership and Management SIG. Presented by Anne Adrian, Associate Director, IT for the Auburn University College of Agriculture and Alabama Cooperative Extension System Auburn University. With so much information, sometimes it seems like you are drinking from a fire hose. Anne Adrian will describe the importance of keeping up with various streams of information. She will also describe how the workstreaming environment forces us to consider new ways of receiving, gathering information, and possibly learning. You may preview of a similar presentation on Slideshare at http://tinyurl.com/dzrp2c . Watch the Recording.

    Drinking from a Fire Hose: Part 2

    May 6, 2009 in partnership with the ACE Information Technology SIG. Presenters: Google Alerts by Dave Palmer, University of Florida; iGoogle by Rhonda Conlon, North Carolina Cooperative Extension; Google Reader by Stephen Judd, University of New Hampshire Extension; NetVibes by Floyd Davenport, Iowa State Extension; TweetDeck by Vince Verbeke, Penn State; FriendFeed by Kevin Gamble, eXtension. With so much information, sometimes it seems like you are drinking from a fire hose. The most effective method of managing and filtering the flow of information is to use a combination of tools. Several people who attend the April 14 "Drinking From a Fire Hose" session will demonstrate how they filter the flood of information to a manageable stream. Google Alerts, iGoogle, Google Reader, NetVibes, FriendFeed, and TweetDeck are the tools that will be demonstrated in this session. (all Extension) Watch the Recording

    Five Dysfunctions of a Team

    January 14, 2009 in partnership with the ACE Leadership and Management SIG. Presented by Terry Meisenbach, the Communications and Marketing Leader for the National eXtension Initiative. Terry will lead a discussion of the book, "Five Dysfunctions of a Team." If you're a team member or a team leader, teams and teamwork can be challenging. And, if you're working across a conference table or across the country additional dynamics are involved. Patrick Lencioni has written a great deal about teams, teamwork, and leadership. This book is particularly good in discussing how teams can effectively work together to succeed. It's a great, simple read and participants are encouraged to read the book prior to this session. Watch the Recording.

    Four Generations in the Workplace

    August 13, 2008 in partnership with the ACE Leadership and Management SIG. Presented by Patrick Deery, Director, Human Resource Development/Auburn University. For the first time, we have four generations in the workplace. This additional element of diversity adds a new dimension to workplace dynamics affecting productivity, team work, and customer/stakeholder relationships. This Web conference will assist you in understanding this new workplace dimension by describing the four generations, explaining their impact on the workforce, and offering some suggestions on how to respond to generational differences. Watch the Recording. PDF of the Presentation. Acknowledgments (pdf)

    Having significant conversations, a discussion of the books: Fierce Conversations and Crucial Conversations

    December 10, 2008 in partnership with the ACE Leadership and Management SIG. Presented by Anne Adrian, Alabama Cooperative Extension System. To progress on projects, organizational and technology changes, and family decisions, having effective conversations is absolutely necessary. Practically anything that we want to achieve is dependent on having one or several conversations. However, when we are passionate, emotional, and pressured about some topics, we often don't listen well, nor do we communicate our own goals well. Two books, Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, et. al., and Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott provide guidance on improving the way we converse. The goal in improving our individual and group conversations is to achieve personal, professional, and organizational goals. This session briefly discussed some of the approaches given in these two books. Recording Slides

    IT Budgets in Crisis

    March 18, 2010. IT Budgets in Crisis by Floyd Davenport, Information Technology Officer, Iowa State University Extension. Allocated funds supporting IT services have slowly diminished for a number of years with the culmination of the recent financial crisis requiring additional and significant reductions in State funds. How do you plan to sustain your services during this difficult economy? While there is no magic solution to this crisis, it is more important than ever to fully understand your IT budget in the context of the services you provide. Discussion topics will include budget components, alignment, budget health, revenue, sustainability and possible budget strategies. The presentation will target 30 minutes, but I would like an open discussion to follow and the opportunity to share information and ideas. (for all Extension) This Professional Development session is offered in partnership with the ACE Information Technology SIG. Watch the Recording.

    It’s all about ME! An introduction to personal accountability

    March 11, 2009 in partnership with the ACE Leadership and Management SIG. Presented by: Debra Davis, LSU AgCenter. Accountability means different things to different people at different times and often that meaning is negative. What would happen if we began to look at accountability from yet a different point of view? What if we looked at it as a means to controlling our own future? In this session, we will define accountability for this purpose and explore things that keep us from being accountable. We’ll examine our own accountability and see where we fall on the accountability scale. Then we will look at ways we, individually, can begin to develop a more accountable lifestyle. And finally we will look at how we might begin to create a culture of accountability in our respective organizations. Complete the accountability self-assessment in preparation for the session. Watch the Recording.

    Moodle

    September 24, 2008 by Jennifer Jahedkar, Texas AgriLife Extension. Learn what all the excitement's about regarding the Modular Object Oriented Learning Environment known as Moodle. Hear what Moodle is, learn how eXtension is making it available, see examples of the types of education you can design, develop and deliver, and listen to lessons learned. (for all Extension) This Professional Development session is offered in partnership with the ACE IT SIG. Watch the Recording.

    Pachyderm

    • Intro To Pachyderm: Interactive Multimedia on the Web, November 18, 2009 by Jeff Hino, Lifelong Learning Leader, Oregon State University. This presentation will demonstrate Pachyderm -- an open source web-based, media-rich interactive flash presentation and authoring system. Pachyderm allows the construction of online nonlinear learning objects and modules that can incorporate video, audio, graphics and text in a template-driven user-friendly environment. (for all Extension) This Professional Development session is offered in partnership with the ACE Information Techology SIG. Watch the Recording.

    Peer Review

    October 8, 2008 in partnership with the ACE Leadership and Management SIG. Presented by Bob Sams, University of California, Davis. In this presentation, Bob Sams will discuss two major issues related to peer review. The first is the topic of online peer review management systems. The second is whether and why extension publications, media, web content, or other information for end users should be peer reviewed. Part of that topic must be to ask what does peer review in our context mean and what are current practices within our community. Finally, who cares and so what? (for all Extension) This Professional Development session is offered in partnership with the ACE Leadership & Management SIG. Watch the Recording.

    Personal Accountability

    September 10, 2008 in partnership with the ACE Leadership and Management SIG. Presented by: by Floyd Davenport, Information Technology Officer, Iowa State University Extension. In this session, we will discuss John Miller's book, "The Question Behind the Question (QBQ)". QBQ outlines an approach to improve your organization, meet goals, build teams and develop a more positive culture through personal accountability; eliminating negative responses to situations and focusing on your own capabilities to contribute to a solution. This session is being offered in partnership with the ACE Leadership and Management SIG. To learn more about ACE, visit http://www.aceweb.org. Watch the Recording.

    Project Planning and Management

    November 12, 2008 in partnership with the ACE Leadership and Management SIG. Presented by Tom Knecht, Executive Director, ACE Leadership Institute and Melanie Eirich, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In this session Tom and Melanie will present an overview of main project management processes and issues as related in the project development process. Initial project start-up questions such as problem and opportunity identification along with stakeholder analysis will be explored. In addition the two will discuss strategies for resources, team forming among other important steps in the project planning and management process. This session is designed to capture the key elements with plans to follow up with more in-depth sessions at the ACE/NETC conference in Des Moines. (for all Extension) This Professional Development session is offered in partnership with the ACE Leadership & Management SIG. Watch the Recording.

    Search Engine Optimization

    November 6, 2009 in partnership with the ACE Media Relations SIG. Presented by: Wright Frazier, Webmaster for Purdue’s Agriculture Communications Service. Search Engine Optimization. What does it mean? Why is it relevant? Who is my audience? Join us as the answers to these mystifying questions are unveiled. He'll discuss search engine optimization concepts, the importance of subjects and bylines, using keywords, originality of text, and tools for measuring success. He’ll also help you ask your Webmaster the right questions to better understand what is going on. Watch the Recording.

    Top 10 Tech Tools for Extension Agents

    October 22, 2008. Presented by Dave Palmer, District Instructional Media Agent, University of Florida. Many great opportunities currently exist for Extension Agents to use the Web to reduce their workload, increase productivity, disseminate information, and even offer online learning modules. A high workload, lack of time to research the possibilities, and the simple lack of awareness of the existing tools prevents many agents from exploring the possibilities. This presentation is intended to give Extension Agents a jump-start by introducing 10 Web-related tech tools. (for all Extension) This Professional Development session is offered in partnership with the ACE Information Technology SIG. Watch the Recording.

    What role should social media and public engagement play in extension's Web sites?

    September 9, 2009. Join us for a discussion led by Anne Adrian, Associate Director, IT ACES,Alabama Extension and Jeff Hino, Learning Technology Leader, Oregon State University. The usage of social media technologies in extension raises many questions. Does public engagement using social media on our Web sites compromise our impartial, reliable, research-based information standard? Is there time to monitor and moderate? Is that a priority? Please join the discussion and let us know your perspective. We can learn what the real issues are and how they can be addressed. This session is co-sponsored by eXtension and the ACE Leadership and Management SIG. Watch the Recording.

    "The Whuffie Factor"

    September 17, 2009. This session will be a book review of Tara Hunt’s “The Whuffie Factor”, http://www.thewhuffiefactor.com led by Floyd Davenport, Iowa State. Tara Hunt outlines five principles and provides numerous examples of how to increase your “whuffie” or social capital in a web 2.0 environment. This session hosted by the ACE IT SIG will cover Tara Hunt’s five principles and pose questions for discussion in the context of Extension work. (for all Extension) This Professional Development session is offered in partnership with the ACE Information Technology SIG. (NOTE: Tara Hunt will be a keynote speaker at the National eXtension Conference to be held in St. Louis, October 20-23, 2009. See http://about.extension.org/2009-extension-national-conference/ for agenda, registration, and other info.) Watch the Recording.

    Category: 
    Professional Development