DR4WARD

Can We Afford Not To Use New Media to Learn, Share, and Work Together?

I have been working with my Ferris State University students to use new media to engage them and help them find significance with their education beyond just getting a grade.

The old model of teaching has trained students to ask "What's on the Test?" or "What do I need to know or do to get a good grade?" The learning usually stops there and the students forget the answers the next day or week.

As Michael Wesch points out, the vast majority of information today is available online and all around us all the time. Today the most important learning skills are how to harness this information and share it, discuss it, critique it, and make something new out of it.

A little background information is required before we look at a few of the new media tools that we are using in the Marketing and Advertising classes I am teaching at Ferris State University. New tools like Twitter, Google Reader, RSS Feeds, Google Docs and Blog Comments will be shared and explained in a future post.  

I would like to acknowledge and thank Michael Wesch, Howard Rheingold and Robert French for helping accelerate my learning and thinking on teaching and using new media in the classroom.

In the "Web 2.0 - The Machine is U/sing Us" video, Michael Wesch looks at how everything about the way we find, create, critique, and share information has changed. Some people claim there is no Web 2.0. Do you agree? What does Web 2.0 mean to you?

In the "Information R/evolution" Michael Wesch further explores the changes in the way we find, create, critique, and share information. 

In "Did You Know III ?" Howie DiBlasi shares the rapidly changing, highly competitive global world that students enter after graduating today and how the acceleration of change is ever increasing.

Students report that they like to learn but as this video of a "Vision of Students Today" demonstrates the old ways of learning are not working and students are not engaged. Does this video accurately reflect your learning experience?

The new media can be used to bring students together and teach them to work together in new ways. Students need to learn how to explore and use new media and to use these tools to learn about whatever the subject is that they are learning about. Michael Wesch gives specific examples of how he is using new media in his classroom.

Robert French's PROpenMic and his thinking on incorporating social networks and Blogging and Managing Your Personal Brand are also examples of how to use new media for learning and sharing.
What do you like about these examples of using new media for learning and sharing? Do you see any challenges with doing this with your classes?

Blogging & Managing your Personal Brand

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: commenting identity)

Are you managing your Personal Brand online? How?

I look 4WARD to your feedback.

Keep Digging For Worms!

DR4WARD NEW BULLDOG TEACHING MARKETING AND ADVERTISING AT FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY

I have been told that I have the tenacity of a Bulldog. I have also been known to snore.
Now I am proud to say that I am officially a Bulldog. The Bulldog is the official mascot of Ferris State University where I will be teaching Marketing and Advertising in the College of Business as an Assistant Professor of Marketing.

One of the great things about Ferris is that unlike most universities, Ferris offers Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations, and Graphic Design in the College of Business, an innovative interdisciplinary approach supported by industry leaders.

Most universities have Archaic Academic Silos that house different majors in separate Academic divisions. For example - Advertising and Public Relations are in Schools of Communications, Graphic Design in the Art & Design Schools, and Marketing in the College of Business.

The original idea behind Academic Silos was an attempt to encourage a deeper understanding of a specialized subject. The actual result is that most university graduates have never been in a class with students from the other Academic Silos and are not prepared for interdisciplinary collaboration. For example: At too many universities, an Advertising student has never studied Marketing or been in a class with an Art student and vice-versa.

The fast-paced, competitive and rapidly changing world of Integrated Marketing Communications and 360 Degree Branding requires interdisciplinary collaboration.  Web 2.0 technologies that harness interactive application tools, new forms of content creation / distribution, and continuous conversations through Social Networking are creating new models and fueling innovations that make Academic Silos obsolete.

I look forward to being part of the Bulldog family and the innovative interdisciplinary approach of the College of Business at Ferris State University.

I look 4Ward to your feedback.

Keep Digging For Worms!

Looking Back - How Cannes Lions Changed My Life

It's been one day since I left beautiful Cannes and looking back I realized how much I learned. From the seminars about great storytelling to the workshops focusing on a interactive digital experience - Cannes Lions is the place where the creative world comes together to learn from one another. I learned about Ambient advertising, which I never thought of as one of the most effective strategies used by many agencies. Recent strategies like Creative Technology, examples such as Adaptive Media by Real Time Content or the Nike iD campaign by RGA/Nike, are quickly changing how companies create personal relationships with their consumers.

It's amazing to know that as technology evolves, so do the agencies. This whole experience has been incredibly surreal for me. Because of this experience, I am considering applying to VCU Brandcenter for a MBA in Creative Brand Management or Communications Strategy. The advertising world is evolving so rapidly that not taking advantage of the Cannes Lions student package is completely unacceptable. Rick Boyko's Master Class said it best, "The Industry is placing the burden of educating on academia." I strongly feel Universities would be completely disregarding education if they refuse to take part in an amazing experience such as the Cannes Lions. I have learned so much from this experience and I now aspire to become a multidisciplinary. I am now planning on attending the 2009 Cannes Lions because learning plays such an important role in my life. The Cannes Lions has given me a platform to start off on and continue to grow as an aspiring advertiser and marketer.

Until Cannes Lions '09,

It's been a pleasure...Cheers!

Irving Escobar

Reinventing the Art of Story Telling - Cannes Lions

Day 5

Tatil Design (Workshop)
The first workshop I attended today was hosted by Frederico Gelli of Tatil Design. The workshop was titled "Designing Naturally." The workshop focused on one of the fastest growing trends this decade, being environmentally aware. Gelli spoke of the influence the environment has had on the projects Tatil takes on. One of the more important taken from the workshop was that "...Nature is the best place to find stimulation and perfect ideas for low impact solutions that maintain high sensorial [sic] impact." Tatil focused it's projects on creating  products that gave consumers a positive outlook on the future, such as products that were eco-friendly. In order to create these products, Tatil evaluated them on a variety of different levels (Optimum, Cycles, and Interdependence) to create the perfect solution for their clients.  They [Tatil] understand that optimizing the environment develops a strong relationship between consumers and clients that want to do good and reduce their carbon footprint.

Crispin Porter + Bogusky (Seminar)
The first seminar I attended today was hosted by Chuck Porter and Joe Pytka of Crispin Porter+Bogusky and Ajaz Ahmed of AQKA. The seminar was titled "All That Really Matters Is The Power of The Story. If You Are Focused on Anything Else - You Are Wasting Your Time and Resources." The main idea of the presentation focused around the core philosophy that technology is NOT the powerhouse behind effective advertising campaigns, in reality, it is the story that drives the campaign. The purpose of communications is to tell a compelling story. Several ideas that drive stories have been - "Ordinary People Who Become Heroes Make Good Stories," "A Little Shock Value Makes a Good Story," and "Practical Jokes Make Good Stories." One specific example that was shown to the audience was a fan favorite during the 2007 Superbowl. Click here for the video. As Pytka went on to say, "There is no learning without emotion," just as there is no brand recognition without efficient communications. And to the dismay of marketers, "No focus group in the history of the world has ever written a good story," as Pytka stated. Although the digital age has increased the means of how we [Advertisers] deliver our messages, it is not only about going digital - it's about telling great stories that'll leave lasting impressions.

Until next time,

Cheers!

Irving Escobar

Nature's Lesson on Design

Day 5, Friday and my last day here at the Cannes Advertising Festival. I started off the day with yet another great workshop. This workshop was called designing naturally and was presented by Frederico Gelli of Tatil Design.

"As design makes its debut in Cannes, this seminar takes advantage of the new ground to discuss the role of simple, clean, intelligent design in the industry. In this context, nature is the best place to find stimulation and perfect ideas for low impact solutions that maintain high sensorial impact. Why not observe how the atmosphere packages the earth, or how the rind of fruits protects their insides, in order to create more clever packaging solutions?"

This workshop was really interesting. Frederico discussed natures strategic design and how it must inspire projects in the future. As designers we have the ability to integrate design and nature. We need to start thinking like nature and create solutions out of the problems.

He discussed natures way of packaging. These are things that i had not thought of, like the way a woman's body packages a baby in the womb, the way a peel protects the fruit of an orange.

As designers we need to take the problems and develop solutions out of them.

Lessons from nature
• Optimum-conserve the most amount of energy.
• Cycles—everything that goes in must come out (waves)
• Interdependence (birds living on other animals)

Federico also showed photography by Peter Menzel
Peter photographed families with all their belongings outside of their houses. Americans, on average have 10,000 items in their homes.

a couple other artists were also discussed.
Justin Gignac , Justin sells garbage in air tight containers.
Brian Jungen , Brian creates art out of everday material, such as white plastic chairs.

The engineering of flowers was then brought up. I never had thought of how complex and important flowers were to our being. Architecture is now becoming heavily based on the principles of flowers. There structure and strength provide a great amount of information on how to build. Using shape, texture and color to ignite all senses and alluse the consumer. An example of this is the design of an apple store on fifth ave.

Attached our my notes from the day. Hope they are informative!!

Download cannes_friday.htm

also...please check out Tap Project

until next time...

Kayla

ALFRED UNIVERSITY WINS AWARDS AT AMA COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE IN NEW ORLEANS

I am catching up after an exciting weekend at the 2008 American Marketing Association Collegiate Conference in New Orleans and wanted to share the experience with you. I attended the 30th Annual AMA Collegiate Conference with ten students from the Alfred University Collegiate Chapter of the AMA. I have had the privilege to be the Marketing Faculty Advisor for the past two years and have watched the students and the AU AMA chapter grow. The opportunity to be a mentor and help students gain real-world marketing experience and leadership has been a wonderful experience.

The AMA Collegiate Conference in New Orleans had record attendance with over 1,300 students and over 120 of the leading collegiate chapters from around the country competing, networking and gaining professional experience. The conference was particularly rewarding as the AU AMA chapter was recognized as a "Revitalized Chapter of the Year - 2007/2008" and I received the "Hugh G. Wales Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award - 2007/2008." 

Why is the AMA important to students?

TOPLESS MEETINGS / CLASSROOMS ENGAGING CONTROVERSY

As a teacher, researcher and marketing professional I have been watching the coverage of Silicon Valley meetings going 'topless' with great interest. No laptops, cellphones or email/internet hand held devices allowed in company meetings and in classrooms is a growing trend. Here is the link to an ABC News story on Ditching the Devices. (Warning - ABC forces you to watch a brief pre-roll ad before the story).

In my post on Multitasking Addiction A Turnoff I explain how cognitive research supports that the devices are a distraction and multitasking is a myth. Dan Saffer at Adaptive Path coined the topless term (as in laptopless) and even posted the Rules for "Topless Meetings." I can tell you from first hand experience that enforcing topless meetings and classrooms can be a challenging task.

It is very telling that the Social Media and Marketing experts who rely on this technology are recognizing that these devices can also be a distraction. At the same time that corporate America is going topless there is also a competing trend in the classroom that technology is the answer to learning. You can also see the challenges and opportunities in the classroom in the video below, "A Vision of Students Today" and then compare and contrast this with the trend in "Topless Meetings."

I have "Topless Classes" but I also try to address the multitasking addiction and create an interactive learning environment by using eInstruction Interactive Wirless Remote Clickers. The clickers allow students to interact and respond to the PowerPoint slide presentations. No cellphones or laptops are allowed because I find that most students who bring these devices are not working on class stuff. They  are too tempted to feed the multitasking addiction and give only partial attention to the discussion at hand. An article in Wired titled  Classroom clickers make the grade explains why these devices can help to stimulate discussion, participation and learning.

To encourage learning and engagement I also try to use a lot of interactive technology including Audio / Video Podcast downloads of the PowerPoint slides, Internet Activities and online Toolkit Exercises, Digitally Submitted Assignments, Electronic Feedback of all assignments within a few days of submission, and online quizzes and exams.

New technologies can be used to create collaboration and engagement and increase learning opportunities. However, if technology is used without structure, discipline and monitoring the multitasking addiction will continue to creep into the classroom and in meetings. The multitasking addiction will continue to distract us from human interaction and focusing on the task at hand until we learn how to turnoff at the appropriate times.

I look 4WARD to your feedback.

Keep Digging For Worms!