Extension 2.0 in Ten Easy Steps

Photo in Flickr

Today I had a brief training in learning how to use Breeze, a web conferencing system, for the webinar I'm doing next for Extension Professionals.   It really helped me think through the final instructional delivery, specifically how to manage popping between the powerpoint slide and sharing the desktop (web browser) and how to integrate participation. I The group will be between 50-125, so it will be more of lecture, although I will definitely use the back-channel and instant poll features. 

I'm glad I put my first draft thoughts out there because I got some helpful clarifying comments.  I spent time editing out material, although could probably stand another round of the more ruthless cutting and chopping.  The slides and resources list are on the wiki.   

I also got a few leads to more blogs by Extension Professionals.    I'm primarily writing this post and including links to them in the hopes that I might get some answers to these questions in the comments:

• What is the biggest benefit that writing a blog brought you?
• What is the biggest challenge?
• What words of advice would you offer to other Extension professionals who are just starting to blog?
• Do you know of other Extension professionals who are blogging or using Web2.0 tools creatively?

Lead2020, Mitch Owen: http://lead2020.blogspot.com/
AAfromAA, Anne Adrian: http://www.aafromaa.blogspot.com/
Larry's Ponderings, Larry Lippke: http://tceblogs.tamu.edu/mt/larry/
Extension Trends from Jerry Thomas: http://extensiontrends.ag.ohio-state.edu/
Kevin Gamble http://blog.k1v1n.com/
Deb M Coates: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/mt/dcoates/
Jason Young: http://rambleon.org/
Ryan Pesch's Farm and Produce Blog: http://peschfarm.blogspot.com/

Comments

[James E. Robinson, III]

I believe the best blogging advice is to just do it. Pick a topic that interests you and write. It doesn't have to be professional. It doesn't have to be daily (or weekly). Just write.

I personally don't like commenting systems, from a mgmt perspective, but i use other tools to see when someone links to me to provide feedback, criticize or call me funny lookin'.

[Beth Kanter]

James,

Thanks for the good advice. What other systems do you use for feedback instead of the comments? Why don't you like comments?

Also, curious where you got your badger badge?

[James E. Robinson, III]

First, the badger badge was created from the original flickr photo by our resident designer, Ben MacNeill.

I use a Google blog search feed to track linkages. I formerly used pubsub.com before it fell apart and tried icerocket.com's blog search feed too, but it proved unreliable.

[James E. Robinson, III]

Sorry, didn't answer all of the questions:

I do like comments, but not the hassle of dealing with comment spam. :-/ Life's too short.

Since i moved my content to Blogger, perhaps i'll take a pulse and see if their comment system is spam resistant.

[Mitch]

* What is the biggest benefit that writing a blog brought you?

If I had to pick one.. I think writing a blog has made me more reflective.. more planful about my thoughts on leadership.. and the implications of my thoughts on others.

* What is the biggest challenge?

Ensuring my posts are worthy of other's time and energy. It is to easy to share everything. We have to be careful to share only the worthy stuff.

* What words of advice would you offer to other Extension professionals who are just starting to blog?

Start blogging for several weeks before you tell anyone.. you need time to practice and learn your style.

Blog for yourself first..

Hope this is helpful.. Mitch

[Jerry Thomas]

Hi Beth ~

Sorry for taking so long to get a comment posted. I think you have an extremely comprehensive slide show and resource list. A lot of slides to get through, but they flow really well and tie together. I'm especially interested in diving into your resource list.

Benefits of blogging: learning to write faster and better; biggest benefit - branding yourself and connecting w/ others w/ similar interests (this is an example!)

Advice: just do it, but do it because you really are interested in it.

Challenge: Big Mo. Keeping it going over the long haul.

Others: I'm finding more sources but Deb Coates was the first. See her link above in the main post.

One area that I seem to have a lot of conversations w/ Extension professionals around blogging is just explaining what it is and how it is different than just posting "stuff" online.

Thanks for putting all this together. I'm looking forward to the session!

[Anne Adrian]

What is the biggest benefit that writing a blog brought you?

The biggest surprise in blogging is how quickly people of expertise find your information, comment, and provide relevant information that enhances my knowledge and the knowledge of those reading my blog. I have found the feedback helpful and a way of connecting to others who have similar interest and expertise.

What is the biggest challenge?

Finding the time to write and writing in a form that is useful to the readers.

What words of advice would you offer to other Extension professionals who are just starting to blog?

Extension professionals tend to be people who have expertise in a given topic and who are passionate about helping people. Therefore, those Extension professionals should target their posts to a particularly area of interest and expertise, with an understanding of what types of information is helpful. Therefore, write about what you know. The opportunities for Extension bloggers are wide open. Why keep you knowledge available to only those in your traditional areas? Share you knowledge. The feedback you get from your blogs will help you enhance your own knowledge and method for which you deliver information.

When writing a post, write as if you are writing to one particular person or a small group who would be interested in your topic.

Beth, I finally gave my blog a name, Anne's Spot, http://blog.aafromaa.com
and created a domain name, www.aafromaa.com .

I am looking forward to the web conference.

[Lynette Spicer]

Beth, I listened to your eXtension presentation last week and intend to tune in next week. I'm really late finding this post, but here are my answers.
* What is the biggest benefit that writing a blog brought you?
I have to read and research, and have really learned how to be more civil--which is my blog topic.
* What is the biggest challenge?
Editing. I do it all day long more or less as a journalist. I don't like long posts, but mine are because I've found such good stuff. And really, I've edited them a lot.
* What words of advice would you offer to other Extension professionals who are just starting to blog?
I live by the mantra of the book 'Naked Conversations'. You must be passionate and knowledgeable about what you write about. Authentic. I have a document that's named 'posts started' and there I start thoughts, throw in things I run across. In the beginning...it was difficult for me to think of topics but no more. The hardest part is to keep writing when you get no comments. But if you're serious, keep writing.
* Do you know of other Extension professionals who are blogging or using Web2.0 tools creatively?