Last week I was in Michigan to do a training for Chapter Leaders of EPIP. We were are all leaving Detroit at different times and the taxi to the airport wasn't exactly cheap. So, EPIP provided a self-organizing platforn (a flip chart with a time line sign up.) This let everyone organize into small groups and get to the airport without having to spend a lot of money. And, it didn't involve as much time and effort if EPIP went around and asked her person what time their flight was and then organize the groups for people.
What do you need in your social media strategy to facilitate your supporters self-organizing around your goal?
Love it! Sometimes we get too caught up in our technology and overthinking how to manage something, when old school methods are tried and true. Keep it simple.
Posted by: Heather Coleman | July 31, 2009 at 08:02 AM
I teach an organizing class for teens at MIT's Educational Studies Program (http://esp.mit.edu/). It's a class I developed for nonprofit leadership retreats, but I love teaching it to young folks -- they light up! The class is called "How to Save the World in your Spare Time."
The class has paper handouts and uses chalk/white boards or paper pads on an easel. Although I started this practice to make the class ultimately portable (for example, teaching in a small meeting room to a group of public housing residents trying to organize their community), I have found that it is easier to customize the class to the students and to information that comes up during the class regarding specific organizing examples in *their* community.
I can prove this, but I think people take more notes from the chalkboard, too. I mean, if there are slides, you can get the slides later right? But you'll never look at them, most of the time. Taking notes *during* class reinforces the information better.
Sometimes low tech is appropriate technology!
Posted by: Shava Nerad/Shava Suntzu in SL | July 31, 2009 at 10:58 AM
sorry, that should have been "I can't prove this..." in my other comment...!
Posted by: Shava Nerad/Shava Suntzu in SL | July 31, 2009 at 10:59 AM