T5: Ten Terrific Technology

Tips and Tools to Increase Productivity and Engage

Learners

Dr. Barbara O’Neill, CFP®

Rutgers Cooperative Extension

oneill@aesop.rutgers.edu

Workshop Objectives

• Dovetail with Pre-Conference theme of teaching technology tools and tips

• Discuss ten tech-related items that can

–Increase productivity

–Engage learners

• Group sharing: other tech tools and tips

1. Dual Computer Monitors

• Allows for efficient multi-tasking

– Webinar and Word document

– Twitter stream and e-mail

– PowerPoint presentation and Web sites

• Requires minimal equipment and cost

– Spare monitor

– Desktop: Need a VGA Splitter

– Laptop: Nothing to buy…just connect monitor cable to the slot for LCD projector; laptop screen is the primary monitor

My Home Office

My Rutgers Office

Set-Up Steps • http://www.howcast.com/videos/354778-How-To-Connect-

Two-Monitors-To-One-Computer

• Right click on an open area on the desktop

• Left click on Personalize and Left click on Display Settings

• After left click on Display, select “Extend Desktop” command

• Click OKAY

– NOTE: For a second monitor on a laptop, press FN F8 (as you would for an LCD projector) and click on “Extend Desktop”

2. Virtual World Videos

• How many are familiar with Second Life?

• How many regularly use Second Life?

• How many are familiar with Xtranormal, Goanimate, Plotagon, Creaza, etc.?

• How many have made animated videos?

Virtual Learning Platforms

Second Life

• Requires users to be able to access and use Second life

• Good for in-depth content

• Requires payment for land, clothes, etc. (Linden dollars)

Xtranormal et al.

• Users access content through online searching or links sent to them

• Good for short content “sound bites” of 2-3 minutes

• Requires payment to publish videos or go beyond basic features

Animated Video Web Sites

• Xtranormal- SUSPENDED OPERATIONS 7/31/13- www.xtranormal.com

• Go Animate- http://goanimate.com

• Plotagon- https://plotagon.com

• Creaza- http://www.creazaeducation.com/

Five Uses for Animated Videos

• Teach concepts and promote the use of educational materials (e.g., SSHW)

• Provide case studies for staff training (e.g., NYPL)

• Student-created videos as class assignment

• Promote savings and America Saves

• Outreach to a specific target audience (e.g.,

service members)

A. Teach Concepts and Promote Educational Materials

• Rutgers Cooperative Extension Small Steps to Health and Wealth™ program: http://njaes.rutgers.edu/sshw/

• “SSHW encourages people to make positive behavior changes to simultaneously improve their health and personal finances” (elevator statement)

• Second edition published in February 2013

See

http://palspublishing.cals.cornell.edu/nra_order.taf?_function=detai

l&pr_id=159&_UserReference=484E20A122FFE31150EEE5FC

SSHW Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpYMxgZCtZ8

B. Provide Case Studies for Staff Training

• Used in training New York Public Library staff about financial education resources

• Short videos (approx. 2-3 minutes) featuring a library staffer and patron

• Ends with a question posed to the library staffer

• Segue to group discussion

NYPL Xtranormal Videos (mp4 Files)

https://sites.google.com/a/nypl.org/money-matters/library-reference-scenarios

C. Student Created Videos

• Personal Finance class (DAFRE elective undergraduate class) Web site: http://rci.rutgers.edu/~boneill/

• Financial Case Study Analysis assignment: http://rci.rutgers.edu/~boneill/assignments/case-study.html

• Capstone Activity: integrates entire semester’s content: topics, financial analysis tools, etc.

• Teams of 3-4 students; requires both a paper and a presentation

Financial Case Study Presentation: Make Me Say WOW!

• Straight PowerPoint Presentation (bare minimum)

• Poems

• Fairy Tale: http://www.slideshare.net/BarbaraONeill/personal-finance-class-group-case-study-project-slides-1211

• Skits

• Xtranormal Videos

Xtranormal Video Case Study Presentation

• Case Study Scenario: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJqE07zBvb8

• Financial Advice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FV6KkXJT6w

D. Promote Saving and America Saves America Saves Video #1: Saving Money with America Saves http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yChFVQvzOGc America Saves Video #2: Saving Money on a Tight Budget http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV0Ib07WXOM America Saves Video #3: Set a Goal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bc8VmugNE4 America Saves Video #4: Make a Plan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KWyCQz91N8 America Saves Video #5: Save Automatically http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bhJ0ck2qSA America Saves Video #6: The America Saves Challenge http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UZPZUcwvww

E. Outreach to a Target Audience (Service Members)

• Saving Money With Military Saves: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0HqKb1xx5k

• Saving Money in the Thrift Savings Plan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDY0Cc4kqZQ

• Debt-to-Income Ratios: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loV5ff8rt5o

• Credit Reports: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUXvc-jyrsk

Plus 6 other videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/moneytalkBMO

Start Your Videos With a Plan!

• Video title and purpose

• Number and types of characters

• Key content concepts (2-3)

• Key marketing concepts (2-3)

• Title slide text content (e.g., organization Web link, mission statement, meaningful quotation )

More Helpful Things to Know

• Publish video on YouTube and save as mp4 file

• Expect some “intonation issues” (like a GPS)

• Consider building a multi-video story line with the

same characters

3. eXtension • FSA CoP (Financial Security for All):

http://www.extension.org/personal_finance

• MFLN (Military Families Learning Network): http://www.extension.org/militaryfamilies

• Health Insurance Literacy (Ask): https://ask.extension.org/groups/1790

• Ask Health Literacy Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e4ubbzAV14

• Creating Healthy Communities: http://www.extension.org/creating_healthy_communities

eXtension Resources • Ask an Expert/Trending Questions

• FAQs (No longer on CoP home page, but searchable by key words)

• Learning Lessons

• Home Study Courses (IFYF, LSYFF)

• Twitter Feed (@moneyeXtension)

• Archived webinars: See

http://www.extension.org/pages/67907/personal-finance-webinars (FSA CoP webinars) and http://www.extension.org/pages/62581/military-families-learning-network-webinars (MFLN webinars)

4. Twitter

How many of you….

• Use Twitter personally?

• Use Twitter professionally?

• Use another type of social media?

• Don’t do any of the above…but want to?

Why Use Social Media?

IF FACEBOOK WERE A COUNTRY, IT WOULD BE

THE THIRD LARGEST IN THE WORLD. THERE ARE

MORE FACEBOOK USERS THAN PEOPLE IN THE

UNITED STATES.

THE WORLD’S SECOND MOST POPULAR

SEARCH ENGINE (AFTER GOOGLE) IS

YOUTUBE.

MORE THAN 554 MILLION PEOPLE WERE

ACTIVE REGISTERED TWITTER USERS IN MAY

2013. 135,000 USERS SIGN UP EVERY DAY.

AN AVERAGE OF 158 MILLION TWEETS ARE

SENT DAILY

Source: http://www.statisticbrain.com/twitter-

statistics/

My Twitter Story • Began tweeting in July 2009 as part of eXtension CoP

project (peer support)

• Have sent > 8,000 tweets and have ≈ 750 followers

• Goal #1: Increase # of tweets by 1,000 and # of followers by 100 every 4 months

• Goal #2: Devote 30 minutes/day most days to professional development and outreach via Twitter

Develop a Twitter “Game Plan”

• Professional use only? Personal and professional use? Two separate accounts: personal and professional?

• Links to other social media (e.g., FaceBook)

• Write a “Twitter Mission Statement” to guide your tweeting activity

– Personal Example:

“To provide useful, research-based personal finance information (and occasional non-controversial personal anecdotes) to an increasing number of followers.”

Here’s How You Tweet

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You Have 140 Characters…to Teach or Promote Something

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Make Sure You Complete a Profile and Include Your Credentials

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Things That You Can Tweet About

• Links to fact sheets/newsletters/press releases, etc.

• Links to news articles where you are quoted

• Links to interesting articles (read completely first!)

• Links to FaceBook pages

• Links to reputable information sources (e.g., WSJ)

• Links to blogs and YouTube videos and music

• Short succinct concepts (e.g., “pay yourself first”)

• Re-tweets from reputable sources

Engage With Your Twitter Followers

• Avoid pure “broadcasting”

• Ask questions (e.g., “Got tax questions?”)

• Show interest in others

• Incorporate current events and seasonal events

• Provide useful facts and links

• ReTweet useful information from others (benefit: you learn interesting things during the process)

• Answer direct messages

• Periodically recognize your followers: #FFs, “shout-outs”

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Other Twitter Tips • Use a # to facilitate searches (e.g., #credit)

• Or a # and an _ (e.g., #credit_cards)

• Use a @ to flag another user (e.g., @RutgersNJAES or @moneymattersNJ)

• Use a URL shortener to free up more characters (e.g., bit.ly) and to create links that can be tracked

• Use 120 characters (makes it easy for others to retweet your messages)

• Follow/contribute to conference Twitter feeds (e.g., #ExtG4 at Galaxy IV conference)

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What About Impact? • Number of followers

• “Prestige” (position) of followers and their followers

• Hits on your Web site(s) linked to from your tweets

• Subsequent media coverage and inquiries from tweeted info

• Embedded online (e.g., Zoomerang, Qualtrics) survey

• Twitter “grade: based on key factors:

– Number and power of followers

– Number of updates and update recency

– Follower/following ratio

– Number of tweets that are retweeted

5. YouTube Video Resource Guides • Invest the time to view/curate personal finance videos

– Separate the creative/informative from boring/infomercials

– Good Video Example: How Does Insurance Work? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXfGeMNnBsM&feature=related

• Develop lists of curated videos by topic (e.g., credit, investing)

• Develop a YouTube Channel to house videos that you create and/or make comments on (Example: http://www.youtube.com/user/moneytalkBMO)

6. Online Face-to-Face Class Archives

• Invest the money to have major programs professionally videotaped and edited

• Have PowerPoint slides inserted into videotaped content

• Place video links and handouts online

• Example #1: Hard Core Financial Education Boot Camp: http://njaes.rutgers.edu/money/bootcamp/

• Example #2: Annie’s Project-NJ 2012: http://vimeopro.com/cpemedia/anniesproject2012

7. Templates Save ANY file that is likely to be used again

• Bios (various lengths)

• Travel reimbursement Excel spreadsheets

• Photo release forms

• Honorarium request forms

• Invoice templates

• Program flyers

• Program receipts

• Press release letterhead

• Organizational descriptions/mission statements for grants

• Other?

8. Google+ Hangouts

• See http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts/ (click on “watch video”)

• Live video call with up to 10 participants (you + 9 more) through your computer

• Use “Add a Google+ Hangout” on “Events” page in Google+

• “Hangouts On Air” automatically save to a YouTube channel

9. PowerPoint Games

• An activity to review content

• A pre-test to determine existing knowledge

• A Web-based learning activity

• A free-standing presentation

• A recreational activity for youth

100 100

200

300

400

500

100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

200 200 200 200

300 300 300 300

400 400 400 400

500 500 500 500

100 100 100

Category 4 Category 5

Category 1 Category 2 Category 3

[TITLE] Jeopardy! Game

Be Creative !!! • Word Art

• Photos

• Logos

• Digital Clip Art

• Sound

• Video

$1,000,000 $1,000,000

Two Ways to Create a PowerPoint Game

• Follow Instructions for

– Action Buttons

– Inserting Textboxes

– Hyperlinking Slides

• Takes 4-5 Hours

• Use a Template File on CD-ROM

• Takes 1 hour or less

Suggestion: Write out Game Questions and Answers

First and Prioritize Them

10. Go to Webinar

• See http://www.gotomeeting.com/online/webinar

• 30 day free trial; monthly and annual plans based on number of attendees (unlimited number of webinars)

– Example: $99/month and $948/year for up to 100 attendees

• Can save archived videos on Web site

So What Other Technology Tips and Tools Can YOU

Share?

Small Group Discussion Questions

• What other tips and tools can help Extension educators increase productivity?

• What other tips and tools can help Extension educators expand outreach?

• What other tips and tools can help Extension educators engage learners?

Group Sharing