Last week I blogged a summary of the Digital Strategy Masterclass run by Jasper Visser as part of Intercom 2012. Running through the Digital Engagement Framework as a planning process was a useful exercise. But it also allowed time to consider bigger issues around digital engagement and strategic planning. There were a few key points that I took away from the day:
As part of the Intercom 2012 conference on Thursday 29th November there was a full day Masterclass on ‘Developing your digital strategy’ run by Jasper Visser (@jaspervisser) of Inspired by Coffee. I was looking forward to this day as an opportunity to look at the bigger picture and gain ideas and knowledge that could be used to develop a comprehensive and well planned digital engagement strategy.
This article was original published in the newsletter of the International Museum Theatre Alliance – Asia Pacific (IMTALAP).
Last weekend I tried to explain to my Mum, Uncles, Aunt and 92 year-old Grandma the value of Twitter. It was so hard. I was met with many sceptical looks or polite smile-and-nods. The truth is that Twitter’s power and value is difficult to explain in theory, it needs to be experienced. It needs to be experienced over a fair amount of time.
I’ve been making a concerted effort to ‘learn’ Twitter since July last year, and it’s only been in the last three months that I’ve really come to appreciate and vouch for it’s worth. If you’re keen to work productively with Twitter, and I will argue that’s a very worthwhile pursuit, then I recommend giving yourself a good amount of time to play first.
Last week I attended the Museums Australia conference in Adelaide. It was my second time tweeting at a MA conference, and as Regan Forrest suggests, there was a more robust Twitter conversation going on this time. I also felt more connected to Twitter in this conference than I did last year, and it got me thinking about how the Twitter dynamics of a conference has affected my experience.
On Thursday 27th September I delivered a presentation called Learners, Digital Resources and Museums. The presentation was a culmination of both research and practical experience over the past year as part of my work at Sovereign Hill. My presentation discussed why cultural organisations should engage with teachers and students using digital resources, explored some digital resources developed by museums, and presented some practical ideas for getting started.
The greatest power of a social media network is the conversation. Traditional media, on the other hand still holds sway over many people’s desire for reliable news. As an advocate for the use of social media for networking, professional branding, influence and life-long learning opportunities I am often struck by the lack of trust many organisations still place in it as a tool. I admire the works of young professionals who advocate change and empowerment, such as Colleen Dilenscneider.
Despite my strong belief in the value of social media tools I do not ignore the great impact traditional media has on public opinion and it’s powerful reach. A couple of weeks ago I learnt a good lesson in how social media and traditional media can play well together. It was also a good reaffirmation of the value I’ve placed in building professional networks online.
2011 is rapidly drawing to a close and now is the time when people and organisations look back on the year that was. Google’s Zeitgeist is a good one:
2011 was a big year for me – personally and professionally. I got married, temporarily lived interstate, went back to the classroom as a casual teacher, travelled through the US, UK and Europe for over 2 months, bought a house and moved. I also shifted strongly into the digital world and invested more time into my professional online presence and that of Sovereign Hill Education through a blog and twitter.
Day 2 at the Museums Australia Interpretation Australia Conference was Community, Regional and Specialist Museums Day. It was a great day showcasing a wide range of impressive projects and stories from across the country.
The first Keynote was given by Alec Cole who is currently the CEO of the Museum of WA, but previously worked with the Tyne and Weir Network of Museums in the UK. He talked at some length about the Regional model employed in Tyne and Weir to develop and grow the museums and galleries in that region. I was quite interested in this having spent time at Beamish, who was involved in the project, earlier this year. There were some great programs within the project, including the MAGIC (Museums and Galleries Inspiring Children) travelling program and the ‘I Like…’ marketing initiative where visitors are encouraged to find sites and events that meet their needs. Alec suggested that the model of regional hubs, which can offer support for cross-marketing, region-wide programs and training, could be used successfully in Australia.
The New Media Consortium have, for the first time this year, released a Horizon Report that specifically focuses on museum education and interpretation – 2010 Horizon Report: Museum Edition. The report outlines 6 key technologies predicted to influence museum education and interpretation over the next five years.
This morning I was at the SLV for a presentation by Mark Pesce to hear his thoughts on how to create meaningful and useful Web2.0 applications. I found it a very engaging presentation full of interesting ideas, but more importantly useful suggestions.
