Worried About Your Kids Hanging Out Online? Don't!

A researcher at University of California at Berkeley suggests that hanging out online is a valuable form of socialization for teens. If kids become geeks, that's all the better. Apparently, "geekiness" is fast become a status and authority symbol? Interesting article, and the sign that the internet may be replacing many valuable face-to-face social networks. Visit Steve Parkins' "The Agenda" for more. Good stuff! http://www.tvo.org/cfmx/tvoorg/theagenda/.

Taking a "Check-up from the Neck Up" before presenting

Someone once said that "attitude determines altitude". That is quite true in every area of life but no place is it more true than when you are about to present your ideas in a public venue. The single most helpful reminder in preparing to present is to follow the motivational speaker Zig Ziglar's advice and take a "check-up from the neck up" before your presentation.

First, value your skills as a presenter. In a corporate presentation, you are the medium through which vital information is conveyed. If you don't feel good about yourself as a speaker, your verbal and non-verbal communication style will reflect your attitude and your audience will likely not feel good about you either.

Second, value the message you are about to deliver. Every time you present, you are presenting something of value for participants in sharing ideas and delivering information they need for success. Therefore, you must believe in the message in order to deliver it with enthusiasm. I have seen speakers who are so bored with the information they were presenting that the presentation had no effect whatever on the audience. If you are not convinced that the information is worthwhile for a corporate or public presentation, try conveying the information through a channel other than public speaking.

Want to be a good corporate or public speaker? Follow Ziglar's advice. Before hitting the stage, hit the mirror and take a "check-up from the neck up". Believe in yourself and your message. Then go, break a leg!

Social Media taking multiple roles in communication

Blogger Peter Deitz has some advice for non-profit organizations: use popular social communication sites to stay in touch with supporters in 2009: "Today it s becoming standard practice to communicate with supporters using tools like Flickr, MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter If four years of social media can transform the way U S presidents get elected and people connect with causes, imagine the changes that another four years of social media will produce." http://nten.org/blog/2008/11/20/how-will-your-nonprofit-raise-money-in-2012

Alexandre Gervais has an interesting and informative Slideshare show, "The Conversation: An Introduction to Social Media" (Nov 19, 2008) at this link: http://www.slideshare.net/tactica_inc/the-conversation-an-introduction-to-social-media-presentation/v1. He stresses the importance of social media in research, planning and implementation. Indeed, more human resource personnel are advising that social networking is one way to brand a company logo or product, making social networking, not just something kids do, but the future of business.

Warning for Teachers: Watch your postings on social networks

According to Education Week (November 17, 2008 posted online), some teachers in North Carolina got in big trouble with their school district for posting what the district believed was questionable or unacceptable material to their FaceBook page. Apparently, one teacher wrote, "I hate my students". Not good form for a public forum. But, should they be castigated for voicing their opinion and ideas on social networking sites? You can read more at www.educationweek.org.

Want to know what your kids are texting?

Text messaging has become the most popular form of communication among teens. But parents, do you KNOW what your kids are saying - or what they mean - when they use all those shorthand codes? You should! Here's a link to NetLingo to find out: http://www.netlingo.com/emailsh.cfm