Media coaches game a digital neighbourhood

I’m at the EuroMeduc conference in Bellaria, Italy, which is proving a great opportunity to meet a range of teachers, researchers, librarians and policy people interested in media literacy … which is helping people gain access, understand and use different media.

I’m contributing by running a couple of workshops using a version of the social media game developed earlier in the year with Ed Klute, who runs a network for media coaches around Europe. The coaches work part time in schools, libraries, and public services including police and health to help their colleagues use Internet tools and other social media. They are at the sharp end of media literacy – as Ed says, it no good having lots of policy and programmes if people in the classroom can’t deliver. First-hand support may be better than courses. (read more...)

Playing the Social by Social Game

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The Social by Social Game really took off at Net Tuesday this week when some 20 participants invented a south London borough, created a set of project ideas for better health, happiness and the environment, and then went on to plan how social technology could yield these social benefits. All within 90 minutes. (read more...)

Fun unconferencing at SHINE09

I had great fun at the SHINE09 unconference for social entrepreneurs last Friday and Saturday, first with a little light social reporting and then helping run the Social Collaboration Game, which I wrote about earlier.
The social reporting was light for me because there were far more (read more...)

Playing the digital neighbourhood game

I’ve been thinking recently how to help people explore the ways in which social technology can benefits local communities – when those involved may not understand what’s possible with tools and methods ranging from websites to digital storytelling, e-democracy to outdoor screens.
It’s a theme I’ve worked on for more than a decade – but recent developments like the digital mentors programme, Talk About Local, and the RSA’s emerging plans, make it particularly topical. It certainly got on airing at the recent National Digital Inclusion Conference … dashboard here.
In the past, working with Drew Mackie and others, I’ve used card-based workshop games like those here to help people play through the possibilities. It all started for me back in Brighton in 1997.
However, it took a recent trip to Holland to give me some fresh ideas about how to scale-up engaging with technology at neighbourhood level. (read more...)7.
However, it took a recent trip to Holland to give me some fresh ideas about how to scale-up engaging with technology at neighbourhood level.

Social Media Games with Moo

The Social Media Game, that I initially developed with Beth Kanter and Drew Mackie, is a great way to help people get to grips with what tools, when, where – and explore what might happen. Now Tim Davies has worked out how to develop the game cards with Moo.com. The game is Creative Commons licensed to make this collaborative development easier.

Playing the fundraising game

I’m constantly amazed at how creative people can be in a small group given a clear task, a framework and a few props. Today I went along to the conference of the Institute of Fundraising Technology Group to run a session on social media. The organisers were happy when I proposed a game session – and it went really well. (read more...)