HighEdWeb Blog

Track Name: Poster Session

Track Chair:

• Karen M. Hackett (@khackett), Communications Coordinator at Penn State University

Karen has been involved with HighEdWeb for five years, and is a major fan of her Blackberry – although she confesses that, if being left on a deserted island, she might just consider going without technology altogether.  Maybe.

Her advice to #heweb10 attendees is very wise: “Network, make friends, start new conversations! Some of the best attributes of the conference include the people who make it happen and the people who attend – great relationships to be made and kept!” And, as Karen notes, the conference’s poster session provides an excellent opportunity to connect with conference colleagues and strike up new conversations.

In Karen’s words, “Poster sessions are an excellent, interactive way to present a project or an idea, share best practices, or build new collaborations. Poster session presenters create a poster of the information to be shared and provide a short overview of the session, followed by a more in-depth discussion with interested colleagues. They provide an excellent forum for sharing information about projects, ideas/concepts, applications, and information.”

#heweb10 attendees can look forward to viewing more than 35 posters this year, arranged in an open set up to allow for plenty of movement and room to mingle.

Register today for #heweb10 – don’t miss out on checking out this great track!

Colleen Brennan-Barry

Track Name: Pre-and Post-Conference Workshops

Track Chair:

• Daniel M. Frommelt (@frommelt), University World Wide Web Coordinator at the University of Wisconsin – Platteville

#heweb10 Workshop chair Dan Frommelt

Dan began presenting at WebDevShare in Indiana where his first presentation on Web Standards and How to Benefit from Them won the Best Track and Best Overall Conference awards. Over the next couple of years that topic grew to include details about basic CSS, became a CSS workshop, and then branched out into new technologies, from voice XML to meta data to microformats to Google Wave.

Dan says, “Each time I became involved with the HighEdWeb group, I was learning and wanting to learn more and more. This group is full of contagious high energy and is loads of fun to be around. Eventually I was asked to work on the program committee, conference committee, and eventually to serve on the board of directors. Currently, I am President of the Higher Education Web Professionals Association board and am very excited to have the conference in Cincinnati in 2010

Advice from Dan  as to how to make the most of #heweb10: “It will be an awesome time, but you have to fully participate in order to get the most out of the event. Do your best to minimize the checking of email back at work. It will be there at the end of the day, or at least wait to check it over lunch! If you focus your attentions and enjoy the company of the people during the sessions, you will have an incredible conference experience and just an awesome time.”

Dan’s word to the Workshop-wise: Sign up soon, as space is limited to attend the workshops. Each year we have many workshops that close due to space limitations.

Keep an eye out: As October approaches, attendees will get updates from their workshops instructors regarding any special requirements or information necessary to fully participate in the workshops.

Register today for #heweb10 – don’t miss out on checking out this great track!

Colleen Brennan-Barry

Track Name: Social Media

Track Chairs:

• Mark Greenfield (@markgr, Mark’s website), Director of Web Services at the University at Buffalo
• Robin Smail (@Robin2go, Robin’s website), Disruptive Technologist at Penn State University

#heweb10 Social Media track chair Mark Greenfield

Mark is an accomplished speaker who frequently presents at a wide range of higher education conferences and meetings where his thought provoking commentary on the impact of emerging technology on college campuses challenges audiences to rethink their basic assumptions about web communications.

In addition, Mark is an avid golfer, tennis player and “#audiosnob” (he confessed, upon inquiry, that the one thing he would want to bring to a deserted island is his stereo).

Robin describes herself in her own words: “A background in design and marketing, a degree in Information Sciences & Technology, and a passion for social media and community engagement, I like to see how emerging technologies can be used in teaching and learning, both in the classroom and, perhaps more importantly, in the online learning environment. I believe in community, transparency, and authenticity. You should, too.”

#heweb10 Social Media track chair Robin Smail

When we asked what one thing Robin would take with her on a deserted island, she replied “It depends. Is there an antenna? Is there cell coverage? Because, if so, it’s my iPhone, hands down. Is there even a power outlet? Because, like, srsly, inquiring minds need to know. After all, I can see all sorts of fail with this question.  Technology needs a power source. And the internets. It’s not like I’m gonna sit there playing with my abacus.”

Advice from Mark & Robin as to how to make the most of #heweb10: Network, network, network.

Why should attendees attend Social Media sessions? Because social media is not a twitter  account. Social media is not traditional marketing. Social media is not a bullhorn. But what is it and how can it help your institution? This is where you learn those answers — and  THAT’S why you should attend.

We have a wide range of presentations focusing on social media at both the strategic and tactical levels. We will be approaching social media from many angles from admissions to alumni to the classroom. And as a special bonus, there will be a great session that explores the lessons learned from the infamous #heweb09 keynote.  (also, the rumor of a #cupcaketweetup may or may not be true. You’ll have to attend the track to find out

Colleen Brennan-Barry

Well, HighEdWeb 2010, the international conference for higher education Web professionals, is now exactly two months away; I know you’re with us as we count down to 10-10-10. The conference committees and I are very excited too. And while our Early Bird registration discount is available until August 31 and our special #heweb10 hotel room rate is available until September 18, one thing is already clear: HighEdWeb 2010 is the place to be this fall.

To be completely transparent, we have nearly 100 more attendees already registered for this year compared to this date a year ago – an exciting occurrence! So, if you know that you’re coming to HighEdWeb this Fall, and we hope that you are, I would encourage you to consider making your conference registration and hotel reservation soon, like in the next few days (NOTE: Our block of hotel rooms for Saturday night, before the conference starts, is already currently sold out though we’re working with our hotel to add more. At only $119 a night, it’s a great deal at an outstanding hotel). And, if you’re waiting for the boss’ final approval, it’s time to make the push (or ask them to give me a call and I’ll be happy to share more details about the conference).

Packed with a line-up of great presentations, a host of social events and a top-notch facility, we think you will really professionally benefit from the connections you make and the lessons you will learn while having a good time in Cincinnati, Ohio, on October 10-13 at HighEdWeb 2010.

Doug Ruschman is the director for Web services at Xavier University and is the chairperson of HighEdWeb 2010, scheduled for October 10-13 in Cincinnati, OH.

They Do It Their Way.

This Friday, get to know some of the hard-working members of the Higher Education Web Professionals Association board of directors.

@frommelt: Dan Frommelt, our fearless leader and University Web Coordinator at University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He’s a CSS rockstar, Google Wave evangelist (sorry, Dan!) and augmented realist.

@stebert: Steve Lewis, Web Manager / Information Security Coordinator at SUNY Brockport. As secretary and treasurer, Steve is our Keeper of Keys at HighEdWeb. And — like Hagrid — it just wouldn’t be HighEdWeb without him.

@ColB: Colleen Brennan-Barry, Web Communications Manager at Monroe Community College. A communications diva and power grrl geek of the finest order, Colleen is the smiling face and nerves of steel behind HighEdWeb.

@mhostad: Michael Hostad, Campus Web Architect at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The man who brought you HTMAle at #heweb09, Michael’s interests include content management, mobile development, and refreshing beverages.

Rounding out the HighEdWeb board are former association president Dale Grady and Chris Nixon, Director of Communication Technology Services at the University of Arkansas.

–lori

Lori Packer

This week’s follow Friday recommendations have definitely earned their seal of approval!

@IUEast
Indiana University East keeps up a steady flow of conversation on its Twitter feed, and makes great use of Twitter lists to point people to IU-related twitter-ers. And this week, the school’s homepage won the eduStyle “People’s Choice” award for best integration of social media.

@huffpostcollege
The Huffington Posts regularly points to news-you-can-use for prospective students and parents, plus creates its own fun features like “Ten Party Schools that Pay Off” and “The Worst College Fashion Trends.” Worth following to see if your school makes it onto one of their lists, for good or for ill.

@ebertchicago
And in the celebrity Twitter category, the nominees are — Mr. Roger Ebert! I confess I’m an Ebert fan from way back (did you notice the title of this post?) Siskel & Ebert At the Movies was appointment viewing for me as a kid. Nowadays, Ebert is a Twitter rockstar. I think there are a lot of lessons to learn from how Ebert uses this tool: he’s very obviously a person; he has an area of expertness, but he doesn’t limit himself to just tweeting out his opinions on film; and he engages his fans in new and creative ways. I’ve referred to his “Twingo” feature (where he randomly retweets two or three tweets from his followers at midnight) several times to folks around campus, as in, “Hey, you never know! You may come up with a new way to use Twitter that no one’s thought of before!” Two thumbs up, Mr. Ebert.

–lori

Lori Packer

Aaron Baker, web services coordinator for UALR, brought home the coveted red stapler from this weekend’s Arkansas Higher Education Web Conference (AHEWC) regional gathering. Baker’s presentation on Google Analytics was ranked tops by those in attendance.

Deep in the heart of the Natural State, about 80 geeks – most of them employed in higher education – gathered to hear from subject matter experts on a variety of topics, from content generation to Section 508 compliance. A list of the topics covered is on the AHEWC site.

And though those in attendance may not have noticed, the sudden change in presenter demanded that the committee scramble to cover the planned session on HTML 5.

“It’s kind of difficult to find someone to speak on that topic with a day’s notice,” said conference chair Shelley Keith. “So we decided to have a panel discussion about budget issues and the impact that they can have on what a web office can – and should – produce. All our presenters were wonderful to contribute to the panel discussion, and it was one of our favorite sessions.”

Pre-conference events included a trip to Dickey-Stephens Park to see the Arkansas Travelers take on the Northwest Arkansas Naturals and a stop in at Creegan’s Irish Pub across the street from the ballpark. For a post-conference gathering, attendees visited Little Rock’s Rumba and enjoyed a buffet of Cuban foods.

“We certainly could not have had this type of meeting without the help of our sponsors, CustomXM, Pleth, the Arkanas Department of Information Systems, and the UALR Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology,” Keith said. She also credited committee members Aaron Baker, Brent Passmore, Carrie Phillips, Daniel Spillers, and Aaron Street for their help as well as the national High Ed Wed Association for its support.

One sponsorship for a $1500 scholarship to HighEdWeb 2010 in Cincinnati, from the UALR Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology, was awarded to LaWarn Rodgers from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

“This event is incredibly important, both in terms of networking and continuing education opportunities for members of the higher education web community,” said Keith. “Not only are we able to commiserate with one another about shared difficulties, we are able to connect and find ways to help one another solve problems in common. That makes all the work on this event worth it.”

The AHEWC flickr feed is at http://www.flickr.com/groups/hewebar/pool/with/4825226615/, and archived videos of the presentations are at http://www.ustream.tv/user/ahewc.

This week’s installment features more great #highered Twitter profiles to follow and learn from.

@TuftsUniversity
Tufts does an especially good job of collating all the various Twitter profiles that represent the school, particularly through its use of Twitter lists.

@butleru
I like how Butler University doesn’t just post news about themselves, but also shares news about their city of Indianapolis with its followers.

And for fun (and in time for Sunday’s premiere) the Mad Men tweeps: @don_draper, @PeggyOlson, @ken_cosgrove, @Sal_Romano, etc. It looks like these were originally created by fans and then removed at AMC’s boneheaded request, then quickly restored. Besides being a hoot, they do illustrate how important it is to let your biggest fans help spread the love, and also point to an interesting spin on the “be a person” exhortation for institutional Twitter users. Would you rather follow @amcnews or @JoanHolloway?

–lori

Lori Packer

This week we’d like to start recommending a few interesting Twitter accounts for higher ed folks to follow and learn from. If you have additional suggestions to add each Friday, we’d love to hear from you in the comments.

@IthacaCollege
Super-responsive to both new students and alumni. Presents a peek into day-to-day life on campus with a tone that is both fun and informative.

@JohnsHopkins
A bit more news-y (and news release-y) than Ithaca, but I don’t mean that in a bad way at all. It does a great job collecting and re-tweeting news of interest to the Johns Hopkins community, a great service for such a huge, disperse institution.

@Braves
As @TimNekritz wrote recently, the Braves provide a great example of both buy-in from a huge organization and personalized contact with its many fans. A great example of how an institution can behave like a person.

And, what the hell, @oldspice. Talk about personalized contact! The new videos from this manly marketing man may have ended, but it’s still fairly early in the admiration-analysis-imitation-parody-backlash cycle.

–lori

Lori Packer

The Higher Education Web Professionals Association is pleased to announce that HighEdWeb 2011 will be held in October, 2011 in Austin, Texas.

Learn more about Austin:

http://www.austintexas.org/