With A Dollar — A White House Tour Is Free

“Class materials should be fun and exciting.”

— David Bruce Smith, The Grateful American Foundation

Reports have indicated that American students aren’t doing too well in History class. Data recently showed that when it comes to understanding US History, student “proficiency” is below 30%.

While there are a ton of ways we can begin improving this, as we should, one way is obviously in the classroom. In an interview with Smithsonian.com, David Bruce Smith, founder of Grateful American Foundation, shared his perspectives stating that “[c]lass materials should be fun and exciting; all history is after all — is telling stories.” American students are increasingly part of a digital culture so it’s important to consider the gear we use to reach them. In a recent post, I shared some tools to help educators tell stories better using smartphones; as the school year moves into the second quarter, here’s another cool resource to add to that list — an app called 1600.

The White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest shared a blog post announcing what could become a fun addition to the modern teacher’s toolkit. In collaboration with Nexus Studios, the White House Historical Association aims to “educate and inspire the youngest Americans” with the app utilizing virtual and augmented-reality; technology that has been a buzz lately in these days of Pokemon Go.

HOW TO USE IT

Viewing a dollar bill through your device, the app draws up a 3-D rendering and invites your students to consider the history and heritage of the White House, narrated by Josh Earnest.

1600 literally gives viewers a tiny glimpse of the White House complete with seasonal events, a flock of birds, and Marine One landing on the lawn so you’ll want to gently move your device around the scene during the story.

And don’t forget to tap the Oval Office.

Far from perfect, the app can be a little bit tricky! Be mindful of ample lighting and position — move your hand a little too close, shift the angle too quickly and you’ll lose the image and have to start again. That aside, 1600 provides a fun way to enhance a lesson and may help boost retention. The app unifies your educational content with a resource that is as engaging as it is relevant to your students. It’s like a quick tour right at your desk!

Whether you’re a history teacher, parent, or just plain curious, try it out! It’s totally free and you can download it for iPhone here and for Android here.

I’m a certified teacher exploring realms for education, communication, and social media. If you think 1600 has shot as a valuable tool in learning, click that heart and share this post. You can also share your ideas with me below or on Twitter.

Thanks for reading.

Avoiding common blunders, marketing with engagement

Whether an indie artist, solopreneur, or mom-n-pop shop — I believe in small businesses. Recently, I’ve come across some really promising enterprises having some trouble establishing a productive social media presence. As the new year approaches, it’s a great time to start refining our profiles. Here are some basic trouble spots worth evaluating.

Don’t Create A Bunch of Accounts Unless You Can Be Active On Them

If you have an active Facebook page with a link to your YouTube channel, but don’t actively share videos, then why link to it? Abandoned channels are disappointing and don’t present you strongly to followers or customers.

Deciding where to be active begins by understanding who you wish to engage. To get an overview of where audiences are, take a look at the data in the recent Social Media Update from The Pew Center for Research. Start there.

New social media platforms will appear and grow in popularity but it doesn’t mean your organization needs to be on all of them. If your target audience is 55 year olds, you most likely won’t need to market your business on Snapchat just yet. Go where your audience is and engage them in a voice that matches that particular network.

Growing a valuable social media presence takes dedication.

If you’re not able to spend time maintaining activity on a network, you might want to close that account and focus on others.

Don’t Always Talk About Yourself

You know “that guy” at the party, the one who can’t talk about anything but himself? If you’re constantly using social media to blast repetitive messages, you’re basically being “that guy.” Being “spammy” like this is likely to get you ignored, hidden, unfollowed, or worse — actually marked as spam.

As you develop a social media strategy for your organization, remember that social media should actually be social, treat it as you would a friendly gathering or cocktail party. Don’t put what could be in a paid ad into status updates.

Consider how bigger companies have created a successful social media presence and emulate it.

• National Geographic invited Facebook fans to create the next cover.
• T-Mobile’s CEO John Legere shares articles, comments, gifs, and photos on Twitter.
• GoPro has basically made their social media entirely about the users’ adventures.

“GoPro doesn’t use Instagram to sell their product; they use it to celebrate a lifestyle of adventure.” — Kara Burney, TrackMaven

Celebrate followers for their creations, ideas, lifestyles, or achievements. Invite them to share their voice and when they do (even if complaining) — engage with them!

Stop asking, start giving

If your idea of “doing social media” for your business is rooted in constantly asking people to buy — stop.

Notable marketers like Seth Godin and Gary Vaynerchuk have regularly advised against being too focused on the sale, much too soon. If your organization’s message comes off solely as “buy from us,” you may want to consider another approach to social media.

Randy Hlavac at Medill recommends taking on the approach of “give, to get.” Spend more time growing a community by sharing content that helps your audience in their own mission through empowerment, inspiration, and authentic engagement that benefits your target audience.

If you’re a dance school, share interviews with top dancers; if you’re a pasta company, share how-to videos for making a dish. Don’t just sell — help your target audience connect to your brand on social media as they would a trusted community. In the long run, if you want to get, start giving.

Don’t “Do” Social — BE Social

As you move forward, monitor engagement and give your followers more of what they respond best to. Humans first, profits last: aim for deeper connections with your followers. Be social, be proactive, be helpful, and most importantly, be real.

The Internet and social media have become game-changers in the ways we communicate. There are so many new ways for a small business to grow and thrive and I believe we can all help that happen. If you have additional ideas, please share them with me here or on Twitter!

During my years as a teacher, there was plenty of commentary on kids interacting and socializing differently in part due to the rise of digital and mobile culture. My students seemed more attached to their smartphones every year. Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate the digital realm and reconsider smartphones as a viable resource in teaching.

What if you could teach, using smartphones?

Consider how technology has changed the ways we share, receive, and interact with information.

Indeed, attention spans have changed as the use of smartphones has grown. According to one report, mobile users are on their devices for about 5 hours per day and there doesn’t seem to be a slowdown in sight.

Last year, the Pew Center for Research reported that 3 out of 4 teens have or have access to a mobile device, nearly all of them go online daily, and nearly of quarter of those are online “almost constantly.” Factor in the regular use of apps and you’ll see how the educational setting has dynamically shifted. And while there are still many kids without reliable Internet access at home, initiatives like ConnectEd and the 1Million Project are making efforts to close these gaps of connectivity. Though many education professionals are steadfast in their reluctance toward some digital resources, the issue of mobile devices and smartphones in the classroom may be arriving at a crossroads.

If you’re up for the challenge, here are three trends for you to explore!

1. AR

Recall the news on Pokemon Go this summer? Utilizing their phone as a view-finder, kids and adults alike have been in hot pursuit of characters which will “appear” virtually when players interact with the physical environment. This is augmented-reality (AR) and a variety of brands from Disney to Volvo have taken to it to enhance consumer engagement. But what if we could turn a written assignment, image, classroom, or school grounds into fresh opportunities to delight and engage students in learning? Using the free app from Aurasma, you create interactive AR experiences in just a few steps. To begin, download the app, grab your laptop, and gear up your imagination.

Here’s what it can look like:

Imagine your students interacting with key terms that morph into images, watching images morph into videos, or engaging a math problem with tips that you have embedded into the assignment. Aurasma has made the process of incorporating augmented-reality in the classroom simple enough that even the most die-hard “old-school” teacher can begin moving pedagogy into the future. [To try it, download the app and watch this quick tutorial.]

2. Immersive Video

Also known as 360-videos, the rise of immersive video allows you to put a new spin on an old favorite. Much like AR, immersive video provides an alternate experience for engaging with content. Using multi-directional cameras, videos are recorded in all directions for viewing in all directions creating a more experiential kind of viewing. Students have freedom to visually roam within the video landscape. Educational content is no longer trapped in the traditional flat field of view. Using a mobile device as a “view-finder,” move as though you’re “looking around” and you’ll see what makes the video immersive [use the mouse if you’re on a desktop].

Try it out below [May not work while reading Medium on a mobile device]:

There are tons of videos available from science to sports and more in YouTube’s expansive library; near limitless opportunities for you to curate an entire collection for use in the classroom and assignments.

3. VR

Film used to be the most immersive storytelling medium. But even with the best, highest-resolution TVs, you’re still just watching. You’re not there. The promise of VR is what the industry calls “presence” — the feeling that you’re really somewhere else. —Aaron Luber, VR at Google

In the past year, global interest in VR has quadrupled. Virtual-reality takes 360 videos one step further by way of goggle-style eye wear. Introduce your students to VR affordably [or DIY free!] using Google Cardboard.

Here’s how it works:

Last year, one of my students brought me his Cardboard to try and by the period’s end, students were lining up to see the solar system “all around them” and it was awesome.

Fortune favors the brave.

Educators will need to assess each of these tools for use in their own settings but with continued exploration, adding them to your toolkit may help integrate smartphones into the educational context and aid in boosting engagement, improving retention, and enhancing the impact of your lessons.

If you think any of these tech innovations have potential in schools, please give this article a like!

I’d love to hear how these tool are being implemented in your own professional experiences in education, you can share your ideas with me here or on Twitter!

Last week, Twitter pulled the plug on Vine to an array of mixed emotions. As I mildly lamented the loss of Vine, I happened on a Verge post covering a new app called Hype. Turns out that the guys who created Vine are back with a new app and they announced it here on Medium, a week after Vine was cut. With that, I figured I’d download it and give it a look.

I spent about 2 hours messing around with it, yes, 2 hours — the app has some appeal. So far, users have been tweeting positive responses with Mashable’s Lance Ulanoff tweeting that Hype is “Oddly engaging.” And it is! Fusing your camera, photo album, and text, the app seems to be geared up to take live streaming in a whole new direction.

I’m still exploring the app but so far it feels strangely reminiscent of the early days of MySpace but in a more current, interactive style reminiscent of Periscope.

With Hype, you’re basically the host, guest, and production team on the set of a live show.

So far, what I think is very cool is the possibility of…

• Screen-on-screen images: overlap photos as if strewn across a table
• Multiple on-screen videos: include a video inset during your broadcast
• Slideshows: create them on the fly from your camera and scroll through during your broadcast

• Text on screen: add text, much like you would on Instagram stories
• Messaging: viewers can send responses, view or feature them on screen
• Add music: my favorite feature, select songs right from your library

• Search option: find gifs and video to include in your stream

Your broadcasts can be saved for viewers to watch as a “replay” later, but you’ll have to remember to select this and wait for upload once you end your initial stream. I overlooked this, and lost my first Hype stream.

As with all things in the realm of social media, there may be some concern regarding the nature of content that is broadcast and I wonder what steps are in place for addressing these issues when they appear. Nonetheless, while there may be plenty of comedy and randomness, there’s also plenty of potential to explore in creative communication, and far less noise to cut through at this point in time. The multi-dimensional, mixed-media approach that Hype offers presents exciting opportunities in intellectual communication, education, journalism, marketing, and more.

Let’s see where the users take it.

If you’ve imagined launching your own show, news broadcast, lessons, or any other interactive context, now might be your moment to do it. I’m still a newbie at this app, but Hype seems capable of becoming the single app for taking your live streaming in any direction.