Encouraging youth Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) projects

Encouraging youth Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) projects

Thanks to NYBEP, who invited me to attend be a judge at the Big Bang event at York Minster on the 14th July 2011. The event, which “was one of the largest celebrations of young talent in the region. Over 60 judges from industry found the young people with the best STEM projects on the day, and nominated them for the National Science and Engineering Competition in 2012, when they could become Young Scientist or Young Engineer for Britain and win prizes of up to £2,000.

This was one of twelve events held annually across the UK which seek to enthuse young people about science, technology, engineering and maths and celebrate their achievements, ultimately inspiring them to follow careers in these rewarding fields.” [read more on NYBEP's blog...]

Inspiring young people online - Big Bang Yorkshire

Contributing to the young persons’ event, in summary:

Upon arrival I bumped into fellow entrepreneurs Simon Long, who runs the York Shambles popular smoothie and healthy eating business, Xing Health and Dom Smith, editor of growing music and alternative culture publication, Soundsphere magazine.

We were kindly offered a cup of tea and biscuits with some of the other judges – members of the team I was working with included CPP employees and it was a great opportunity to put names to what is a big brand. After our brief snack and drink, we had lots of fun walking around and judging approximately 8 of the young people’s ecologically sound and sustainable ideas, highlights of which included:

• A sustainable method of creating recyclable water storage in schools with the chance to decorate every year for current students.
• A home grown farm-to-school delivery service to help young uns eat those healthy greens.
• A recycling system for young children (under 6 years) which uses animals to teach the message.
• A very well presented concept around the theme of  spreading awareness of food waste from schools

The opening screen of Roger Philby's presentation for Head Resourcing

Following on from some of my work with the Tech Togeth a team, Nick Middleton, manager of award winning Head Resourcing‘s Leeds office invited me to film their new events, the HR / Resourcing Leaders Forum.

The first event in Leeds took place in the first week of July 2011. Attending were representatives of Virgin Money and one of the UK’s leading execution-only brokers, TD Waterhouse, amongst others.  At this event, founder and CEO of the Chemistry Group, Roger Philby took the delegates through an in depth fact filled presentation about the science of good recruitment.

After the session, delegates were available to chat and network over sparkling wine and drinks, some of which were kind enough to speak to me about their experience at the event for the video which can be seen in full or in summary form on the Head Resourcing YouTube page.

The Tech Togetha Logo by United by Design

I’ve been very happy to be supporting Tech Togetha since the first event which took place at the University of York’s Ron Cooke Hub.

What is Tech Togetha?

“Encouraging people in the IT, Digital, technology and innovation sectors to actively talk about their interests, passions and network.”

Tech Togetha is essentially a variation on the popular Pecha Kucha format of presentations – but just for clarity, i’d like t emphasise that it’s not Pecha Kucha. What it is, is a powerpoint based slide presentation for Tech, IT and digital businesses who have 20 slides of 20 seconds each and in this time the presenter gets to speak about a topic of interest or their business.

It’s a great concept because you get bite size chunks of information about some really interesting businesses (some not so techy enough for me to understand and others that go way over my head). After the presenter has finished their slot, they are usually asked a few questions about what they spoke about from “are you looking to investment” which was asked very quickly following Matt Freckleton from Yatterbox‘s presentation, to questions which encourage a small debate about the topic, which is what we experienced after a presentation about the costs and value of higher education from a tech perspective.

Stand up and say your thing!

What Are Presentations Like?

Presentations should be interesting, spark debate but not pushy or be a sales pitch. We have seen some fantastic presentations from individuals with a variety of abilities in design and powerpoint presentations, so it really doesn’t matter what ability you are at presenting or drawing up a presentation (we’re all really nice), it just counts that you have interstring content which you are passionate about.

What’s My Role:

I can be found filming the events. I’ve been working with the other project partners: Head Resourcing, United By Design, YorSolicitor, and York Science Park to draw up some content guidelines and develop a style in line with United by Design’s brand. In the near future we aim to be developing the website further and really growing the concept. The media I am recording will form part of a growing archive on content which we hope will be useful for anyone and everyone as well as something that will influence more interesting and exciting presentations.

Find Out More…

Please visit our website, at http://techtogetha.co.uk/ to find out more information. If you want to present, please get in touch via the email address on the contact page.

Here's to tech

The importance of good organisation when editing

A short update here and a thanks to Mind the Gap who have invited me to work on developing a concept for a big funding bid later in the year. As per the heading, I’m not in a position to say what the project is, but I would just like to explain my role in short:

For this development project, I was asked to support and help out on as well as film and edit the footage from some fantastic practical theatre workshops at Lister Mills, the custom space which houses Mind The Gap. Mosaikteatern,  visiting theatre company which also works with adults with learning disabilities from Finland came down for a week to explore lots of cool ways to use a special item for a project (read one of Mind the Gap’s Acting Company blogs here). We used lots of tech to create some one off performances for the top secret project which was again developed a little more in a school  the week after. The school we visited, which caters for young people with disabilities – and what a fantastic school in a beautiful area it was!
The workshops lasted for 3 days and was facilitated by Mind the Gap staff: Tim Wheeler, Mind the Gap’s Artistic Director; Bee Skivington, Mind the Gap’s Theatre Worker and Fiona Johnstone, who has recently worked on Mind the Gap’s ‘Of Mice and Men‘ tour.

The unusually compact DSLR we were shooting on

We all took to the roads for the workshops armed with a fancy Lumix G1 so I could capture the week’s activities on camera and our artillery of team building drama games, a few special items for the project and some fun drama games. The facilitators did such a splendid job of conceptually exploring the top secret theme for the week and the young people were really into it, some individuals even asked how soon they could try out for auditions at Mind the Gap (hold your horses!).

iMovie's screen on the left and Final Cut Pro on the right

Shifting from iMovie to Final Cut Pro and adjusting our workflow:

After the three days of energising explorative theatre we were unfortunately bound to wrap up the project but with hours of footage from each day we were well set to make the perfect video to support the project proposal.

The following few days of editing was a great opportunity for me to see how some of the staff at Mind the Gap had taken to the media skills we had all developed in the time I had been working with the company since December 2010. We were about to step it up a gear by moving from the media suite to the recording suite and from iMovie to Final Cut Pro 7 with over 400 clips!
With this many clips, I had to pass on some information about the editing workflow, which in short goes like this:

1. Arrange shots into folders (days, activities and morning or afternoon).

2. Go through each clip and label green, orange or red for good, ok and bad clips. (looking at focus, camera shake and message).

3. Write down time codes for good segments of clips.

4. Create sub clips using time codes.

5. Arrange good clips into a “selects” or “good clips” sequence.

6. Edit down, watch back, get feedback and repeat until happy.

7. Add any colour correction, sound mixing or text and credits.

8. Export and attach to funding bid then post.

A little more detail (why we did it like this):

1. Arrange shots into folders: This makes it much easier to  find clips as well as remember where and when a clip was shot (after lots of hours editing this is really helpful).

2. Go through each clip and label green, orange or red for good, ok and bad clips: We used the very handy colour labeling options available in Finder on Macs to whittle down good, not so good and really not so good shots which were labeled green, orange and red. This is great for quickly scanning through to see which shots are good if you need to playback. It’s also handy as you can arrange by label in the list mode, so all colours are together.

3. Write down time codes for good segments of clips: This is what’s known as a paper edit and is useful as a first edit if you have time – it can help you see the idea from a distance without being bogged down by the computer and a foggy head which comes with it.

4. Create sub clips using time codes: This is the next step of a paper edit and translates the time cods into digital form in the editing software. A sub clip Final Cut Pro terminology for an independent reference clip which extends no further than the selected time code which you entered in the master clip (a bit like cut and paste).

5. Arrange good clips into a “selects” or “good clips” sequence: This is critical for taking the first steps towards arranging lots of clips together. This allows the running order to be very loosely thrown around and tested before you start properly making the edit.

6. Edit down, watch back, get feedback and repeat until happy: This is where you really get to  make the edit and can get very easily wrapped up in the small details and is why feedback is important. This is the main editing stage where it all comes together and can take as long as you let it.

7. Add any colour correction, sound mixing or text and credits: If you have time, this is a great stage and is the last thing you do to really polish off your work and make it look snazzy.

8. Export and attach to funding bid then post: Exporting from Final cut pro can be a bit tricky at times especially if you need multiple versions for the web, DVD and a master copy. Because we were working with HD footage we exported at 3000 kbps for the video and 256 kbps for the audio. We used the H.264 codec for web video and MPEG2 for DVD with MPEG 4 AAC audio. That was it. We burnt the video to DVD and the job was done.

Well done Bee and Fi:

What I have so far neglected to say is that all of the above was done by Bee and Fiona with only the final tweaks having a little once over by me. For two ladies who were pretty much at the rock bottom of not knowing how to use Final Cut Pro (as far as I’m aware) this is a great job well done and very proud for me to see the confidence of people I’ve been working with to skill up in areas I specialise in (although, more importantly, I am also learning).

Keep Your Eyes Peeled On The Horizon:

And that’s it for this little blog post. I would love to talk about the project, but it’s currently under wraps – so keep checking Mind the Gap‘s website to keep up to date with their very exciting artistic activities.

Social Networking - mechanisms and enablers, diagram from 2009 - have things changed?

I wanted to write a blog post on something which has been bugging me for some time now. As someone who enjoys being a pedant every now and then I’d like to exercise my right to grumble about the use of ‘social media’ as a generic blanket term for what we called ‘social networking’ only a few years ago.

I understand that media is much easier to say than networking and has one less syllable, but the fact of the matter is that by calling a social network social media the definition is outright wrong from the word go.
To argue my case I’d like to copy and paste some dictionary definitions which define the three words, social, networking / network and media.

*note the definition of social networking:

so·cial net·work·ing

/ˈsoʊʃəl/ Show Spelled[soh-shuhl net-wur-king]

–noun

Definition:   the use of a website to connect with people who share personal or professional interests, place of origin, education at a particular school, etc.
Example:   Classmates and MySpace are premier sites for social networking. Usage:   computing

1. so·cial

/ˈsoʊʃəl/ Show Spelled[soh-shuhl]

–adjective

2. net·work·ing

/ˈnɛtˌwɜrkɪŋ/ Show Spelled[net-wur-king]

3. net·work

/ˈnɛtˌwɜrk/ Show Spelled[net-wurk]

–noun

1.any netlike combination of filaments, lines, veins, passages, or the like: a network of arteries; a network of sewers under the city.

2.Radio and Television .

a.a group of transmitting stations linked by wire or microwave relay so that the same program can be broadcast or telecast by all.

b.a company or organization that provides programs to be broadcast over these stations: She was hired by the network as program coordinator.

3.
a system of interrelated buildings, offices, stations, etc., especially over a large area or throughout a country, territory, region, etc.: a network of supply depots.

 

4.me·di·a

/ˈmidiə/ Show Spelled[mee-dee-uh]

–noun

1.a plural of medium.

2.( usually used with a plural verb ) the means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, and magazines, that reach or influence people widely: The media are covering the speech tonight.

–adjective

3.pertaining to or concerned with such means: a job in media research.

—Usage note
Media,  like data,  is the plural form of a word borrowed directly from Latin. The singular, medium,  early developed the meaning “an intervening agency, means, or instrument” and was first applied to newspapers two centuries ago. In the 1920s media  began to appear as a singular collective noun, sometimes with the plural medias.  This singular use is now common in the fields of mass communication and advertising, but it is not frequently found outside them: The media is  (or are ) not antibusiness.

How I see it:

I see it like this

• The social network is the platform which hosts the media (YouTube, Facebook, blogs and any site hosting media)
• The platforms enable the media to be social through social mechanisms, which are the tools which allow the media to be shared (comments, liking, embedding, sharing)
• If we take the social networks and media out of the picture, it’s only really about dialogue.The above allow this dialogue to be two ways through the mechanisms
• The social networks and media don’t change that much and they still aim for the same or a similar goal

I’m definitely not trying to be a kill joy about social networks, media, or using the web. I would like to note that none of the above words reference each other and media is definitely not a platform for presenting, for lack of a better word, media. I really respect and appreciate where the internet is taking us and I use social networks all the time. But why misuse the English language all of a sudden?

The Problem:

The problem lies in this, at least for me, that I am a media producer. I design, I take photos, I shoot video and I upload media content to the internet. I also use social networks.
It is especially frustrating and confusing when people say social media to me – which means audio, visual and design etc when they actually mean social networks.

If you attended a networking event in real life, you wouldn’t call it a media event unless in was about, involved or focused on media in some way, shape or form because it wouldn’t make sense. So why do the same about social networks.

Now please think before you say something – just because everyone else is, it doesn’t make it right.

Alternatively:

Alternatively, is this a natural evolution of language where, just as ‘to Google‘ something is universally recognised as finding something on a search engine: specifically the Google search engine. For the same reason that we don’t say ‘search for something online’ as much as we used to – rather we say “Google it’ (is it laziness?) maybe in the future we won’t use the term social networks any more.

Either way, it still frustrates me. What do you think?

Julia Skelton, Mind the Gap's Administrative Director

I feel very lucky to have such a positive working relationship with Mind the Gap studios, an award winning theatre company in Bradford which works with adults with disabilities.

I have been asked back to continue working on a variety of projects since December 2010 including media training in digital stories, promotional shorts and documentary as well as web development projects and upcoming theatre project.
I have also been asked to work with Julia Skelton, Mind the Gap’s administrative director to help her get to grips with her developing online personas through social networks, blogs and website and how this impacts on her digital footprint. The ultimate goal is for Julia to be more comfortable engaging with online platforms in a way which suits her and creates a positive impact on how she is perceived, recognised and engaged with online.

What this should ultimately create is a consistent image which provides a tangible and clear link to Julia’s work and involvement in projects, organisations and groups. Julia will be able to share the exact information she chooses and omit aspects she does not want to be publicly available on the world wide web.
There is also the possibility of opening up informal lines of communication which extend beyond email and allow for Julia to engage with individual, organisations and art on a personal level on universal platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Linked In. Julia and I will also be discussing some of the distinctions between each of the options available to her online persona, which platforms she will choose to engage with and more importantly, why.

By measuring up the requirements of these digital services to Julia’s offline values and interests we will be able to write a strategy which outlines how and why Julia will use certain options, how often and to what extent. This in turn will fit within the social etiquette of each online platform and πaint a different part of Julia’s image.
The message, tone and language will remain relatively consistent with slight variations according to the network and individuals – such as a more formal tone on professional networks such as Linked In and a less formal tone on Facebook.

Fingers crossed, in due course, Julia and I will both have learned something and be in a position to use online social networks to our advantage and to build or develop fruitful relationships online which can in turn lead to partnerships and progress offline.

Developing a personal online strategy - is it essentially personal marketing? (image from Beegamax.com)

Our Method:

1. Barriers.

We started by discussing Julia’s barriers to accessing online services and considered why they exist, whether they are true or just believed to be true and how they could be managed in the future.

2. Offline networks and their online counterparts

The next step was to look at who Julia would actually want to engage with online and why. We looked at the primary networks which are important to Julia’s work, development and interests and looked at where they might have online extensions to these networks.

3. Defining Julia’s online persona and it’s impact on the rules of her digital footprint

For our third step, we had to define Julia’s online persona – it is merely a representation of who she is in real life and one which can be used to her advantage. But what would Julia want to share with the world via the internet and why? We considered:

• Values
• Image
• Language
• Who to engage with

The above was then used later on to influence Julia’s rules when using online platforms and developing her digital footprint.

4. Personal / professional cross over

This step considers the inevitable personal and professional cross over which is likely to happen when using online networks and how this can be planned or strategised. Personal interests can also be a strong contact point for people looking to strike up a conversation so it’s important to consider which aspects of your life which you would like to share to give your online persona that all important genuine personality (which should mirror your real life personality).
We discussed how to manager friends, family and professional contacts, who is likely to contact Julia on which online platform – why and how Julia could use it to her advantage.

5. Targets and measurement

As with any activity, it’s impossible to measure progress if you do not define where you are, where you are going and how to define where you are along the journey. In this instance we discussed a combination of vague, esoteric values led goals and viewed them next to more solid measured goals.

We discussed Social analytics which show the human value in hard stats from quantative sources such as Google analytics and considered how these can be used to help understand the value of what you are saying,which, despite being an advanced technique, easily led to the next point.

6. Using an online persona to boost your online image (SEO and ease of search)

We briefly discussed the importance of engaging in select topics, commenting on blogs and using your own blog to reinforce your online persona and professional image as well as cross linking between various networks to promote your online activity. Although this is an advanced topic of using Julia’s online persona it can simply relate to the best use of wording, titles, descriptions and tags for any content uploaded online. Whether this will ever be incorporated into Julia’s strategy is down to Julia’s interests and the focus of her strategy.

7. Phased development

In order to make the process manageable, we discussed which platforms Julia would want to engage with first and roughly in what kind of a time frame. Once Julia has set up some accounts online and had a go at using the various platforms, she will develop an idea of how she wants to use them.
In order to set measurable outcomes which would support Julia’s use of each platform, we will be setting goals and tasks for Julia to accomplish online which will help Julia get used to each platform.

Once Julia has been doing this for some time we will be able to reflect on how she finds using each platform and how Julia feels she has progressed.

8. Writing the Online Strategy

Finally, Julia will be able to write her own online strategy in her own words which will take into account what we have discussed, her experiences using some platforms and how it measures to her expectations and requirements for using online platforms. The strategy will take into account Julia’s definition of her online persona, how that influences her digital footprint (and what she wants to use her digital footprint for) then finally the strategy can be used to guide Julia’s use of the web. The strategy will allow for some development of skills and keep Julia relatively up to date with online changes.

Social Media Etiquette as written in 2009. Has it changed?