The folks at Commoncraft have been a creative presence on the web for several years now. They create short online videos, 2-3 minutes, on a wide variety of subject that provide simple explanations with entertaining visuals. This video on social networking is a couple of years old, but still helpful. http://www.commoncraft.com/video-social-networking
The Nielsen Company reports:
Now visited by over two-thirds (67 percent) of the global online population, “Member Communities,” which includes both social networks and blogs, has become the fourth most popular online category – ahead of personal email. It is growing twice as fast as any of the other four largest sectors (search, portals, PC software and email), according to The Nielsen Company’s “Global Faces and Networked Places,” a comprehensive report published today revealing the new global footprint of social networking.
Other key findings include:
Podcasts are a wonderful way to leverage time spent exercising, driving, or relaxing by listening to an interview or audio recording on a topic of interest to you. The name, Podcast, comes from the very popular Apple media device known as an iPod, but you don't need an iPod to enjoy and utilize a Podcast. Go figure.
If nothing else, this episode is an interesting study in the current environment of communications:
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1880376,00.html
One of the best resources I have found for teaching is www.ted.com. The site archives a large number of 15-20 videos of presentations made at the annual TED conferences hosted by Richard Wurman.
Here is a link to one that was posted this past Christmas:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/wade_davis_on_the_worldwide_web_of_be...
