Social Media Monday : A Twitter Workshop

by Lara Brie and I REALLY believe in Social Media (hence the Social Media Monday posts :))  We really believe that it can make a difference in the parenting experience; that finding support in our online community can make things better when they are really hard.

We've outlined the whys, hows and whos of Twitter in a series of Social Media posts but sometimes what really makes a difference is some hands on help.  So we developed a workshop!

What: Intro to Twitter

I will explain the whys and hows of Twitter and walk you through getting you started!  If you don't have an account yet, we will sign you up together.

Before the evening is done you will:

- be following interesting people - have interesting people following you - have interacted with people on Twitter - have deciphered the foreign language that is "Twitter speak" -  know how to say something of value in under 140 characters - have learnt how to build relationships and have meaningful conversations with like-minded people

You must bring a laptop or tablet with wireless capability.  The library has free wifi for anyone with an Ottawa Public Library card.  If you do not have a library card, let me know and we will make sure we can get you access.  If you do not have a laptop but would like to attend, please contact me at lara.wellman@gmail.com and we can make arrangements to get you one for the evening. If you would rather not pay by paypal, email me and we can make alternate arrangements.

When: March 22 at 7pm Where: Ottawa Public Library - Gloucester North branch Cost: $25

Here is the link to the Eventbrite listing to sign up.  I hope to see some of you there!

Soon you'll be tweeting like a pro and it'll make perfect sense. I promise.

Social Media Monday: Ottawa tweets

by Brie I often find myself wondering how people got their news before the Internet. Oh, I know, the radio and newspapers provide up to date and in depth news. But before I check either of those I always check the Internet. More specifically Twitter.

Twitter is how I found out it was a snow day in Ottawa and the buses weren't running. I was reminded on Twitter (oops) that it was actually a PD day. Twitter is very, very useful in my life.

Here are some useful people to follow on Twitter if you want to keep up with family events and news around Ottawa:

@ottawastart shares events and happenings around Ottawa, many of them family friendly. @missfish and @danigirl also do a great job of sharing Ottawa events for families.

Keep up to date with everything happening at all the great museums in Ottawa by following @Civilization, @CanWarMuseum, @MuseumofNature, @scitechmuseum and @AgMuseum. And at this time of year it is a smart idea to be following @winterlude.

For information you may want to know about your kids schools, follow @OCDSB or the @OttCatholicDSB.  And for updates about events or issues related to the city, follow @ottawacity or @ottawahealth, which was useful in keeping up with flu wait times back in the Fall of 2009.

And last, but not least, you can follow us at @kidsincapital!

What or who are your favorite Ottawa Twitter accounts to follow for family or kid related updates and news in the city?

Brie is the mom of a 4 year old daughter “the girl” and 2 old son “the boy”. You can read her blog at Capital Mom.

Social Media Monday : Podcasts

by Lara I recently re-discovered my love of podcasts, something I haven't taken the time for since I stopped commuting on the bus in 2008. But a few local folks that I know personally have been producing podcasts so I started listening again, and I remembered just how great podcasts are!

A podcast, (according to Wikipedia) is a series of digital media files (either audiovideo) that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication.

Podcasts are fabulous for keeping you entertained when you're on the bus, in the car, exercising or cleaning.  Instead of just listening to the radio, you can listen to programs on pretty much any topic you can think of!

Podcasts are free and you can listen to to many online or download them onto your computers or MP3 players. I have an iPhone, so I subscribe to podcasts through iTunes, but you can also subscribe via RSS and download them to other players.

Here are some  great podcasts you may want to check out from my iPhone and a poll of other friends on Facebook and Twitter.

CBC:has some great podcasts that range in topics from comedy to music to discussions of culture and entertainment.  Some that have been highly recommended are Q, DNTO, Vinyl Cafe, and the Age of Persuasion.

Health: Cut the Fat , the Reasonable Diet's Six Minutes of Sanity and Fat to Fit.

Local: Erin Blaskiehas some nice short podcasts on different business issues and the  Contrariansare three local  bloggers talking about social media topics.

Marketing and Social Media: Six Degrees of Separation and For Immediate Release.

NPR (National Public Radio): Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me and This American Life.

Video podcasts:I don't watch video podcasts because I'm generally doing something else when I'm listening but I like to keep some on my phone for the kids when they need to be distracted. There are a lot of fun ones! My kids love They Might Be Giants and you can also find Sesame Street among a many many other choices.

This list is just the tip of the iceberg.  Do you listen to podcasts and if so what do you listen to? Do you have any podcats about parenting or activities to do with kids to recommend?

Kids in the Capital is conducting a survey this week to learn more about our readers and better understand what kind of information you'd like to see here.  Please take 5 minutes to answer, and you'll be entered into a draw for a free photo from Sara McConnell Photography at the Red, White and Love event on February 12. Click here to take survey

Social Media Monday: Coming out from behind the computer

by Brie The social media possibilities are endless. Blogging, Twitter, Flicker, Stumble Upon and LinkedIn are just a few of the ways you can participate in social media. You can write, read, upload, tweet, share. Maybe you are just dipping your feet into social media. Maybe you have jumped in fully clothed. However you are doing it and for whatever reason you are doing it, there always comes a time when you move out from behind the screen and make it real.

Social media is a way to connect with other people. For Lara and I it has been a great way to connect with other parents. And once you start connecting online, there is also the interest in connecting offline.

I am happy to say that I have meet many, many awesome people in real life after knowing them first online. Like Lara. Like most of the fabulous Kids in the Capital contributors. Like some of our readers that have joined us for our play dates and meetups.

The hardest part of meeting someone in person that you have met online is getting over the worry. Are they the same in person as they are online? Will they think I am the same in person that I am online? Will we still like each other? I am happy to say that most people are exactly like I expect them to be in person after meeting them online. And that I now count many of them as friends.

The key word to remember about social media is social. You might have to give yourself a talking to, but it really is worth coming out from behind your computer. If only every  once in a while.

So, in keeping with the idea of connecting offline we want to mention two "in real life" ways of meeting with Kids in the Capital contributors and readers.

Meetup Join us Wednesday, January 19th at 7:30pmfor a meetup at Woody's on Elgin (330 Elgin). It's a chance to hang out and chat without kids interrupting the conversations. Woohoo!

Play dates We are having weekly playdates on Wednesday mornings around town. Everyone is invited and we hope you can join us.  This Wednesday, January 19th we'll be meeting at 10am at the Museum of Nature (at the boat on the second floor).  We'd love to see you there.  There will be a post with more details on locations soon and we will be updating the sidebar of Kids in the Capital with weekly information.

We hope to see you offline very soon!

Brie is the mom of a 4 year old daughter “the girl” and 2 old son “the boy”. You can read her blog at Capital Mom.

Social Media Monday : Flickr

by Angela So, it is Monday and you have some lovely photos from your wonderful weekend family foray...

...that you would like to share with your family

...that you can't wait to blog

...that you would like to crop and convert to black and white...and fix that red eye your son is suffering from;)

...that you would like some input on, to find out why your night shots are so shaky

Which photo sharing site can you join where  you can find all this and so much more?

Even a group dedicated to *kids in the capital* readers and contributors? Flickr of course.

Flickr.com is a photo sharing website, acquired by Yahoo, that offers sharing and storage services. Last year it was purported to have had  5 billion images uploaded to the site.

A menu of basic services are available with a Free account ( 300MB of photo uploads, 2 video uploads and participation in 10 groups ).

A Pro account can be had for 24.95 a year, providing unlimited online photo and video storage, tools to keep your photos organized, a choice of privacy levels, photo editing capability through picnik, online print services from snapfish and the ability to upload your photos directly from your Flickr stream to your blog or twitter. And more.

What Flickr also offers is a community. From beginner to specialized pro, there is a group for everyone...and everything. Regional groups are popular, like Positively Ottawa and Canon EOS Digital Ontario, as are theme or inspiration groups like Bench Monday, Face Down Tuesdays, Six Word Story or a number of groups dedicated to 365 projects ( a photo a day for a full year ).

There are also groups available specifically to women photographers, teen photographers, film shooters, Polaroid enthusiasts...any arena that a photographer could hope for. Some groups exist to showcase work only while others allow and encourage you to interact with fellow members. The Flickr Central group is a good place to start for general information.

Uploading to Twitter or posting a public photo your blog is as easy as clicking a tab above your photo, once you set up your profile. The embedded photo then links right back to your Flickr stream, where you can introduce your readers to more of your work.

Social media with a photographic twist. How awesome is that? There is flickrmail, tagging and commenting available on photos. You can also link your Flickr to your Facebook and get creative with  photo mosaics and so much more through * bighugelabs*.

The potential for fun with your photos on flickr is huge.

There are also several apps available for the iPad to make your Flickr experience that much more enjoyable.

And with thousands of photos being uploaded from across the world every minute...yes, thousands a minute...there is inspiration to be found at every turn.

Our own *kids in the capital* blog has had a Flickr group for a while now.

In it's original form, it provided a place to share photos taken for photo challenges designed to inspire our photo taking, introduced on the blog in the Spring of 2009. Now, for 2011, we are expanding the scope of the group. We are inviting all *kids in the capital* readers and contributors to join our Flickr group. The group is family friendly and welcomes photos of your families enjoying Ottawa area activities, celebrating holidays or just hanging around the house:). Looking to improve your photo taking skills? Ask questions in the group - there are several experienced photographers already in the group, happy to share tips and ideas.

The *kids in the capital* flickr group is  linked to the blog, allowing the group photos to be showcased in the sidebar. We have a great gang of writing contributors that share with the blog, and now the group has a place for it's photographers:).

Signing up with Flickr only takes only a minute or two and is a fabulous option for anyone looking to connect and learn and socialize, all around the the photographs you make.

See you in the group!

Angela is mom to a teen, tween and toddler, wife of an intrepid businessman, master of two big dogs and she loves her camera-baby very much. She is a displaced montrealer living in Long Sault, Ontario. She blogs at From the Dock.