Closing

Preparation

None

Summary

Present

We’ve covered a lot of material in this workshop. I want to take some time to reflect on the workshop and also to make a list of things that we can bring back to our respective places.

The workshop materials are all online as well as resources and links that we didn’t cover in class. The things you created are online and hopefully you have them bookmarked.

Integrating some of the tools we’ve talked about is going to be a big job because you’ll need consensus from your RE Council and possibly the Standing Committee (or their equivalents) in order to start using them. Making sure you have consensus will reduce the number of problems that you’ll have trying to get people on board.

However, there are a number of tools that you can start using today:

1. You can start blogging today about your RE work.

   If you do this, make sure to contact the UUA and get your blog syndicated on

2. You can start using Doodle to schedule meetings.

   Doodle allows you to throw together a bunch of dates and times for an event or meeting, send the url to people, and help you coordinate finding a good meeting time. No one needs an account and the information that gets used is pretty uninteresting.

   If it doesn’t work out, you haven’t lost anything.

3. You can start using PiratePad.

   PiratePad doesn’t require anyone to have an account. Pads are created and thrown away. You can use it to maintain meeting minutes. You can use it for hashing out text for brochures and other marketing materials.

   If it doesn’t work out, you haven’t lost anything.

4. You can start using Flickr for finding photos.

   This is a great resource for Creative Commons licensed material.

5. You can start using Jamendo for finding music.

   This is a great resource for Creative Commons licensed material.

6. You can start reading other RE professional’s blogs.

   Use these for keeping tabs on other RE professionals and what’s working for them as well as research for future projects and needs.

7. You can use SurveyMonkey for surveys.

8. You can use Evite and Crush3r for managing event invitations.

9. You can use Wikipedia for Creative Commons licensed video, images, and text.

Activity: Reflecting

Present

Take a few moments to think about all the things we’ve covered.

We talked about tools for communication: blogging, microblogging, podcasts, photo sharing, social networking.

We talked about tools for collaboration: office tools, text editing, wikis.

We talked about tools for coordination: calendar, scheduling, invitations, raising money, surveys.

We talked about concerns with social media like privacy, safety, accessibility, what happens when the tools change.

We talked about how to evaluate tools going forward.

Let everyone think for a minute or two.

Activity: Bringing back

Present

Let’s go around and talk about things we want to bring back. This is a chance to talk about things that excite you, possibilities that you want to research some more, problems that you feel equipped to solve, problems that are still open-ended for which you’re going to have to do some more research or work.

Let’s go around in a circle. If you have something to say, say it. If you don’t–which is totally fine–feel free to pass.

Go around and discuss until it peters out