Dietetics and Cupcakes: An Unlikely Marriage

The Third in a Series of Five Guest Posts

With the Christmas break in full swing I was planning on taking a break from my various blogs. However, I then received another guest post and realised it would require little true effort from me to add it here. (Yep, I’m definitely in holiday mode!) I caught up with Kate Odgers-Jewell last year at a 10 year reunion for her graduating class. I was surprised to learn that she has since embarked upon not one but in fact two careers and is also close to completing doctoral studies; only wish I had that much energy. Perhaps more importantly for readers of this blog, social media has a significant place in both of Kate’s careers.

My name is Kate Odgers-Jewell. I completed high school in 2001 and went straight to University. I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the sciences, but wasn’t clear on the end goal. After a year of studying Applied Science majoring in Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, I realized that nutrition and dietetics was the perfect career for me! I then changed Universities and started on the pathway to becoming a dietitian! This entailed completing a Bachelor of Biomedical Science, followed by a Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics, which I followed up with Honours after being offered a great topic and scholarship for a sixth month project.

After graduating I began working as a clinical dietitian at the Gold Coast Hospital, during which time my mother decided to start a cupcake business, Cupcake Passion, and asked for my help. I offered to assist her with the establishment of the business, for example building a website, testing recipes, starting a Facebook page, market research, and pricing our products. We assumed that the business would be a little hobby and that I would be able to return my focus to my dietetics career within a few short months.  Cupcake Passion has now been running for four and a half years, and business is really booming! Since starting the business, I have taken a two-month break to travel around Europe, and then decided to take on a PhD in the area of group-based education for chronic disease management. I am currently at the half way mark in my doctoral studies, and am looking forward to finishing in early 2014.

Kate Odgers-Jewell: Dietitian and Cupcake Provider!

During my post-graduate studies I have worked as a tutor, lecturer and lab demonstrator.  The communication with students in this line of work is via a University based ‘blackboard’ platform, which allows me to email students, write memos and place posts on discussion boards. Colleagues have also used Facebook pages for their subjects in the past year to keep students up to date with any changes to lecture times or assignments, and to provide additional resources. This Social Media option has been found to be very beneficial. I would definitely like to try this with my students in future, as I have found that students generally check their Facebook accounts much more frequently than they do their university accounts!

We utilize various social media platforms for Cupcake Passion, including a Facebook fan page, Flickr photostream, a Twitter account (which I have linked to our Facebook page to minimize time wastage), as well as Pinterest boards and Instagram. At the moment we mainly use our Facebook fan page and Flickr photostream to keep customers up to date with our photos as well as any current news. I think that customers enjoy the interactivity of our Facebook fan page, whilst it certainly makes life easier for us and allows us to spend less time updating our website.  If I had more time on my hands, I would be more active on our Pinterest and Instagram accounts too! I think that social media is certainly beneficial for businesses- and I love the fact that all of the information required can be found so quickly and easily.

Just one of the astonishing creations available from Cupcake Passion. Look for them on Facebook.

For residents of the Gold Coast, be certain to look for Cupcake Passion on Facebook. I’m sure this photo alone convinces you that you need to!

 

 

An Ordinary Girl Living An Extraordinary Life

The Second in a Series of Five Guest Posts

I consider it a privilege to know Jesinta Campbell. In 2008 and 2009, I taught her at Aquinas College on the Gold Coast and she was an exceptional English student, hard-working, sensitive and insightful. I particularly remember her heart-felt response to the well-known Jodi Picoult novel My Sister’s Keeper. Jesinta is, to my mind, the perfect counter argument to the stereotypical perception of the “dumb beauty queen.” She is capable of so much and I know that gradually Australia and the world will come to see her in a very different light. Jesinta has rightly become a role model for young, female Australians but it’s high time that her “demographic” broadened. Yes, she is extraordinarily beautiful but she considers herself just “an ordinary girl living an extraordinary life.”

When I asked a number of past students to offer their opinions on Social Media and education, she was quick to respond and found time in her hectic schedule to provide the insights which follow. But, before that, here is the only photo you will ever see with this caption!

The Connected Teacher and The Miss Universe Finalist

 

It’s fair to say that social media, in all its forms, has a huge influence on our lives. Even if you have no interaction personally with any platform– Facebook, Twitter or Instagram – all have become such a big part of our culture that almost everyone (unless you live under a rock) has heard of them. The term “social media” has become a part of the vernacular – not a day would go by that you don’t talk about it or read about it. What most people don’t realize is that even if you have nothing to do with it, it has influenced you or someone you know. Print publications have had to make adjustments due to information being so readily available online and TV shows have begun to include it in production so that they can reach a wider audience and interact with viewers. Politicians have adopted social media strategies to get in touch with people they usually wouldn’t have access to and some of the stories you read in the newspapers have actually been sourced from places like Twitter.

In my field of work, social media is everything; not a day, in fact, not even a few hours (unless I am sleeping) go by without me checking out what the people I am following on Twitter are writing, updating my blog or Facebook status or even posting a picture on Instagram. It’s fair to say that I am very familiar with social media and how it works, it’s often part of my contracts with certain brands or TV shows. I am contracted to tweet and use Instagram.

This brings me to my next point. Should we allow social media to be used in classrooms by our students? My immediate answer is “yes” followed by a very quick “Only if…” Like anything there are going to be pros and cons and social media is not excused from this. In fact I believe that if schools are considering the idea of utilizing social media in the classroom they need to be very realistic about the positive and negative effects of it. I have been blessed to have had positive experiences with social media. Some people aren’t so lucky. We’ve seen sports stars “come undone” with careless tweeting and we’ve all witnessed the very public effects that Twitter trolls had upon media personality Charlotte Dawson. We’ve all viewed YouTube videos that have gone viral, divided religious groups and been the catalyst for huge riots. Then, there are the stories that none of us hear about; the bullying, intimidation and online abuse of people on platforms such as Facebook.

Social media can be dangerous, very dangerous if you don’t know what you are dealing with. I recently attended a luncheon with our Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, along with nine other young people who were seen as the Top 10 Most Influential people on social media under the age of 30. I felt so honoured to be included in the group alongside TV presenters, Olympians, sport stars, actors and bloggers. It was a fantastic lunch; we spent two hours with the PM discussing our experiences and interactions with Social Media. We shared personal stories and our own ideas and viewpoints on various online platforms. One of the topics brought up was the NBN (National Broadband Network) being introduced to Australia.

For those of you who don’t know, the NBN will allow 93% of workplaces, schools and homes to be connected to a superfast broadband network allowing communication to happen all but instantaneously – yep, that’s possible! After our Prime Minister explained the ins and outs of it all to us and the multiple benefits that the NBN would have for Australia, we raised a point, the most valid of the lunch in my opinion; how was the government going to manage the effects that this superfast, super-accessible network would have on our youth?

Having access to this kind of network also has obvious benefits. However, we said we would all like to see programs integrated into the current school curriculum that teach students how to conduct themselves on social media and how to manage their interactions with other people on whatever platform they are using. The “trouble” with social media is anonymity, young people feel as if they don’t have to take responsibility for their words. What most people fail to realize is that everything you post is just like walking in wet concrete; it leaves an imprint forever. So, in reality, we should all be even more conscious of everything we post, instead of the nonchalant manner in which we are currently approaching social media. If our government and schools can teach students how to conduct themselves on social media and raise their awareness about the impact their interactions have, then I believe social media is fantastic tool that can be harnessed for good in the classroom.

In the lead up to the Miss Universe pageant I spent hours on social media. What most people don’t realize is that when you compete in the pageant you need to be up to date and have opinions on current affairs and what is happening in the world around you. You are constantly interacting with people from all around the world and are interviewed and asked questions on a daily basis about any topic you could possibly imagine. Every day in the lead up to pageant I would read every major newspaper in the world via twitter and follow humanitarian groups, charities and influential world leaders on blogs, Facebook and of course Twitter. This allowed me to broaden my 18-year-old view of the world by being exposed to what was happening around me. This simply would not have been possible without the aid of social media.

I am a glass half full kind of girl so when I was asked the question if Social Media should be included in the classroom I couldn’t help but say yes. When I reflect on the way in which it has broadened my world I can’t help but see the positive impact it could have in the classroom. My glass is always half full but I am not wearing Coke bottle glass goggles so I am aware of the negative impact it could also have. This is why I say yes to social media in the classrooms, only if our government and teachers can find a way to first educate students on the power and potential negative effects.

Now, Jesinta has 36,000 followers on Twitter (…whilst her former teacher has 328!) but if you want to join the hordes she can be found @JesintaCampbell. More importantly we would love some feedback and comments. Remember that this young woman is one of the most influential “under 30s” on Social Media … and she has the ear of Prime Minister Gillard.

 

It’s All About the Music

The First in a Series of Five Guest Posts

A few weeks ago I hit upon an excellent idea; well, at least I think it’s an excellent idea! I know that a good number of the better known edubloggers guest blog on each other’s sites. However, I’ve decided to take a slightly different approach. Using Facebook, I have made contact with ten past students, each of whom have gone on to become what I would consider a genuine success story. Of course, each of these talented young men and women have chosen a different career path and I’ve attempted to select a good cross section.

The first two contributions have come in and so I thought it was timely to post the first. Timely, because just yesterday (December 1, 2012) Jewel Topsfield published an excellent article, This T is For Teaching, in The Age about the use of Twitter in schools. (…and yes, I am quoted in it!)

I asked each of the past students to provide their views on social media, the platforms they use, the benefits to their career and whether schools should be teaching “responsible use.” The first post is from Ian Camilleri; but I’ll shortly allow him to introduce himself. Of course, both Ian and I would welcome your questions and comments. At the bottom of the post you will find contact details for Ian and a link to his website.

Ian Camilleri: Audio Engineer and Music Producer

 

My name is Ian Camilleri and since graduating from secondary school in 2001, I have been pursuing a career in the entertainment / advertising / media industry.  In 2005, I attained a Bachelor Of Popular Music from the Queensland Conservatorium and in 2007, I relocated from the Gold Coast to Sydney to seek employment opportunities in this field. Five years later, I have secured a full time position as an Audio Engineer at the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS Australia) and have also started my own recording studio business; where I am a recognised Music Producer, Sound Designer, Composer and Audio Engineer.

Social media sites have been, and continue to be, a large contributor to the career progressions I have made over the past five years.  They have proven time and time again to be the most effective way in which I learn more about my industry, stay in contact with colleagues and clients, seek new contacts and potential opportunities and let the industry know what I’ve been up to. They also allow me to maintain awareness; much like a brand does through marketing campaigns – putting me “front of mind” should an opportunity arise. I currently use three primary social media sites on a daily basis; Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and use others like Instagram or Soundcloud sparingly for more specific applications.

As the most popular social media site in the world, Facebook serves me two purposes.  My personal profile is used to find and stay in contact with anyone I’ve ever known; from family to close friends, acquaintances, former work colleagues and schoolmates.  I very rarely add people whom I have never met nor been in contact with, as my profile reveals personal information about myself and, my posts are mostly personal thoughts, opinions, experiences and interactions.  As I have accumulated a high volume of contacts or ‘friends’ on this platform (some of which are industry contacts), I also post about work related topics and promote what I have been up to; however, I mostly leave that for my Facebook business page.  Here, I promote my services, show pictures of my studio and post about my latest projects and work related experiences.  As part of a Facebook business page, I also receive detailed information on how my page is tracking, and how many people I am reaching with my activity.  This is very useful to understand how to market effectively to my targeted audience and attract more interest in my product.  I often ‘pay to promote’ important posts in order to reach more people and in the near future, I may even invest in the more structured paid advertising options.

As Twitter is a much simpler concept that other social media sites (and more useful for well-known public figures), I have chosen to link it to my Facebook business page so that anything I post on Facebook is also simultaneously tweeted on Twitter.  My Twitter feed is also featured on my website therefore, I treat my Twitter profile as another work related platform.

The most useful of all social media sites for networking with my industry, seeking potential career opportunities and furthering my business is LinkedIn.  LinkedIn allows me to display professional information about me; current position, work history, skills, experience and references.  Much like an online CV, it allows potential employers / recruiters and business clients to find out more about me professionally.  So far, this has proven to be the most useful tool for building a great contact database, staying ‘plugged in’ to what’s happening within the industry, finding and expressing interest in employment opportunities and attracting work for my business.  I often use the ‘People You May Know’ tool which allows me to look for and connect with other people in the industry who may be connected somehow with my existing list of contacts.  I currently have 430 ‘connections’ or contacts that could include potential employers with future career prospects or clients with work for my business.

While I believe having an online presence through social media sites is important, their effectiveness is very much dependent on the frequency and amount of activity put into them.  With the internet on my smartphone as well as at home and at work, I access social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn on a regular basis; often hourly on any given day.  Most of the time, I am simply observing and reading other’s activity, but I will often contribute in some way; either ‘liking’ or commenting on posts, and sometimes sharing something I like.  I try to create my own posts at least 3 -5 times a week in order to appear regularly in the ‘newsfeed’ but not so much that my contacts are annoyed by constant and uninteresting posts.  When I do post, I usually put some thought into how I will phrase it, so as to encourage people to ‘like’, comment, or even to start a discussion on the topic.  The more people that are engaged in a post, the more successful I feel it is and, the more likely people are willing to contribute to my posts in the future.

As with any online presence, there are risks involved in what I display or post but ultimately, the choice lies with me.  Having a good understanding of these risks and how to avoid them helps me to make informed decisions about what I show and what I don’t.  For example, I choose not to show my address information on any of my profiles so as to avoid any risks to my safety and the security of my belongings.  I am also very cautious when posting, that I don’t say something to offend anyone who may see the post; leading to disputes, legal consequences, employment termination or a loss of future work.  As long as these risks are understood and correct social media practices taught, the advantages to having an active and dynamic online presence far outweighs the dangers.

Many of the current social media sites began in small institutions like schools or colleges and it’s in these environments that I believe it is most useful.  Also, with the way the rest of the world has already been integrating social media into everyday practices, (particularly in the workplace), it is only logical that classrooms should provide the right education; if only to prepare students for the real world.  In the school environment, it would not only connect teachers, students and parents in a highly efficient network, but it would also allow for endless possibilities as to how the current curriculum is taught.

As students are being exposed to the dynamic world of social media more and more in their personal lives, the often flat and very structured curriculum currently taught in schools will lose its appeal and consequently, the interest of students.  The use of social media interaction in the classroom would inspire teachers and education boards to come up with new and creative ways to teach; engaging and exciting students to get the most out of their education.  It would also provide valuable tools for educators to be able to monitor, assess, review and improve systems as often as they wish.

The truth is, whether we choose to embrace it or not, social media has definitely reshaped the way we interact with others in our everyday lives.  I believe that in order to have the best chance at a successful and rewarding career in this new era, as with everything, it needs to start in the classroom.

Why not head to www.iancamillerimusic.com and click on the contact page where you will see all of Ian’s social networking links. While you’re there, why not check out some of his work!