In September 2012, Ag Comm Web Services offered 3 webinars to help people take control of their own learning through the use of a personal learning network. If you are interested in building a personal learning network, check out the recordings below to help you get started.

They are archives of Wimba webconferences. If prompted for a "room" when accessing the archive, enter "NDSU_Ag".

Start Managing Your Own Learning - If you are not actively keeping up with your own learning and professional development, you are falling behind. A Personal Learning Network (PLN) can provide you with learning from leaders, experts and colleagues around the world, bringing together communities, resources and information impossible to access from within your office walls. Learn how you can get started on your own PLN and contribute to your professional development.

Getting Online Information to Come to You - One key to effective learning in the digital age is to get information to come to you. Learn how you can use online tools to get the information you need to come to you.

Finding People To Learn From - If you want to discover relevant online information that you can trust, connect with smart people who share your interests. People should be a big part of your online network. Learn how use social media to find and follow people who can really enhance your learning and professional development.

Bob Bertsch, Web Technology Specialist, (701) 231-7381; Sonja Fuchs, Web Technology Specialist, (701) 231-6403

Ag Communication has a new CD and DVD duplicator available in the Distribution Center. The machine can make copies of your CDs or DVDs quickly, printing on a full-color "label" in the same step. CDs are $2, and DVDs are $3. Remember, only CDs and DVDs that you own the copyright to legally can be copied. Also, only VHS tapes that aren't available as DVDs may be transferred. To learn more, contact me.

Terri Nelson, Distribution Center Manager Administrative Clerk, (701) 231-7882

This fall NDSU is switching to a new web conferencing tool called Blackboard Collaborate. Wimba Live Classroom still will be available and supported through Spring 2013. The reason for the switch is Blackboard purchased both Wimba and a similar company called Ellluminate and combined them to create Bb Collaborate. Archives will be accessible for a year or two after the transition, but if you have a Wimba archive that you will continue to use, contact me to discuss the options.

If you would like access to start playing around with Bb Collaborate, contact me. See the Bb Collaborate website to learn more.

Some changes also are coming for Live Meeting and Office Communicator.  With the Microsoft Office 365 transition, these soon will be changed to Microsoft Lync.

Scott Swanson, Electronic Media Specialist, (701) 231-7086

The North Dakota Agriculture in the Classroom Council is offering grants up to $500 to groups or individuals sponsoring programs or projects that promote agricultural literacy. About $12,000 will be awarded.

The proposed project must be targeted to young people 5-18 years of age and should enhance student knowledge of the contribution made by agriculture. Applications asking for funds for equipment or curriculum as well as those that involve innovative approaches to promoting agricultural literacy will be given preference. New applicants and school teachers also will be given preference.

Applications are due Sept. 7. Learn more and download the application.

Becky Koch, Ag Communication Director, (701) 231-7875

Every year in September, state documents are voted on for the 2012 Notable State Government Documents award at the North Dakota Library Association. The three documents that win are then forwarded to a national competition. Two documents  produced by NDSU faculty and Ag Communication have been selected for this year’s national competition :

Home Lawn Problems and Solutions for North Dakota by Alan Zuk, Janet Knodel and Ron Smith

Pulses : The Perfect Food by Julie Garden-Robinson

Sharon Lane, Distribution Center Manager, (701) 231-7882

NDSU Ag Comm Web Services will offer several learning opportunities this month.The schedule includes two Ag CMS Web development trainings and three sessions about learning through online networks.

All sessions will be delivered online. All times are Central.

Don’t be confused about when to capitalize “extension.”

If you are referring to the organization, capitalize. For example, “The NDSU Extension Service is hosting a sheep shearing clinic Sept. 23.” The reason for capitalizing the words is that they are the proper name of the organization.

Also, use the organization's complete name – North Dakota State University Extension Service – on first reference to the organization.

On future references to the organization in the same document, Extension is OK, but be sure to capitalize it. That’s to distinguish the organization from the generic “extension.” For example, “Presenters for the workshop will include Extension livestock specialists.”

Ellen Crawford, Information Specialist, (701) 231-5391

You may not be aware that Facebook has very specific rules for how you deal with promotions, contests and giveaways on your Facebook page.

Many Facebook pages are violating the Facebook Terms of Service because they are not using a third-party application to run their contest or giveaway.

The Facebook Terms state, "Promotions on Facebook must be administered within Apps on Facebook.com, either on a Canvas Page or a Page App."

You can't run a promotion using the Facebook "Like" button, comments on a post, a photo album or any other native Facebook space. Using an app allows you to run your promotion of a separate tab on your Facebook page or on a "canvas page."

Here are some of the other rules for promotions and contests on Facebook that you need to be aware of:

• Make sure each participant has released Facebook of any legal responsibility for the contest.
• Acknowledge that the promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.
• You must not require participants to "Like" your page, comment on your post, post a photo or perform any other Facebook function to enter your contest.
• You must not notify winners through Facebook messages, chat, or posts on profiles (timelines) or Pages.

Find the complete Facebook terms for promotions at http://www.facebook.com/page_guidelines.php

Facebook can and has removed entire Facebook Pages because they have violated these terms regarding contests, promotions and giveaways.

Bob Bertsch, Web Technology Specialist, (701) 231-7381

Portlets are a great and easy way to add some spice to your website! Use the News or Events portlets to display the latest. Easy to set up and no monitoring after that. Got a Facebook page? Have all your Facebook activity and fans display on your site. There are many more portlets to choose from, so see what works best for you.

Portlet Resources:

One hour recorded training for Portlets

Portlets section in the Ag CMS How-To Guide

Sonja Fuchs, Web Technology Specialist, (701) 231-6403
Bob Bertsch, Web Technology Specialist, (701) 231-7381

For the past year-and-a-half, I've been producing the Working Differently in Extension Podcast to keep Extension professionals up-to-date on new technologies and how they might use them to improve their teaching and learning.

This year the podcast has focused more on the impact the rapidly changing knowledge landscape is having on the roles of Extension educators. I've been interviewing a number of people using online tools and social media for new and exciting Extension work.

Earlier this year, I talked with University of Minnesota Extension forester Eli Sagor (@esagor on Twitter). Eli is a "tree guy" and a social media guy. He's the creator and manager of the online resource My Minnesota Woods.

I had a great conversation with Alice Henneman, food safety and nutrition educator with University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in Lancaster County, about the use of social media tools, like Facebook and Pinterest, in Extension education.

A few weeks ago, Dr. Tony Cook, Alabama Cooperative Extension 4-H science and technology specialist, joined me to talk about the For Youth, For Life Learning Network project. Dr. Cook leads this exciting project that leverages the power of online networks for youth learning. The project recently received won $150,000 in the Badges for Lifelong Learning Competition.

Those are just 3 of the 13 interviews that have been featured on the podcast this year. I'm looking forward to producing 13 more this year, asking really smart people the questions that challenge those of us interested in working differently in Extension.

I hope you'll listen to at least a few of the podcasts. Let me know if you have suggestions for future guests or if you'd like to know more about podcasting.

Bob Bertsch, Web Technology Specialist, (701) 231-7381