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Innovate NDSU Extension Recap

The inaugural Innovate NDSU Extension event was held October 17, 2016. 30 participants on 7 teams came together to imagine, design and create innovative solutions to the complex challenges facing NDSU Extension and the people we serve.

Three teams were recognized by their peers for their innovative projects.

1st Place - Team Whack Pack, Master Civic Ambassador Program

Team Whack Pack

Team Whack Pack (L to R): Ryan Buetow, Nicole Wardner, Lynette Flage, Diane Hahn and Angie Johnson. Coached by Jerry Thomas (not pictured)..

Issue: Civic engagement, farm and business transition and rural communities. Solution: Create a Master Civic Ambassador program using local volunteers to help rejuvenate civic leadership, promote diversity and inclusion, and assist with transitions of boards and councils. This will help community leaders build a civic resume.

2nd Place - EXTenders, NDSU Extension Website Improvement & App

EXTenders

EXTenders (L to R): Kim Ruliffson, Paige Brummund, Dirk Monson (coach), Miranda Meehan, Desiree Steinberger and Jodi Bruns.

Issue: Lack of public understanding of NDSU Extension Service and lack of focus on NDSU Extension priorities. Solution: Improve NDSU Extension website to be more mobile and searchable. Develop an NDSU Extension Service app featuring the NDSU Extension calendar of events. The team also drafted a video ad and t-shirts explaining what NDSU Extension can do for you. The team proposed a mandate for all of NDSU Extension Service to use social media.

3rd Place - Bizoneyz, App to Address Public Disconnect with Agriculture

Bizoneyz

Bizoneyz (L to R): Kim Bushaw, Katie Wirt, Danae Wolfe (coach), Carmen Rath-Wald and Charlie Stoltenow.

Issue: Public disconnect with agriculture. Solution: Develop an app with augmented reality "Pokefarm" game, location-based agritourism pop-up facts, trivia game, location-based coupons and notifications when you are near an NDSU Extension office. The app would also include livestream videos showing on-farm ag production.

All the teams did a great job!

Participants were asked to share their Innovate NDSU Extension experience on social media. Here are some of their posts.

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Building the Innovate Playlist

music playlistOne of the things we want to do at Innovate NDSU Extension is to create a physical environment that encourages creativity and innovation. Research has shown that the sights, sounds and scents in a workplace can have a positive impact on the number of new products a company produces (Dul, Ceyan, The Impact of a Creativity-supporting Work Environment on a Firm's Product Innovation Performance, The Journal of Production Innovation Management, 2014).

At Innovation NDSU Extension, this starts with getting you out of your office, and giving you the time and space to think creatively. We are also paying close attention to the sights, scents and sounds that can help set an environment for innovation.

One of the key pieces will be our playlist. There is evidence that upbeat music can make people more cooperative, and team cooperation is important to the work we will be doing at Innovate NDSU Extension.

We'd like your help setting an upbeat playlist for the event. Submit your suggestions here. Feel free to submit as many songs as you want. You might hear one of your favorite upbeat songs when you join us for Innovate NDSU Extension, Monday, October 17, from 12:30 – 8 p.m. CT at the Wanzek Center for Scouting in Fargo, ND. The cost is $25 and you can register as part of your 2016 NDSU Extension/REC Conference registration.

To learn more about the event, subscribe to the NDSU Extension Innovation blog for updates or contact , or .

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Why "Innovate NDSU Extension"?

Giraffe Tongue
Photo by Hilary Bertsch. Used with permission.
By now, you've probably heard about Innovate NDSU Extension, but you may be thinking, "Why?" "Why do we need to innovate?" "Why do you think this event will even work?" "Why  do giraffes have black tongues?"

We'll answer at least two of those questions below, but first, in case you haven't heard about it.

Innovate NDSU Extension is your time to imagine, design and create. All NDSU Extension employees are invited to this fun and energetic event. You'll work with a small group of your colleagues on creative solutions to the complex challenges facing NDSU Extension and the people we serve. It will take place Monday, October 17, from 12:30 – 8 p.m. CT at the Wanzek Center for Scouting in Fargo, ND. The cost is $25 (snacks, beverages, and pizza included) and you can register as part of your 2016 NDSU Extension/REC Conference registration.

O.K., here we go.

 

Why do we need to innovate?

Ohio State Extension Innovate Feedback
Feedback from the 2016 Innovate Extension event at Ohio State University

The lives of the people we serve and the challenges we face as a nation are becoming more complex. If Extension is going to help people address challenges like climate, energy security, food safety and obesity in a rapidly changing world, we need to continually adjust and change. We need to innovate.

The Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) has recognized our need to innovate. They've formed the Extension Task Force on Innovation. eXtension is focusing on innovation, creating an Innovation Lab and supporting events like Innovate NDSU Extension.

NDSU Extension Service director Chris Boerboom saw the need to innovate in 2015 when he formed the NDSU Extension Service Innovation Team. This team works to increase the use of innovative tools and techniques in the NDSU Extension Service for learning and programming.

Why do you think this event will even work?

One reason we think it will work is that it has worked before. In May 2016, Ohio State University Extension put on an Innovate event. They had more than 140 participants, who came up with 22 ideas, projects, prototypes and concepts.

The feedback from the participants illustrated that the event was a success.

Based on the success of that event, eXtension is supporting similar events around the country, including Innovate NDSU Extension.

Why  do giraffes have black tongues?

According to reference.com, "...it is believed that the giraffe has a black tongue in order to protect the tongue from the sun because it spends a large part of their day reaching out with its tongue for food, as noted by Smithsonian. Without this dark color, it is believed that the giraffe's tongue might become sunburned."

Do you have all your questions answered? If not, earn more about Innovate NDSU Extension, subscribe to the NDSU Extension Innovation blog for updates or contact , or .

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Tech Coffee Break – Sept. 12, 2016

Here's a summary of the September 12, 2016 Tech Coffee Break. Out guiding topic was innovation.

I shared details about the upcoming Innovate NDSU Extension event taking place on October 17 in Fargo. In May, I served as a "creative coach" at a similar event put on by Ohio State University Extension. Amelia Doll, Dena Kemmet and I are organizing the Innovate NDSU Extension on behalf of the Innovation Team.

Innovate NDSU Extension will give you time and space to be innovative. We'll work in diverse small groups that will get us out of our comfort zones, help us be more innovative and hopefully develop a brand new idea

Join us for Innovate NDSU Extension, Monday, October 17, from 12:30 – 8 p.m. CT at the Wanzek Center for Scouting in Fargo, ND. The cost is $25 and you can register as part of your 2016 NDSU Extension/REC Conference registration.

We are still working on the agenda for the event, but here's a rough outline:

  • Jake Joraanstad, Myriad Mobile CEO, will kick off with his ideas of innovation
  • Creativity exercise – get to know your team
  • Ideation – develop ideas for your team’s innovation project/product, how to put it into practice and a pitch to deliver to everyone in the room

Innovation 

Technology and innovation often are hand in hand, but not necessarily eXtension defines innovation as creativity applied to produce positive impact. I asked the Tech Coffee Break participants about their definition of innovation. Here's what they said.

Mike Hanson said last week’s livestock in-service was innovative because staff got together in a different setting with new approaches. 

Katie Wirt said the Innovation Team discussion about the possibility of using Snapchat filters is innovative. 

Kelli Armbruster was excited to see agents thinking differently at livestock in-service. After supper around the campfire, they shared their most creative or positive programs. For example, Nicole Wardner is doing a Coffee and Commodities early in the morning for an informal discussion with producers. Kelcey Hoffman and Mary Berg are doing square-foot gardening containers in schools. Innovation doesn’t have to just be technology but thinking about things in a different way. 

Becky Koch shared that we're in the process of learning how to upload curricula to catalog.extension.org so we can sell digital downloads instead of having to mail DVDs or binders. 

Michael Knudson shared that the soil team has had coffee shop discussions. This may not be new but rather going back to some ideas Extension has used in the past. The Community Vitality team has put together a continuous improvement group. 

I think being innovative in Extension might be kind of like farming where you have to keep trying new things, tinkering with potential solutions.

Michael Knudson said sometimes we have to balance “the way we’ve been doing things” with changing and improving. For example, it’s important to be at big ag shows, but are we assessing the impact of the staff time spent on them? Are smaller, more intimate discussions more impactful? 

Ryan Buetow said we have the freedom and space, just not enough time in the day to do everything sometimes. 

Page Brummund said we have the flexibility, but time is the limiting factor. Lots of great ideas. 

Michael Knudson said we have lots of autonomy and freedom, but that’s often a double-edged sword since we have so many responsibilities, we often don’t have the freedom to choose for ourselves. 

Dean Aakre said his limiting factor often is the imagination. We do many things that people expect so we often do things similar to the way we have in the past. 

Katie Wirt and Amanda Dahners are lucky with two agents in the county so they can brainstorm together. 

I schedule time to meet with colleagues to simply talk about ideas, struggles, etc. Harold Jarche uses a seek, sense, share concept. How do we make sense of some information? Sometimes we need to say it out loud to someone else.

Thanks to Becky Koch for taking the notes that make up most of this post.

- Bob Bertsch

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Myriad Mobile CEO To Kick-off Innovate NDSU Extension

Co-founder and CEO of Myriad Mobile, one of the fastest growing companies in America, Jake Joraanstad will help us kick-off Innovate NDSU Extension.

Jake JoraanstadJake is an NDSU graduate who launched Myriad while he was still in college. The company is listed as the second-fastest growing company in North Dakota by Inc. magazine. Jake has worked directly with NDSU Extension Service to develop several smartphone and tablet apps, including "Winter Survival Kit," the most successful app NDSU Extension Service has produced.

In addition to creating an extremely successful business, Jake has been a community leader in Fargo and throughout North Dakota. He co-founded Emerging Prairie, which connects and celebrates the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Fargo-Moorhead.

Jake is an innovator. With energy and creativity, he has built a thriving business and had a positive impact on his community. He'll share his thoughts on creativity, innovation and more at Innovate NDSU Extension.

Innovate NDSU Extension is your time to imagine, design and create. All NDSU Extension employees are invited to this fun and energetic event. You'll work with a small group of your colleagues on creative solutions to the complex challenges facing NDSU Extension and the people we serve.

Join us for Innovate NDSU Extension, Monday, October 17, from 12:30 – 8 p.m. CT at the Wanzek Center for Scouting in Fargo, ND. The cost is $25 and you can register as part of your 2016 NDSU Extension/REC Conference registration.

To learn more about the event, subscribe to the NDSU Extension Innovation blog for updates or contact , or .

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What to Expect at Innovate NDSU Extension

Life on Mars
Modeling a Life on Mars creativity project at Ohio State University Extension's Innovate event.
Innovate NDSU Extension is a different kind of event. It has a different kind of schedule, 12:30 - 8 p.m. (what's up with that?). It has a different kind of sponsor, the NDSU Extension Innovation team (who the heck are they?) and it's based on a different way of working, the hack-a-thon (isn't hacking a bad thing?).

So, to set your mind at ease...actually your mind at ease is the last thing this event is about, so to get you excited about a day of creativity and innovation, here's what you can expect.

 - A creativity exercise. Before we start putting our minds to work on the issues North Dakotans and NDSU Extension face, we need to get some practice thinking creatively and collaborating in our groups. This creativity exercise will involve both of those things along with Legos and prizes.
 - A brainstorming session. You'll work with your group to brainstorm new and innovative ways of addressing important issues with new programs, new forms of delivery, new ways of teaching and working and hopefully some things you never would have guessed you would think of.
 - Pizza. 'nuff said.
 - The "pitch." Once your group has come up with an idea, you'll work together to develop and deliver your pitch. Your pitch will tell people why your idea matters and how it is going to make a difference. Creativity counts in your pitch. You'll need to keep people's attention while concisely explaining your idea. There will be prizes for pitches, as well.

The purpose of Innovate NDSU Extension is to:

1. Give you time, space and tools to be innovative 
2. Give you tools to make your future planning conversations more innovative 
3. Create an environment where innovation can happen around NDSU Extension work, and the needs of North Dakotans and their communities. 

Join us for Innovate NDSU Extension, Monday, October 17, from 12:30 – 8 p.m. CT at the Wanzek Center for Scouting in Fargo, ND. The cost is $25 (includes snacks, beverages, pizza and a gift) and you can register as part of your 2016 NDSU Extension/REC Conference registration.

To learn more about the event, subscribe to the NDSU Extension Innovation blog for updates or contact , or .

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Innovate NDSU Extension

Innovate NDSU - October 17, 2016

The day before this year's NDSU Extension/REC Conference, the NDSU Extension Innovation Team will offer a unique opportunity to generate new ideas for NDSU Extension.

Innovate NDSU Extension is your time to imagine, design and create. All NDSU Extension employees are invited to this fun and energetic event. You'll work with a small group of your colleagues on creative solutions to the complex challenges facing NDSU Extension and the people we serve.

Coaches from North Dakota and around the country will support your creative thinking and innovation. Snacks, beverages and pizza will be provided, and you’ll take home a tool you can use to help the groups you work with be more creative.

The purpose of Innovate NDSU Extension is to:

  • Give NDSU Extension staff time, space and tools to be innovative 
  • Give NDSU Extension staff tools to make their future planning conversations more innovative 
  • Create an environment where innovation can happen around NDSU Extension work, and the needs of North Dakotans and their communities. 

Join us for Innovate NDSU Extension, Monday, October 17, from 12:30 – 8 p.m. CT at the Wanzek Center for Scouting in Fargo, ND. The cost is $25 and you can register as part of your 2016 NDSU Extension/REC Conference registration.

To learn more about the event, subscribe to the NDSU Extension Innovation blog for updates or contact , or .

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Tech Coffee Break – Aug. 1, 2016

Ryan Buetow, Facilitator
18 attendees

SharePoint and OneDrive

Becky Koch said that SharePoint and OneDrive will be affected by the transition of email from NDSU to the University System since they’re all part of Office 365 in the cloud. No more SharePoint sites are being created now. A transition schedule and plan are still being developed.

OneDrive has a lot of space but is limited to 20,000 files. Becky tried to move all her documents and photos, but maxed out the system so is cleaning out files.

Bob Bertsch clarified that OneDrive synchs your computer with the cloud location, so you have the files both places.

Innovate Event Oct. 17

Bob announced that the NDSU Extension Innovation Team is planning an Innovate Event for faculty and staff on Oct. 17, the Monday before Fall Conference. The idea is to give teams and individuals time in a fun and creative atmosphere to create some innovation for Extension programming or issues. It’s based on a similar Ohio State event where Bob was an innovation coach. Registration will be as a pre-conference.

Dena said the email that will come soon will provide more details and motivate staff to attend. Details also will be on the Innovation Team website.

Social Media

Ryan said Facebook seems to be the most popular social media platform. He created a Facebook page for the DREC, which is mostly agronomy.

When Grand Forks County posts on Twitter, the message also goes to Facebook. Abbey Wick and Daryl Ritchison post nearly every day on Twitter. Use hashtags to help boost posts. Bayer CropScience does a good job of using infographics. When a company like Bayer retweets your information, it goes to all their followers.

Instagram shares photos and videos, and is owned by Facebook. It’s simple to upload a photo from the app. Like Twitter, use hashtags.

Jim Gray asked if there are demographics on who uses which social media platforms. Can we give staff advice on what social media to focus on if they have limited time? Bob shared the Pew Research Center’s Demographics of Social Media Users.

Carole Hadlich said with Facebook, you can tag others to connect. Michael Knudson said we should try to gather demographics from our followers. What he likes with using other platforms is that they’re all connected so he has to only post once. He posts mostly on Twitter, but the content also goes to his Facebook site. Bob suggested looking at analytics since crosspostings often don’t have the same level of engagement compared to if you design a post for a targeted platform. Michael said there’s more engagement if there’s a photo or video.

Ryan shared insights of the DREC Agronomy Facebook site. The 70 people are younger. He hasn’t paid for any boosting.

Glenn Muske has been working with colleagues across the country to test titles, photos, time of day, etc. on various social media platforms.

Ryan uses Snapchat with Geofilters. How could NDSU get our messages across incorporating filters? Both free and on-demand filters exist. He thinks universities are free. Maybe we should create ag facts for people as they travel along the interstates.

Is there a way we could use Pokemon Go? Have Pokestops at NDSU locations?

Next Tech Coffee Break

3 p.m. CDT, Monday, Sept. 12

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Tech Coffee Break - July 11, 2016

 

Tech Coffee Break Summary – July 11, 2016

Mike Knudson, Facilitator

~ 16 Participants

The Tech Coffee Break is a short web conference where you help set the agenda by:

  • sharing how you or someone you know has or might want to use technology to teach, reach an audience or solve a problem
  • throwing out a dilemma--others may know of a type of technology to suggest
  • connecting with and learning from your colleagues
  • giving a “shout-out” about a great way a colleague has used technology

 

Using SharePoint to Collaborate

SharePoint is a web-based application in Office 365 that allows groups to set up secure collaborative sites where members can store, organize, share and access information.

If we use OneDrive why would we use SharePoint? Please view the recording for explanation and see the Let’s Communicate article by Sonja Fuchs https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/agcomm/lets-communicate

  • OneDrive is a personal site that can be shared. If the OneDrive owner leaves NDSU, the site disappears. SharePoint is created with multiple administrators and meant to be more of a group/team site versus an individual’s site.

How do I request a SharePoint Site? Please view recording for discussion

Extension Leadership Team (ELT) is actively using SharePoint

Collaborative work is what these tools are for. Foster more teamwork, less travel time and greater productivity.

Yes can collaborate with non-NDSU and NDSU people on SharePoint sites. For example, for those of you working on writing grants with stakeholders that are outside of Extension a SharePoint site might be very useful.

Other Collaborative Tools

Do we still use Google anymore? Please view recording for discussion

  • NDSU Google is still available! Many of us still use it Google Drive, Docs, Forms, etc.
  • Uses for Google
    • Google Forms for Online Registrations and Evaluations
    • Access Databases

Using the NDSU Extension Calendar

Add events through Ag Info Center. Please view recording for discussion

Summary

We discussed SharePoint, OneDrive, Google, and Qualtrics. Resources are available to learn more about any of these tools. NDSU Extension Staff please join the NDSU Extension Innovation Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/NDSUExtInnovation!

Next Tech Coffee Break

3 p.m. Central Time, Monday, August 1

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Tech Coffee Break - June 6, 2016

Mike Knudson, Facilitator ~ 19 Participants

These Tech Coffee Breaks are for sharing of ideas and asking questions related to innovative tools and technology we are using or would like to explore.

Using Outlook

Everyone uses Outlook to some extent so please view the recording for discussion and sharing of some great tips for using many of the Outlook features! Thank you all for participating!

Outlook Calendar

Many like Outlook Calendar for organizational purposes such as:

  • Managing work and personal activities on one calendar
  • Being able to color code by programs, appointments, and type of tasks
  • Scheduling assistance when working in teams on events or programs
  • Ability to sync Outlook with mobile devices

Some things that we do not like:

  • Limitation in viewing many appointments/events in one day in the monthly view
    • Solution – start making it a habit to tab between monthly, weekly and daily views
  • Not being able to share the calendar with individuals outside of work (husband, wife, etc.)
    • Solution – Cross sharing calendar items with a Gmail calendar

Syncing calendar with your mobile devices

Some have had problems adding appointments/events to Outlook Calendar from an iPhone. Events are going to the wrong calendar by default. We just need to be aware of what calendar we are adding the event to. If you have multiple calendars on our phone by selecting calendar (see image) you can select which calendar to add the event to.

If you have multiple calendars on our phone by selecting calendar (see image) you can select which calendar to add the event to.

Another suggestion was to use the Outlook app. Here's a link to the app https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/agcomm/lets-communicate/microsoft-launches-outlook-apps-for-ios-and-android

Outlook Tips

The group discussed tips to improve your user experience in Outlook. These are discussed in the recording and includes screen sharing.

  • Using the “Private” setting on calendar items for personal appointments/events
  • Using the “Show As” selection so people know if you are free, busy, out of office, etc.
  • Using the “Scheduling Assistant” to find available times with teams you are working with
  • Using the “Tasks” feature and making the Tasks bar visible to encourage use. Using Tasks you can flag emails that you don’t have time to respond to and it can be your to-do list where you can add deadlines, track progress, and categorize.
  • Rename your color categories  for organizing tasks and calendar items https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Rename-a-color-category-9da61ab0-1518-47fb-8d6f-38669873d551
  • Filter emails and tasks by categories - https://blogs.office.com/2012/05/14/filtering-emails-in-outlook/
  • Changing calendar events/invites, accepting and declining events/invites, and allowing others to propose new times

NDSU Extension Staff please join the NDSU Extension Innovation Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/NDSUExtInnovation and keep sharing your knowledge and information!

Next Tech Coffee Break

3 p.m. Central Time, Monday, July 11

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