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School for Bloggers: Being Connected Matters #BConnectedConf

Speaking at the BConnected Conference in Ottawa-Gatineau

Attending blogging conferences has been one of the smartest things I've done as a blogger. They allow me to feel connected with people who "get" this crazy need to blog, to learn about a craft that is anything but traditional, and to keep up with technology that moves at break-neck speed. The very first blogging conference I attended was a biggie: BlogHer in 2010. When I'd heard about it, I emailed a local Ottawa blogger I didn't really know … [Read more...]

School for Bloggers: WordCamp Ottawa 2014 (#WCOttawa)

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Oops, they did it again! The WordCamp Ottawa organizers pulled off an amazing conference this past weekend. For the price of $30, attendees drank in a full day and a half of informative sessions AND were fed lunch and snacks as well. It's by far the best value for dollar of any conference I've ever been to. All up, 320 people registered for the 2014 edition of WordCamp Ottawa. As mentioned in my earlier post, I was going to be speaking. My … [Read more...]

A New Blogging Conference is Coming to Ottawa! #BConnectedConf

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And we know how much I love to go to blogging conferences (aka "School for Bloggers")!!! Some good friends of mine kicked off a great social media conference in Ottawa in 2011 called Social Capital Conference. Naturally, I attended it and I'm happy to see it still running and growing in numbers each year. This new conference is called BConnected and its focus is specifically on parent bloggers. As far as I'm aware, these are the only two … [Read more...]

What Should Schools Do About Bullying? A Q&A with Lissa Albert

Lissa Albert, M.A., Educational Technology

In the first part of my discussion with researcher and cyberbullying expert Lissa Albert, we discussed what a parent should do if they suspect their child is being bullied. Today, we’ll look at what schools can do. Q1.  What do you believe is the most effective approach for tackling bullying in schools? As an educator, I believe that we must always begin with as much as we can learn about any topic before we make a plan to tackle the … [Read more...]

What Can We Do About Bullying? A Q&A with Lissa Albert

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My last post on bullying sent the traffic to Coffee with Julie soaring. Clearly, I’d hit a nerve. I think that’s because the adults in our communities genuinely want to do something about bullying, but are just not sure what that is. One reader, Chantal, suggested that having access to a social worker or other experienced worker in the realm of bullying would be very helpful. So I reached out to my online community and received a number of … [Read more...]

Bullying and Rhetoric

Worried Young Woman Using Laptop At Home

Today, I'm a guest blogger over on Annie Urban's PhD in Parenting. Annie and I like each a lot despite butting heads on a number of issues. But that's precisely the point -- we both understand (and have a strong respect for) the importance of debate and discussion. Otherwise, we end up in rhetoric territory. … [Read more...]

It’s a Long Weekend, Friends. Don’t be a Twit.

Relax, and love the ones you're with. And, also? Don't be a twit. Or let others be twits. Actually, whatever. You can be a twit this long weekend if you want. Just don't come to my place if that's in your plans. For a giggle, watch this video too. (Warning: Lots of cursing, not good viewing for kids or the office.) … [Read more...]

Last Night: The Lord of the Rings film with the NAC Orchestra

Gerald Morris welcomes bloggers to the Lord of the Rings at the NAC -- a first for Ottawa.

On several occasions, I've overheard Stella say this to someone who's asked her about me being away on a trip: When mom is away, my dad gets bored and watches Lord of the Rings or Star Wars movies at night. I don't like it! The music is so loud that I can hear it in my bedroom -- and it can be really scary and eerie! Not only do I find it sweet that she thinks he's bored without me (even though I don't actually believe that for a minute!), but … [Read more...]

School for Bloggers: I am in NYC to Stuff my Brains Silly (#BWENY)

Hi friends! I travelled to New York City today to take in BlogWorld and New Media Expo (#BWENY). I got a lot out of this conference last year, so I've come back again for more. Plus, The Bloggess is going to be here. Icing on my cake. Here's what I will be up to for the next three days. (Sadly, no Broadway Shows are on this agenda!) BlogWorld Show Directory View more documents from Scott Barrett … [Read more...]

“Month of Me” post #004: Photo Recap of the Fun Stuff from Day One of the She’s Connected Conference

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Howdy everyone! So yesterday started off very bright and early (actually, why is it "bright" and early because, really, it's "dark" when you need to get up early, isn't it?)! Me and my bloggy buddy Andrea (otherwise known as @missfish and she is AWESOME  and she totally didn't lock the keys in her car) drove to Toronto to attend the first day of the She's So Connected Conference. We had planned to arrive just in time to hear the opening … [Read more...]

“Month of Me” post #03: Kicking it off a little early!

Officially, the #MonthofMe project is supposed to be the month of October but .... I've decided to kick off the #MonthofMe a little early. I was invited to a conference called ShesConnected, which takes place on September 29th and 30th.   I was curious about this invite-only conference that aims to connect Canada's "digital women" with brands, but the timing was terrible. For a number of reasons, not the least of which was the … [Read more...]

The Project Priceless Wedding: Was this social experiment a success?

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It's 6:30 am and the house is quiet, and I am fully dressed and ready to walk out the door. Normally, I would just head into the office and catch up on some things, but this morning I want to take some time to tell you about the Project Priceless wedding. I've already told you a little bit about why I was invited to this wedding, and the hoops I jumped through to get there. But there is more, so much more. ******** Here is how Jordan and … [Read more...]

Getting Myself to the Project Priceless Wedding

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So yes, I did get invited to a virtual stranger's wedding, as I shared in yesterday's post. (Although, theoretically, she's not a "virtual" stranger because we chit-chat virtually, I just don't know her in real life.) When Jordan sent me the details about the Project Priceless wedding, the only thing that registered in my head was the date: August 22nd. I couldn't recall anything already scheduled for that date, so I just replied "yes" right … [Read more...]

#SoCapOtt: Ottawa’s first (annual!) Social Capital conference

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  I spent one of my only free days of the week at an all-day conference, paid for out of my own pocket. Insanity? My Hubby might agree. But I, for one, was certainly not going to miss Ottawa's first social media conference! Organized by a smart group of folks who I all consider to be my friends due to our connections on Twitter and via blogging, I was also there to support their efforts and help keep the attendance numbers high. Well, I … [Read more...]

School for Bloggers: QR Codes: Like a Bar Code, but Better! (#BWENY)

Have you noticed these black and white boxes showing up everywhere these days? From magazine advertisements, to business cards and even on massive outdoor signage, these boxes are called "QR Codes," which is short for Quick Response code. Like a bar code, but with the ability to hold up to double the number of alphanumeric characters, QR codes are rapidly becoming the latest marketing darling. I recently had a chance to learn more about these … [Read more...]

Getting your feet wet with LinkedIn

Despite the constant use of the words “social media” in every second conversation these days, a very large proportion of people have not yet taken the plunge. I don’t blame them, frankly, because even just the term “social media” is starting to grate on me too and I’m a big fan! But if you think you might like to get your feet wet, I think that LinkedIn is a good place to start. It takes very little time and the "unwritten rules" of engagement … [Read more...]