What to think about if you are an association or non-profit getting started with social media

The other day I facilitated a discussion for the Australian Associations Forum about how to get started with social media. I am not sure if the audience was disappointed because instead of talking about tools and technology, I took them right back to basics and asked them to think about some basic issues before launching into setting up a Facebook account etc:

• What is working and not working at the moment? 
• What do your membership want? 
• How can you use social media to build your membership? 
• What needs to change in your organisation to make social networking work?

Here is the presentation I gave.

Associations and social media from Sarah Stewart

http://www.slideshare.net/sarahs/associations-and-social-media

What other issues do you think associations and non-profits should think about when they start up with social media?

Program confirmed for the 2013 Virtual International Day of the Midwife

I am delighted to be able to say that this year's program for the Virtual International Day of the Midwife is up and running and can be accessed here: http://vidm.wikispaces.com/International+Day+of+the+Midwife+2013

I don't think there is quite the geographical range of speakers that we had last year, but none the less, we have a number of  under-resourced countries and indigenous midwifery programs represented, such as Tanzania, Bolivia and India, which is very exciting. And we also have some real midwifery stars taking part, including Hannah Dahlen, Gloria LeMay and Mavis Kirkham.

The main problem we had this year is that we had too many EOIs, so we had to decline some wonderful speakers and topics. At the same time, we did not quite have enough speakers to run concurrent sessions.

It is really difficult to know what to do. On the one hand, it is fabulous to know that we're getting bigger and more credible in the midwifery world. It may well be that next year we have enough speakers to run concurrent sessions. On the other hand, the bigger we get, the more problems we are likely to have, especially with technology. And, of course, with more speakers comes the challenge of finding more facilitators.

Personally, I would rather offer a well-run event that is limited in numbers, than a bigger event that is riddled with problems and does not provide a quailty experience to participants.

What sessions do you think you will attend?

How to Bring the Virtual International Day of the Midwife 2014 to your Hospital, Facility or Organisation

Here's a few thoughts and tips about how to hook up to the Virtual International Day of the Midwife on 5th May 2014 in the hospital and facility where you work, so that midwives can dip in and out of sessions when it suits them.

Adobe Connect
The conference is being held in Adobe Connect - click here to be taken to the conference room. The meeting room has been kindly donated by the University College Lillebaelt. Here is information about how to set up Adobe Connect and what to do when you join the conference. My advice is to talk to your IT support in plenty of time if you do have problems setting up your computer.

Internet access
Adobe  Connect even runs on dial up internet connection, although it can take longer load up. Here are some instructions on how to set the correct connection for your computer when you are in the conference room.

Speakers
If there is only one or two of you sitting around a computer, you should be able to hear adequately. But if there is going to be a few people, I would recommend that you plug speakers into your computer so you all can hear the presentations.

Projector
If you work in a bigger hospital and have a conference room with a computer linked to the internet, you will be able to get more people to see what's going on if you project the sessions onto the wall or a screen.

Microphone
If you do not have a microphone, you will be able to hear what's going on, and you will be able to communicate with other participants using the 'chat' text box. However, if you wish to speak and join in with audio, you will need a microphone.

You can buy very cheap headsets with microphones. If you are sharing a computer with a number of people, all you need to do is plug the mic into the computer and share it around when someone wants to speak. But don't plug in the speaker lead of the headset because no one will be able to hear the audio.

Setting up the audio and microphone
Once you are in the meeting room, you will need to check that you can hear and that your microphone works - click here for information on how to use the audio wizard that will walk you though how to set up your audio and mic.

Having a play
My advice is that you have a 'play' and try out Adobe Connect before the 5th May, so you can make sure everything is working beforehand. The VIDM practice room is always open for you to try it out - click here to go to the meeting room. There will be some facilitated practice sessions in the couple of weeks running up the the 5th May, so feel free to join one of those sessions, especially if you have any questions about how to use it.

Advertising the Virtual International Day of the Midwife 2014
Here is a link to a poster that you can download, print off and post up around your organisation.

If you have any further queries about how to use Adobe Connect, or would like to meet someone in the meeting room to test things out, please let us know: info@vidm.org

Social media and associations

I have been asked to talk to the Australian Associations Forum in Canberra tomorrow about the use of social media by associations - the associations that will be represented in the audience will be anything from the Association of Social Workers to Australian Forest Growers. I will be looking at questions such as:

• Why associations should have a social media prescence?
• What should go into a social media policy?
• How can social media be used effectively, yet professionally?
• What tools best suit associations? 

Having recently moved from education to working for the Australian College of Midwives which is a non-profit association, I have been reflecting on how my message to associations will be different to the message I used to give teachers about social media in education. The answer I think is fundamentally "no".

The reason for this is however you use social media, the key engaging people be they students, members or customers is that social media is about two-way communication. It's about conversation....collaboration...sharing...feedback....honesty...transparency...

So I am thinking that my take-home message is that associations need to make a start with social media by thinking about the way they do business and want to interact with members and community before they launch into technology, and the ins and outs of Facebook. What do you think?

Image: 'in Spire Jump'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73491156@N00/3809742516
Found on flickrcc.net

Moving office

The Australian College of Midwives has just moved office, from one of the Canberra suburbs to right in the middle of the city next to the shopping mall. I am delighted with the move for a couple of reasons.

Breast-feeding space
Firstly, we have made a baby-friendly space in the office which will be available for mums to use as a breast-feeding space when they are out and about shopping. This move also makes us a lot more accessible to women who want to know more about midwifery options  - I hope our new location will make it a lot easier for women to drop in and talk to us.

Drop-in for midwives
I am also hoping that the local midwives will start to see us as a place that they can drop in and have a chat. And maybe, they will start to use us as a place for disseminating information to women about local midwifery services.

Meeting room
We have a fabulous meeting space that can be used as a meeting room cum training room which will be available to small groups to use, such as ante natal classes. I already have my eye on it for a blogging workshop in April.

My own office
I am also enjoying my own personal space in an office I have to myself. And as you can see from the photo, one of the walls is painted a lovely rusty orange colour which is very inspiring. I know there are advantages to working in an open-plan office, but at the same time, it is good to have a space where I can close the door when I want some private time to think, and do more focused writing. I have lots of space where I can "entertain", so if you are ever in Canberra, I'm always open for visitors.
 
Temptation
The only snag with this move is that we are now right above a cup-cake shop which provides a daily temptation to me, and is going to be very hard to resist. The up side to that is my gym is only one block away, so if I succumb to temptation, I can go and work off the cup cake in my lunch break!

Tips for student midwives on how to use social media and stay out of trouble!

I was delighted to be asked to speak to a group of midwifery students the other day at the University of Canberra about the professional use of social media. It was really fascinating to talk to them about their use of social media, and I must admit I got a couple of surprises.

It came as no surprise that most of them had a Facebook account. But what did surprise me was very few of them used other social media channels, and hardly any of them used social media for professional uses. I thought it would be because of their concerns about privacy etc, but this was not the case. Rather, it was because they felt they got all the support, access to resources and information, and networking that they needed through their university channels. They also said they did not have the time for social media, and they felt very strongly about keeping their personal lives separate from their professional lives.

My response to these concerns is that when students move into practice, they will not have the access to resources and information, or even networking, that they have as students. So it is very important that they work out ways of keeping informed, and staying connected to the profession at all levels; local, national and international, and I believe that social networking can help midwives do that.

Here is the presentation I gave the students - what additional comments or tips would you add?

Legal and ethical use of social media from Sarah Stewart

http://www.slideshare.net/sarahs/legal-and-ethical-use-of-social-media

Reflecting on "The Big Issue"

One of the things I have been introduced to in Canberra is "The Big Issue". This is a magazine that deals with issues around homelessness. It is sold by homeless people as a way of earning money.

I came across "The Big Issue" in the UK but never bought it because I thought it was another form of begging - I am somewhat embarrassed to admit to how uninformed I was back in those days. I cannot say I know much more about homelessness these days, but I think I am a little less prejudiced than when I was in my early 20s.

Since moving to Canberra, I have started buying "The Big Issue". The Canberra vendors stand right outside the main shopping mall so you cannot miss them. I have to admit that I started buying the magazine as a way to contribute to a cause, but now I buy it because I enjoy reading it. 

One of the things I enjoy reading is the stories of  individual vendors.
 
Judith is featured in this year's Big Issue calender. What caught my eye was that she used to be a midwife. Circumstances totally outside her control led to her being abandoned. However, she now works for Big Issue and has completed a Certificate III in Business.

It was the story of Judith that really got me thinking that it is only the grace of God that keeps me in the privileged position I am in now. There isn't a day that goes by that I am not grateful for that.


Image: 'Homeless woman with dogs'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/78425154@N00/256934977
Found on flickrcc.net

What do we want to know about the effectiveness of the Virtual International Day of the Midwife 2013 for CPD?

I am in the throes of sorting out an evaluation survey for the Virtual International Day of the Midwife 2013. I am keen to ask the same questions as we did last year so we can do a comparison this year. However, there may be additional questions that are worth asking, or questions that we asked last year that have no relevance in 2013. 

Here are the questions from last year's survey. What would you add, and what would you leave out this year?

1. What is your MAIN occupation or role? (Click only one answer)

• Student midwife
• Clinical midwife
• Midwifery manager
• Midwifery educator
• Midwifery researcher
• Other midwifery role
• Parent or expecting parent
• Other health professional
• Other educator
• Other:

2. What country do you live in?

3. How old are you?

• 15 - 19 years old
• 20 - 29 years old
• 30 - 39 years old
• 40 - 49 years old
• 50 - 59 years old
• 60 - 69 years old
• 70+

4. What is your gender?

• Male
• Female

5. How did you hear about the Virtual International Day of the Midwife? (Click as many answers as you like)

• Email group
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Blog
• Wiki
• Midwifery forum
• Personal email
• Text message
• Face-to-face message
• Other:

6. Did you attend a session during the Virtual International Day of the Midwife 2012?

• Yes
• No (Go to Q. 13)

7. Where were you when you joined the Virtual International Day of the Midwife?

• Home
• Clinical facility (eg hospital, birth unit)
• University or college
• Library
• Internet cafe
• Other:

8. What electronic gadget were you using when you joined the Virtual International Day of the Midwife?

• Personal computer
• Lap top
• Notebook
• Smartphone
• Tablet (eg iPad)
• Other [ comment box ]

9. How easy was the technology to use?

• Very easy
• Easy
• Not very easy
• Very hard

10. What sessions or events during the Virtual International Day of the Midwife? (Click as many answers as you like)

• Midwife

11. Overall, how would you rate the sessions you attended?

• Very good
• Good
• Poor
• Very poor

12. What was the highlight of the Virtual International Day of the Midwife?

13. If you didn't attend any sessions, what were the reasons? (Choose as many as you like)

• Did not find out about it in time
• Was working
• Was unable to attend for other reasons
• Nothing in the program interested me
• Do not have access to a computer
• Do not have access to the Internet
• My computer skills are only very basic
• Was not allowed to access the Internet at work
• English is not my first language so could not understand the presenters
• Not enough information about how to use the technology
• Not enough support to work the technology
• My computer would not support the technology
• My internet connection would not support the technology
• I only like to go to face-to-face events
• Other:

14. What do you need to be able to join online events like the Virtual International Day of the Midwife?

15. How can the Virtual International Day of the Midwife be improved next year?

• Email newsletter
• Frequent reminders via Facebook
• Frequent reminders via Twitter
• Frequent reminders via email
• Frequent reminders via phone text message
• Use different web conference technology
• Greater choice of sessions to attend
• Improved information about the Virtual International Day of the Midwife on the website
• Improved information about how to use the technology on the website
• Information about how to use technology on smart phone
• Other:

16. Any other comments or feedback:

6 tips for midwives on writing for publication

I was really pleased to hear the other day that I have had a paper about ePortfolio accepted for publication in a midwifery journal called "Women and Birth". It took nearly two years to write the paper and get it accepted, which has left me reflecting on my experience as an author over the last few years and come up with a few tips that you might want to consider if you're thinking of submitting a paper for publication. 


1. Start with something small and non-academic
Even now I remember the very first time I had something printed, and that was a letter to the editor of the Nursing Times in the UK. It was quick and easy to write, and the thrill I got from seeing my name in print was enough to motivate me to write more. If you are a midwife in Australia, send a short article to Midwifery News, which is the Australian College of Midwives' magazine - the editor, Rachel Smith is always happy to receive articles of about 500 words on any topic relevant to midwives. If you're not sure you can do that, then start off writing a considered comment on a blog or Facebook page...anything that will give you experience of putting some words together.

Why bother? The reason for that is because I think it is vital that midwives get their thoughts and work out into the public arena because it raises the profile of midwifery, and enhances our credibility with government and other organizations that we work with. The more visible we are, the more likely it is that we will be heard.

2. Find a mentor or critical friend
One thing I really wish I could do is "whip up" a paper in half a day and get it accepted in a top journal without as much as getting a hair out of place. Sadly for me, I find formal writing very difficult - I am prone to huge generalizations....take 50 words to say something that I could say in 5....and can never quite get to the theoretical depth that editors expect in academic journal articles. So I find it invaluable to have a mentor or critical friend who will critique my work, ask questions that helps me refine what I am saying and provide editorial support. I was blessed to have Maxine Alterio help me with my ePortfolio paper. We went back and forth a number of times before the paper was ready for submission. Her feedback was challenging at times, but I knew it was worth responding because I would have a better product in the end.

3. Co-publish with another author who already has writing experience and has published articles 
I have written a number of articles with co-authors and benefited from their expertise and shared motivation and planning. I find it is particularly useful to work with others when I have a mental block, because usually the other writer has the clarity that I lack. However, it is worth negotiating boundaries, roles and even the order that the names appear on the article before you start writing, in order to prevent petty jealousies and academic rivalries getting in the way of the writing.

4. Have patience
Most academics you talk to these days will agree that the process of getting a paper published can be a lengthy one. Even if you are an established author you can expect to be asked to make alterations to your paper before it is accepted for publication. Sometimes, you even have to submit to two or three journals before you find one that will accept your paper. It is worth being patient and responding to editors' feedback, and don't take it personally when you are asked to make changes to your paper.


5. Know when to quit
I have a paper about eMentoring that I have been trying to publish since 2009, and the truth is that it is rubbish. After sending it to half a dozen (or so it seems) journals, and getting the same feedback...that it is rubbish...I have now given up and hit the delete button. Sometimes all you need to do is re-frame an article but other times, you just have to let go, and start again from scratch.

6. Volunteer to be a journal reviewer
One of the most useful things I have done that has helped me develop my writing skills is to be a reviewer for a journal. Being a reviewer helps you recognize what works and what doesn't work with other people's writing, which you are able to implement in your own writing.  Journals are always looking for reviewers - check out journals websites for information on how to apply.

If you want more information about writing for publication or a few tips and resources, have a look at the "How to write a paper in 6 weeks" project that I developed a couple of years ago.

Have you ever written an article or paper for publication? What tips would you pass on to new authors?

Image: 'Be seeing you'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19487674@N00/58499153
Found on flickrcc.net

Looking for a virtual meeting room for the Virtual International Day of the Midwife 2013

This year is the fifth year of the free, online conference that I facilitate for midwives, the Virtual International Day of the Midwife. Up to now, Otago Polytechnic has kindly supported us and provided the virtual meeting room.  Last year we used Adobe Connect, and Otago Polytechnic has offered the room to us again this year. Unfortunately, we have become victims of our own success because this room does not have enough seats - the room has 100 seats and last year we had more than 100 people trying to attend sessions.

So...long story short...we're looking for someone to provide us with access to a virtual meeting room which we can use on the 5th May for 24 hours; have administration right so that we can organise the speakers; be able to access the room in the run up to the conference so we can support the speakers and participants to set up their technology, and practice using the room.

If you can help by providing us with the free use of a virtual meeting room, or know someone who can help us, please let me know. In return, we are extremely happy to advertise logos on all our resources and information materials, such as our website: http://internationaldayofthemidwife.wikispaces.com.

And we're off...planning the 5th Annual Virtual International Day of the Midwife, 5th May 2013

I cannot believe it, but this year is the 5th year I have been facilitating the online conference, The Virtual International Day of the Midwife, which is held on the 5th May; runs for 24 hours; free to attend; open to anyone interested in midwifery and childbirth.

VIDM 2013 Committee
We are delighted to have the following people on our committee this year:
Deborah Davis, University of Canberra, Australia
Mary Sidebotham, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
Chris Woodhouse, Facilitator/Consultant, UK
Lorraine Mockford, Nova Scotia Community College, Canada
Sarah Bandasak, CPIT, New Zealand
Annette Dalsgaard Vilain, University College Lillebælt, Denmark
Linda Wylie, Midwife, UK
Jacob Theilgaard, Denmark

The VIDM 2013 committee met (a virtual meeting, needless to say) on the 12th February 2013. Here is the planning so far; please feel free to comment or leave ideas here, or email me: sarahstewart07(at)gmail.com

1. What technology are we going to use for the meeting day?   
There are a number of options we can pursue. However, I am keen to keep things as familiar as possible- it isn't very helpful to us or participants if we keep using different technology every year, because it does take two or three years to become confident with using a particular technology. We also have materials on the wiki that we can re-cycle if we use Adobe or Elluminate, which saves time. The other very important factor to consider is that we need a meeting room that take more than 100 people - we had access to 100 seats last year and at times, this was not enough. We would prefer to use Adobe Connect or Elluminate/Collaborate for the VIDM, if we can. 

• WebEx - Cisco are interested in sponsoring a meeting room for the VIDM with seats for app. 250 people. Disadvantages are thatWebEX is not a 'sexy' and dynamic as Adobe Connect or Elluminate, and we have never used it before.
• Adobe Connect - We are familiar with Adobe Connect having used it last year. We will ask Otago POlytechnic if we can use theior facilitaties again, as long as they can provide more than 100 seats.
• Elluminate/ Collaborate - We also may be able to access this via Lorraine Mockford.

2. Process for managing the speakers

•  Mary has drafted an EOI for speakers with application template - committee to comment on it by the 16/2/13 before the final draft is accepted and disseminated to everyone's networks.
• Disseminating EOI - to be sent as far and as wide as possible. Sarah S contact different international mailing lists, Annette with contact the ICM jisc mailing lists for Normal Birth, Research, and Education. Linda will contact Lesley Page (RCM), AIMS and ARM. We will record who is doing what, and our progress on the wiki.
• How to judge EOI? Are we going to have criteria for the VIDM conference? Sarah S. will check up on last year's criteria. Mary will check up on ACM's criteria to see if we can adapt them. We need to keep in mind that the VIDM is not a scientific conference, but rather an unconference that aims to give people a chance to present who would otherwise not do so, and also to develop people's digital literacy skills. At the same time, we do want to maintain a level of quality so we remain a credible professional development activity.
• Chris and Mary will work out the time frames for the management of the EOI and confirming speakers.

3. Opening speaker

• Various suggestions were made, keeping in mind the time zones for when we start the conference.
• Mary will contact Frances Day-Stirk because she is the president of the ICM, and ask her to be the opening speaker. Mary will try to find other options if Frances is not available.

4. Social media

• Sarah Bandasak, Lorraine, Linda and Sarah S. will coordinate our social media channels, including Twitter and Facebook.

5. Opening and closing sessions
The time that we start will depend on the opening speaker, and when he/she can do it. However, we will start, as usual, in the morning on the 5th May based on New Zealand time.

6. Facilitators and Master Facilitators
We will postpone the decision on master facilitator and facilitator to next meeting when we have a better idea what our technology will be.

7. Time plan and plan of jobs

• There are people who have already volunteered to help. We will co-opt them as and when we need them, but will keep the core committee as is so that it doesn't get too big and "unmanageable".
• Sarah S. will do a time plan and circulate it.

8. Media release
Linda will work with Sarah S to develop a media release that we can all use to ensure consistency around the world - this will be stored on the wiki for easy access.

9. Sponsorship
Deborah has written a wonderful document on sponsorship but we have left it too late to enact this year. We do need to pursue this more actively once this year's conference is over - it would be fabulous to have our own virtual room that we can use every year without worry about access and seats.

 

10. Succession planning

• Sarah S plans to step back for leading the facilitation of VIDM next year. Linda will work closely with Sarah S this year with the view of contributing more actively with the facilitation next year.

11. No other business

What to do with the saggy bits?

One of the downsides of losing 32kg of weight is that I am left with areas of saggy skin that I cannot do anything with. My age certainly doesn't help, and after two kids and a number of years of breastfeeding, there are areas of my body that have gone so far south that they'd need a major tilting of the world's axis to ever come right again.

Is there such a thing as a perfect body?
I have been reflecting on this issue of weight loss and the after math, and to be honest, I am surprised at how naive I have been. I thought that by losing weight, I'd be left with a "perfect" body. But the reality is, years of being over-weight and over-stretched has left its toll on my skin. This is an issue that is not addressed by TV shows such as "The biggest loser" - we always see participants wearing fabulous clothes and being very happy, but we never see how they deal with how they are left looking. I must admit, for the first time ever, I have fleetingly thought about plastic surgery to get rid of the tummy roll and baggy underarms that will never go.

Does weight loss make us happy?
The reality of weight loss and the perfect body is also one that has been addressed by Julia Kozerski. Julia is a young woman who lost over half her body weight and like me, felt she'd have the perfect body once she had lost weight. The reality left her feeling very depressed. She has documented her weight loss by photographs, and her very brave approach has started discussion about how we are marketed the myth that weight loss will give us the perfect body, and by association...the perfect life.   

Is plastic surgery an option?
I am thrilled that I have lost so much weight, because I am much healthier, and when I have clothes on, I do look much better. However, I also think that we must encourage realistic expectations about weight loss, and build into diet programs such as Weight Watchers, advice about how to deal with the aftermath of weight loss, especially in the more extreme cases.

As for me, as much as I am tempted by the thought of plastic surgery, I would never pluck up the courage to have it. So, instead, I continue to exercise and if all else fails, recommend the use of a good girdle! 

Have you ever lost a large amount of weight? What have been the downsides? How have you coped with the aftermath? What do you recommend for getting rid of saggy areas after weight loss?

Image: 'The 1960s-1965 Match ad'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35541543@N08/8092977739
Found on flickrcc.net

Midwives and telehealth

One of the projects I am currently working on is the Telehealth Support Project. This is a collaborative project that the Australian College of Midwives is involved with , alongside several nursing organisations, which is funded by the Australian Department of Health and Aging.

My involvement is supporting the development of an online education package which will support midwives to think about how they can implement telehealth into their practice, either in hospital or as private practicing midwives. This should be up and running by May. I am also involved in developing midwifery standards for telehealth practice.



Do you use telehealth in your practice? How do you use it? What has been your experiences? What would you like to see embedded into standards for telehealth practice?