What Periscope viewers want you to know...

PeriWHAT?

If you read the title and said, "PeriWHAT," you've either just returned from vacation on another planet OR you've been cut off from civilization. For those not familiar, the Periscope phenomenon exploded onto the scene during the TPT Vegas conference and teachers embraced the new technology with open arms. 

So, What is Periscope?

Periscope allows users to live stream from smartphones anywhere at anytime. So, what's the big deal you ask? Basically, Periscope changed the face of professional development. In other words, thanks to educational Periscope broadcasters from across the globe, you can receive professional development in the comfort of your own home, sporting yoga pants and no bra, while sipping a bottle glass of wine and eating peanut butter from the jar. Sounds like a plan! Sign me up!

My Decent Into Periscope Madness

For the past three days Periscope mesmerized me to the point of forming an addiction and needing an intervention. Every time the birdies chirped, I dropped everything and watched.

BUT then...the novelty wore off. I finally hit rock bottom. My scope binge watching took its toll in the form of me neglecting life. Although Periscope holds many beneficial qualities, today I ended the madness. I silenced my Periscope notifications and reminded myself of the old adage, "Everything in moderation." 

Upon reclaiming my life back, I contacted a few colleagues to inquire if they plunged into the Periscope vortex as well. During our discussion of Periscope's pros and cons, we arrived at several of the same conclusions. And those conclusions included reasons why viewers abandon broadcasters, mid-broadcast. 

3 REASONS Viewers ABANDON Broadcasts 

3. Broadcasting Long-Winded Lengthy Scopes

Quality, not quantity. Some subject matter requires discussion at length. However, if you choose to take the verbose route, viewers expect quality content pertaining to the title you provided to lure us in. If the title stated, "Transition Ideas," then one should not expect to be taken on a tour of your laundry room. That may seem like a far-fetched example, but believe me when I say write, it happens. 

Quick Tip: Unsure of when to pull the plug on a broadcast...look for the Peribuddy on the bottom, right-hand side of your smartphone for your viewers count. If your interaction or viewership starts sinking like the Titanic, jump ship. 

Do you remember the "wrap it up" music played at the Oscars when acceptance speeches run too long? Perhaps Periscope should add a "wrap it up" feature. Ha ha :-D For those of you with a sense of humor, I found a web based "wrap it up" app (pictured below). When conversations in real life run a tad too long...CUE MUSIC! Ha ha!

Just keep in mind, Periscope calls for short broadcast, not a live 2 hour show. Some viewers, including myself, have the attention span of a goldfish. 

2. Heart Hustling

A guaranteed way to run viewers off...hustle for hearts.  So, what's the deal with the rainbow heart explosion? Glad you asked. Viewers tap the screen to release hearts as a means of providing feedback and showing broadcasters some love. 

More specifically, the hearts measure popularity. Broadcasters who garner the most hearts land on the illustrious "Most Loved List." As Mark Shaw, Twitter expert would say, "This is social media, not selfish media." In other words, please stop broadcasting "heart hustling" scopes. It's not about you, its about connecting and engaging with viewers. Viewers showed up to glean information, not help you fulfill your dream of making the "Most Loved List." If you think that sounds harsh, you must listen Mark Shaw's take on the subject of social media v. selfish media. Side note: You will meet Mark Shaw further down in this post. 

Quick Tip: Instead of constantly hustling viewers for hearts, engage viewers by asking question or making statements encouraging feedback and interaction. For instance:

•  "If you agree with what I just said, tap the screen."

• "Tap the screen if you use (insert product name) in your classroom."

• "Anytime you hear valuable information you can use, tap the screen."

Just keep in mind, if you provide quality content the hearts will ascend.

1. PLAYING THE WAITING GAME

The number one reason why viewers abandon a live feed, broadcasters who make viewers WAIT! When you hit the broadcast button...LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! Nothing frustrates viewers more than a broadcaster "waiting for the room to fill up." As Mark Shaw would say,

"Don't wait for the room to fill up. That's rude. Work with those viewers that showed up." (Start at 20:00)

Quick tip: Get started. Meet & Greet. Get to the point. For those that join late, provide a recap during your broadcast. 

Just keep in mind, viewers can watch the replay to catch what they missed. 

Game Changer
Have you jumped on the Periscope bandwagon? If so, what are your thoughts. Earlier today I shared my thoughts on Facebook:

"It is addicting and I spend way too much time watching. And with that being said, broadcasters should respect our time by providing quality content. I've left some broadcasts with valuable information to help me take ownership of my future. And I've left some broadcasts feeling slighted because my time was misused. Have I scoped before? No. But I have been a public speaker at various early childhood conferences; so, I know it takes nerve to speak publicly." 

Periscope is a game changer and I cannot wait to see how the world of teaching will be transformed. 

The Three Most Annoying Teachers At Staff Development Meetings

Monday, in my opinion, was by far one of the most productive staff development days...EVER! Rather than sitting through the usual session after session, listening to a parade of education specialists, the Special Education powers-that-be planned our staff development (SD) day as a Make and Take opportunity for the teaching staff to create new learning materials or complete other projects in progress..

Take a peek at the projects my team completed.

Admittedly, I started the SD meeting in a foul mood (It had nothing to do with the fact several school districts celebrated MLK day and my district opted not to) thanks to a lack of seating in a cramped, toasty room. After viewing a brief instructional video (devised to ignite a spark of inspiration), the facilitators provided a quick run down of the itinerary and dismissed the participants. Like ants at a picnic, everyone scurried upstairs to set up camp, so to speak. 

As I walked a lap around the work room looking for some prime "real estate," a stack of paint swatches grabbed my attention. Quickly, I dropped my messenger bag and dashed to a table. Apparently, the same idea popped into the minds of several other teachers. The next thing I knew, hands were grabbing every which-a-way. As I continued to ravage the tables, a couple of colleagues mistakenly grabbed MY new-found materials, which almost kicked-off an all-out no holds barred brawl. Thanks to my ninja skills and quick cat like reflexes, I held on to my new finds. HAA! Check out the cool Popsicle sticks.

I threw this color matching game together with the paint swatches. Perhaps next time I will die-cut the swatches into paint buckets and brushes. 

So, I bet you're waiting to hear about the three most annoying people you'll meet at a staff development meeting. First, a brief psychology refresher. From many years of being gainfully employed, I have learned the following... 

When working with or participating in activities with groups of people, certain annoying personalities emerge. Carl Jung referred to these "personalities," as personas or masks. 

Some individuals use their personas, as a defense mechanism, which allows them to display very little vulnerability when moving in and out of relationships (personal or professionals). The lack of vulnerability often produces people who are arrogant, discourteous,  and  well...just annoying. Okay enough of the psychology lesson (I guess I did learn something in college).

• The EXPERT: This individual knows it ALL...or thinks they do. The EXPERT provides their unsolicited opinion whether they're knowledgeable about the subject...or not. I am more than sure you've run into this type at many professional development meetings. Although they may know it all, their lack of humility and arrogant demeanor makes them annoying, which sometimes creates friction in the professional environment. In my opinion, there's a difference between being knowledgeable and humble versus being knowledgeable and pompous. 

• Chatty McGee: This type comes in all varieties: loud-talker (looking for attention), sidebar talker, gossipy talker, the saying-a-lot-but-saying-nothing talker, etc.  Some of the Chatty McGees hold sidebar conversation, often distracting other participants. When this occurs, I glare at the offenders giving off STHU vibes. Some of us take our professional vocation  seriously, and we want to hear what the presenter has to say. And the fact that I can hear you from across the room telling everyone about your mani-pedi means two things: #1...You talk too damn loud and #2...You are annoying.

• The Comedian (a.k.a The Class Clown): Let me start by saying"You are not funny." This participant's ill timed barbs border on annoying and sometimes sophomoric.  I'm no Mindy Kahling, but I know funny when I see & hear it. 

To the class clowns and wannabe comedians:

A  word of advice, 

"Every silence does not have to be filled with the sound of your voice...or in this case horrific jokes."

What type of people annoy you at staff development meetings?