Now that you have your contact book all set up and you’re getting more familiar with Evernote it’s time to branch out just slightly.

While we’re not necessarily focusing on a new technology this week, we are laying out some more of the groundwork to get to some of the other tasks in the upcoming weeks. This week, we’re focusing on Facebook & Twitter.

Assignment #1

Set-up a Skype account or other video conferencing account.

When I was in high school, the idea of a visual phone call was still a distant idea. We talked about what that would be like and if we could achieve it. We knew it would happen, we just didn’t know exactly when. Well, that time is already here.

There is so much that can be expressed through facial expressions, that we miss in a regular call. Services like Skype, iChat, Facetime, etc, allow you to see the person with whom you are talking. Some services even allow you to screen share. My postcard that many of you received at a conference was designed by my cousin as we screen shared on iChat, allowing me to provide immediate feedback on his work in Photoshop.

So set up a service this week & try out a call.

I normally hide myself from everyone in bulk, but if you want to try to call me this week, you can. My Skype username is PMaurerCom. I was going to be available most of the week, but I’m honestly fighting a bad cold right now, so I’m going to limit it to Friday 3-6pm PST and Saturday 3-6 PST. Hopefully, I’ll be healthy enough not to just cough on video. Skype allows only one at a time (for free), so if I’m already chatting with someone, I’ll just respond to your message. I’d be more than happy to talk about any of the Summer School topics with you or whatever.

If you’d prefer to iChat, just send me an email and we’ll see about setting that up.

Assignment #2

Read articles in Mashable and a find another great Technology resource for you or your organizations.

The best resource I’ve found on the web for new technologies is Mashable. I know I have a big mix in readership in this summer school section. While a Skype account is beneficial for an individual and a group, there are certain technologies that really favor one over the other. Spend a bit of time finding one this week (A Skype account should take you no more than 10-15 minutes to set up) and play with it. Report your findings back in the Discussion section of a facebook page or let me know if we’re able to connect via Skype.Thank you for participating in Summer School 2011!