UPDATE: The workshop was a great success and we've now closed the SMS service available from cardboard fish, but here's a sample of the final look of the SMS message board:
So, what we did was generate a few random words from one of our generators (available for you on our downloads page) and the participants picked up on the 2 words technology and family, with the resulting sms stories appearing live on the blog as they were text in.
One of the great things to come out of this day is the way in which this group viewed and interacted with technology; a great quote form the day - "I bet 100 years ago there were a group just like us saying that electricity was never going to catch on..."There was definitely some good learning coming out of this for us, especially regarding how we deliver and adapt the workshop for the future.
We noticed a great difference in how and why new technologies were being utilised by the group and how much accessibility and relevance play a large part in the adoption of digital tools.
One participant took me to one side and said:
"Look, I don't want to appear as a geek in front of everyone else, but although I can sync my windows mobile device to my outlook, I can't get the pictures onto my laptop..."
I think that statement really sums up the day for me!
The participant then went on to tell me how her husband uses an iTouch to get online as he has suffered a stroke. This kind of experience for us really underlines the importance and relevance of accessible tools for all - especially when considering the wider community, and the tools and approaches we adopt should always reflect that diversity and need.
I think finally, I'd like to thank all the people who participated in this fun workshop - and to the gentleman who made a video on his phone and then wanted to directly SMS that to the blog, I send my apologies...but we're working on it!!!!
I love the fact that the Cardigan 50+ forum has got us thinking about utilising more interactive ways of using the blog...now I'm just off to learn some php...
