Sunday 2 October 2011

Real Life “Global Village”



“So why do you enjoy teaching women boot camp?”

A question I would get from my trainer friends from Premier Fitness. I always answered, “I am not sure, I like the mix of women… there is just something about it.” However, my first day of social media completely answered this question.


My professor, Andrea Tavchar, created a student activity that grouped the class into very different categories such as sports, fashion, and the arts. She then took pieces of string and started connecting students within each group to show links between communities.

I realize now that the women’s boot camp I teach is an epitome of the world and social media. I will use some terms to show the parallel.

Online Communities

I teach at Fitness One in the Dufferin Mall. Anyone that knows Toronto knows that the Dufferin area is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city. The women in my class range from 18 to 60 years of age and are all part of different races and cultures, but in this case different communities.

Links

Though these women have different values and cultures, they are all linked from their separate communities through links (the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle).

Social Networks

A way that these women with similar interests find a common ground is participating in boot camp, or metaphorically a form of a social network.

“Global Village”

The boot camp class brings women, from different worlds to the same fitness class where literally, a “Global Village” forms.

And where does that leave me? I realize public relations is a career that brings different networks together for a common positive reaction, which I represent as the instructor of this class.

Social media is everywhere; it is our life, our way of communication and our future. So will you join the “Global Village”?

2 comments:

  1. Great insight, Cole! I teach spin classes at GoodLife and totally agree with you on this one. The only difference my classes have are that the gym is coed so I get males and females which makes it interesting!

    We'll have to take eachother's classes sometime ;)

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  2. I totally get it Cole. I teach fitness classes in the west end as well. Its amazing the little communities that get created. I just started teaching a class for people with their dogs. Very specific... I think there are communities for everyone. You just need to find it, or tweet about it.

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