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Social Media for Educators – What You Need to Know

Lisa Bering, CHRP

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Objectives• To recognize the increasing importance

of social media and be able to list the most popular applications

• To be familiar with several ways social media can be used in the classroom

• To be aware of methods to maximize benefits and minimize risks of using social media for education

Social media: applications that enable self publishing

Presented by George Kaofor the choice Magazine community

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Facebook:At Least 500 Million Active Users(more than 50% of these log on daily)

LinkedIn: More than 75 Million Members

Twitter:More than 28 Million Unique Visitors Monthly

Top 3 Social Networking Sites

Presented by George Kao for the choice Magazine community

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• Aged 15-29• Technology everywhere – rapid

multi tasking all aspects of life• Uncomfortable with formality• Bored with “broadcast teaching” --

Eager to “find a better way to do things”

Millenials

From Dr. Sean Lyons: March 25, 2010 Teaching the Millennial Generation: Meeting the Challenge

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% of Canadians online who use

at least one form of social

media**

90%

Social Media – Here to Stay

From **Forrester Research, 2009

*SAS/Leger Marketing survey, 1,000+ Canadian executives, March 2010

# of businesseswho use social

mediain Canada*

9 out of 10

Use Social Media for Research

Research in the Classroom

• Create a Facebook page for a literary character

• Connect with other classes to explore geography, political science or history

Sharing Resources• Share interesting websites related

to class topics• Share brainstorming ideas

Other Modes of Research

• Have students follow journalism via Tweets and media sites

• Learn a foreign language via Facebook, or communicate with native speakers via Skype

Website and Print Media connecting to Social Media

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www.twitter.com

gaga@guestid.ca

Password: secret2010

Let’s Look at Twitter

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Social Media in Class - Communication

Heighten Class Interactivity• Answer

Questions/Hold Office Hours

• Have students tweet one thing learned in class to take attendance

• Recruit Guest Speakers

Class Management• Have students

tweet feedback instantaneously

• Help Shy Students Quiet students might find online communication appealing

Other Uses• Create groups

for entire classes or small groups

• Use polls with the Poll app in Facebook or PollDaddy for Twitter

Blogging-activity that allows self-published commentary by

individuals

GETTING STARTED: http://www.blogtrepreneur.com/2007/05/23/101-essential-blogging-resources/

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Go to

www.hrandyou.wordpress.com

HR current issues, changes

Social Media for Networking/Professional Activities

Job Searching

• Assist graduating students – advertising their jobsearch on LinkedIn or using Tweetmyjobs which connects jobseekers and employers as well as posting resumes

Other Uses• Create a community blog and post

what your class is doing & learning• Follow professors, mentors or others

in your field to monitor research & professional activities

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www.linkedin.com

Need to register for use

• Professional, business networking• Less emphasis on photos

• Turn off notifications of others’ changes

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Other Uses for Social Media

As a Class Topic •Cover Social media itself as a class topic•Students learn about personal responsibility when they learn to use social media effectively

Unity & Community •Having students connected via social media brings them together•Students sharing of themselves creates more open communication

Creative Opportunities•Have your class Tweet imagined conversations between famous people, such as Romeo & Juliet, Julius Caesar & Brutus, etc.•Facebook class successes

Use Dedicated Facebook page

• Control content• Decrease distraction• Places less emphasis on Friending• Keep messages related to certain topics• Prevent seeing nudity, swearing, crimes, improper

behaviour, student love lives, political or other affiliations

Help students Pause before they Post

• Where am I posting ?• What am I posting?• Why am I posting?• What does this say about me?• What will I think of this in 10 years (next 2 jobs,

possibly in a relationship or married, potentially a parent)?

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• Avoid Posting Embarrassing Photos • Create Positive Content• Google Yourself • Don't Talk Trash Online • It's Not All About You • Be Social

Students face repercussions on any type of social media. Measures of prevention are

to:

From Huffington post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/08/essential-social-media-et_n_637690.html#s110607

,

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Be aware of its uses and popularity;

however,

Social Media for Educators

Be wary of its consequences

Guidelines

• Use caution interacting with individual students on sites to avoid perception of bias

• Set expectations i.e. you can exchange messages about course assignments, but don’t begin small talk when you see me online

• Course requests such as asking for an extended deadlines must be done through a school site, not Facebook.

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http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/teachers/media_education/media_education_overview.cfm

Help students sift –Canadian Media Awareness

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http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/educational/lessons/

secondary/cyberbullying/cyberbullying_behaviour.cfm

Promoting Ethical Behaviour Online

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http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2009/06/08/50-ways-to-use-twitter-in-the-college-classroom/

50 Ways to Use Your Twitter (in class)

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http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/teachers/index.cfm

• In class http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/special_initiatives/wa_resources/wa_teachers/are_you_web_aware/web_aware_social_networking.cfm

Are you Web Aware ?

Resources to help students

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http://www.slideshare.net/KSLeBlanc/teaching-the-teachers-about-social-media

Faculty Development Social Media video

http://www.teachertube.com/ for videos

http://socialmediaclassroom.com/

Other Resources

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Any thoughts,comments,

or questions?

Follow up site

www.onlineteacherscanada.wordpress.com