When I first decided to create a presentation on using social media in higher education, I realized that I was going to need an education of my own. I joined Facebook a couple of years ago under duress, and while I have since learned to enjoy it, I have not exactly embraced other forms of social media. In fact, other than the occasional comment on a Yahoo! news story or Dear Abby, I prefer using the internet as a solitary exercise. That all had to change when I realized that there was a desire from the University College staff to learn about ways to use social media to engage students.
I spent several weeks combing internet articles, joining various sites, and soliciting advice and opinions from my more tech-savvy friends and family. My cousin, a sixth grade English teacher in Michigan, has been writing a blog for years. I read her posts occasionally, and enjoyed them, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized how much she was doing with it. She’s an avid reader who has promoted books and made contacts with famous authors. They actually approach her with offers of free books if she’ll review them on her site. She also has sponsors and over 700 members (made up mostly of people outside the family!). Her most recent post detailed a visit from author Carrie Harris who came and spoke to Beth’s classroom. I’ve always thought she was a good writer, but I had never paid attention to how advanced her blog was becoming (this one has a long way to go in comparison) until I started looking into ways to use social media.
And she’s not the only person out there who has found a niche in the online community. I found wikis, Twitter accounts, Pinterest boards, and hundreds of other sites dedicated to the use of social media in furthering education (amongst other relevant topics). One of my favorites is a blog written by Dr. Rey Junco (http://blog.reyjunco.com/about). He is a professor who researches how college students use social media. What impressed me most is that even a non-social media person like me can read and understand what he’s saying. Overall I was amazed at how many different uses there are for social media. I guess I had thought that Twitter and Facebook were about it.
I’ve enjoyed my foray into cyberspace and will probably continue to stretch myself to see what other formats I can use in my current position and in my personal life. However, one thing I’ve learned through all of this is the importance of going slow. Pick out one or two forms to start with and ease into them. Create a plan so you know where you want to go. As Yogi Berra once said, “You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there." I hope you’ll wave to me on your journey.
Here are my top 5 tips for using social media followed by links to some excellent sites:
5. Start simple. Figure out which format you feel most comfortable with and start from there.
4. Solicit advice. The cyber world is full of people willing to help. You can even solicit friends and family members to provide feedback. Just don’t give out personal information to anyone you don’t know.
3. The internet is actually pretty safe-but be smart. No one gets something for nothing. If you didn’t enter a drawing or contest you probably didn’t win anything. Clean the cookies off your computer regularly (here’s how: http://www.wikihow.com/Clear-Your-Browser's-Cookies#Steps) and don’t give out any personal information-EVER!
2. Remember that social media is a tool. It’s not a strategy. It can be one piece that fits into an overall strategy to reach a specific goal, but you can’t rely on it to do all the work. Think about what you want to accomplish and then figure out how social media fits into that.
1. Take a chance! You never know what amazing things you might discover. I never thought I’d enjoy social bookmarking, but I’ve now found a place to keep all those fun sites I accidentally stumble across when I’m working and don’t have time to enjoy them. Like the Yoda hat I’m going to crochet for my nephew or the peanut butter cup brownies I hope to make for training one day. So sit back and enjoy the ride through cyberspace. I did!
Some really good web sites:
50 Definitions of Social Media:
Mom, This is How Twitter Works (Not Just for Moms!)
Meet Your Students Where They Are: Social Media
Adapting Social Media into College Advising: What is the Connection?
Academic Advising, Social Media, and Student Engagement
