Social media use has grown substantially through the years. While it has some negative aspects, I think it is one of the most effective ways to get your message out to the masses. With that being said, there are various platforms to choose from. In this post, I will be discussing the use of Facebook and Twitter for educational purposes. I will also look through various ed tech leaders' tweets to see the type of content they share through Twitter. Additionally, I will weigh the advantages and disadvantages of using Facebook to promote the library.
A majority of the edtech leaders focus on building meaningful learning opportunities for students, using technology. They included ways to rethink learning, along with how to increase digital literacy. I liked that while new tech was introduced, most emphasized opportunities to improve the use of current technology. One placed too much focus on politics, so there wasn't much information that was beneficial. Some were notably more active on their Twitters and provided substantially more relevant content. Two of my favorites were @GwynethJones and @lbraun2000.
A majority of the edtech leaders focus on building meaningful learning opportunities for students, using technology. They included ways to rethink learning, along with how to increase digital literacy. I liked that while new tech was introduced, most emphasized opportunities to improve the use of current technology. One placed too much focus on politics, so there wasn't much information that was beneficial. Some were notably more active on their Twitters and provided substantially more relevant content. Two of my favorites were @GwynethJones and @lbraun2000.
One of Linda Braun’s tweets caught my eye since our district
is a big proponent of the makerspace movement. Her post said, “At the end of
the day, design and making could be exactly the trojan horse we need to infuse
constructivist pedagogies in teaching and learning.” There has been a big shift
happening in libraries all over the country. Although a lot of the discussions
have been positive, there are still some naysayers that feel like makerspace is
just glorified play time. I think that the confusion comes from not
understanding what is actually taking place. First hand, I have seen students
that are shy or struggle to be successful in the standard classroom setting, come
out of their shell and excel during various makerspace opportunities. These can
range from engineering, artistic creativity, and problem solving.
“At the end of the day, design and making could be exactly the trojan horse we need to infuse constructivist pedagogies in teaching and learning.” https://t.co/2qdoIwciWh— Linda W Braun (@lbraun2000) January 6, 2018
(Linda W Braun- @lbraun2000)
She also includes tweets about innovative learning such as challenge-based learning. This ties in with her other content, as she appears to focus on providing more meaningful instruction within the library.
Gwyneth Jones is big on advocacy, which I feel is the strongest reason to have some form of social media for promotion. Through advocacy, we are ensuring that our students will continue to have access to libraries and librarians. I noticed she also includes tweets about technology. What I like is that her tweets don't just highlight a type of tech, but she includes student centered ideas on how to implement them. This is helpful for those with limited tech experience and even those that are tech savvy.
(Gwyneth Jones- @GwynethJones)Advocacy for school libraries. Why we need to take responsibility via @Elizabethutch https://t.co/x35s1482VU— Gwyneth Jones (@GwynethJones) January 20, 2018
Honored & thrilled to be mentioned on this fine blog! #TLChat pic.twitter.com/SOvyxk0PsB
After looking through various school library Facebook pages,
they are maily being used to promote reading and their library activities. It comes
across as a mix between a school website and Twitter. Posts include discussions
about book choice, upcoming school events, and recommended articles. Websites
like Google Sites tend to feel a little static, so I like the regularly updated
information. Surprisingly, the posts don't have many comments or likes. This does not necessarily mean that these posts are not being seen. I am one of the administrators on our campus Facebook page and can see how many people view the posts. Even on posts with one or two likes, I have seen over 300 people viewed it.
There are some notable advantages and disadvantages to using Facebook for your library. It is commonly used platform which could lead to higher visibility. I think the most people visit their Facebook daily, so important information is more likely to be seen. I think this will lead to more of the community being connected.
On the other hand, I believe social sites like Facebook have
some privacy issues that would concern me. It flooded with advertisements,
which can be quite annoying, but are also very intrusive. Many times, I have
been searching for information online, and suddenly I see something related
being sponsored or recommended to me on Facebook. Additionally, not every
parent uses social media, so I would wonder about how many people are not
actually seeing the information. Facebook appears to have some issues about which
posts appear in newsfeeds. There has been some question as to whether Facebook
picks which posts appear. Some material might not be best shared on such a
large platform. A newsletter, or something of that nature, would be more appropriate
for a website.
