Social Media in the Classroom

1. Social Media in the Classroom Cindy Royal, Ph.D Associate Professor Texas State University School of Journalism and Mass Communication croyal@txstate.edu www.cindyroyal.com www.onthatnote.com tech.cindyroyal.net twitter.com/cindyroyal facebook.com/cindyroyal linkedin.com/in/cindyroyal

2. Social Media in the Classroom • Teach students professional use of social media to achieve goals: promote, interact, share, connect and evaluate • Any class, whether technology-related or not, can use social media to engage students • Many colleges now include Social Media-specific courses • Social media can be used in special projects or events

3. Blogs • Use blogs as discussion forums for courses; encourage students to fully utilize features of blog: links, images, embedded media, commenting

4. Twitter • Set up accounts • Follower recommendations around course topicex. Follow local or national politicians or media that focus on politics, like @texastribune • Encourage students to follow meetup groups in their field and attend events in real life • Twitter assignments • Use of course hashtag

5. Facebook • Set up a Facebook group or page for class – students don't need to “friend” instructor • Show examples of Facebook pages for groups and entities

6. YouTube • Search the site to find instructional or related videos • Have an assignment where students find relevant videos and embed on blog

7. LinkedIn • Regardless of whether it is course-related or not, all instructors should encourage students to sign up on LinkedIn. It's a great way to start their professional networks. • Professors' networks can be helpful to students.

8. Guest Speakers • Always great to have guest speakers, whether in person or via Skype.

9. Social Media Course • Social Media at Work – cindyroyal.com/social • Goal of course is for students to explore the concept of professional uses of social media and personal branding; students should emerge from the class with a the tools necessary to develop and improve their own personal brand • Students create their own blog on a topic; we use Wordpress • Twitter and Twitter assignments • Facebook group related to blog • YouTube video embedding • Integrated discussions on current topics and implications

10. Social Media Course

11. Photo and Video Assignments • Most students have access to a camera that shoots photos and video • Students are to develop both a photo slideshow (using Picasa and Flickr) and a video (uploaded on YouTube) • Both projects require context and content; captions for photos; interview or demonstration for video. • Students don't need to edit video, just point and shoot. But can if they want to. YouTube even has a video editor now (http://www.youtube.com/editor) • Embed media on blog

12. Final Assignment • Social Media Strategy paper • Can write on ideas for improving own personal brand or how they would implement concepts for an organization • Requires background, research, and 4-8 specific strategies with detailed descriptions of how they would implement • Summary blog post • Many students have indicated that this paper, along with their developed online presence, helped them in interviews and in securing a job • Students practice writing, linking, visual journalism and have a perspective on current topics • Course itself does not required advanced technical skills, just a curiosity to try out new things.

13. Special Projects sxtxstate.com txstatemcweek.com

14. Other Examples of Political Use • Arrested tweet - 2008 • Mumbai attacks - 2008 • Iran Election - 2009 • Egypt – 2011 • Japan earthquake - 2011 • Jeff Jarvis use of #fuwashington hashtag • Obama tweets for #compromise

15. Find this presentation at slidesha.re/royal_classroom_aej