Face to Facebook: Exploring Best Practices in Social Networking

Eric SheningerBrian Hazlett

What is Social Networking?

• The interaction between a group of people who share a common interest (en.wiktionary.org/wiki/social_networking)

What is social media?

• A category of sites that is based on user participation and user-generated content (searchenginewatch.com/define)

• Software tools that allow groups to generate content and engage in peer-to-peer conversations and exchange of content (www.bottlepr.co.uk/glossary.html)

• http://www.commoncraft.com/socialmedia

Social Networking Applications

• Twitter• WebEx• Ning• YouTube• LinkedIn• FaceBook

• Microblogging• Short messages known as “tweets”• Link to cell phone

• http://www.commoncraft.com/twitter

Why Educators Should Use Twitter

• Improve instruction- Global collaboration- Sharing of resources- Discussion/Knowledge acquisition- Professional growth (PLN)

http://twitter.com/NMHS_Principal

Why Schools/Universities Should Use Twitter

• Communication– Events – Meetings– School closings– Student honors– Live scores/updates– Campus weather– News/RSS feeds– Emergency information

• Marketing– Student recruitment– Monitoring conversations referencing your school

WebEx

• Create a channel just for your school• Share school accomplishments• Showcase student work, events, athletics• http://www.youtube.com/NMHSPrincipal• For videos larger than 10 minutes, use Vimeo

(also free)

• Communicate with students• Recruitment• Group tools (i.e. schools/universities can

include many offices• Fan pages (video, wall posts, analytics)• Showcase student/faculty work• Connecting current to incoming students• Facebook Office Hours

• Platform for creating your own social network• Very easy to use• Can add videos, photos, news, forums, events,

groups, etc.• Customizable site• Each member that joins has a customizable

profile page• Can be made private or public

Nings for Learning

The Educator’s PLN

• http://edupln.ning.com/

Nings for Higher Education

Nings for High Schools

• World’s largest professional network (over 55 million strong)

• Build a network of trusted contacts to share ideas, exchange knowledge, and create opportunities.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzT3JVUGUzM

• http://www.linkedin.com/in/esheninger

Best Practices for Educators/Schools

• Keep it professional• Remember your role within the school

community• Think before you post to the internet• Digital footprint