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<\/a><\/p>\n(Teachers Using Tech, n.d.)<\/p>\n
Last week we explored fostering reading cultures in our LLC programs.\u00a0 My focus was on using social media to promote reading and create active engagement with the library program. It is ironic, because one of my person professional goals is to expand in this area as well.\u00a0 I have maintained a social media presence starting in 2006 with Myspace, which I haven\u2019t used in over 12 years. Currently I use: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snap Chat and TikTok.\u00a0 The latter social media, less so.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0My social media for the most part is personal and fairly locked down.\u00a0 I use it to connect with friends and share family pictures etc. This not something that I would feel comfortable opening up outside of my friendship group.<\/p>\n (Socialnomics<\/a><\/span>, 2018)<\/p>\n The library program has shown me how social media can help with connecting educators and professionals but also how it can be used as a tool for sharing resources and engaging in learning experiences.\u00a0 I chose to set up a professional twitter account for this purpose, in part for coursework, but am seeing now the professional value.\u00a0 This twitter account is free from my child\u2019s photos and doesn\u2019t include personal commentary on politics or controversial subjects.<\/p>\n I have a professional social media account, but now what?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Friedman\u2019s article, \u201cUsing Social Media for Teacher Professional Development<\/a><\/span>\u201d, breaks down the various social media platforms and how they can be optimized.\u00a0 He mentions that Twitter offers \u201ca way to participate in education-focused conversations and idea sharing with other educators\u201d (Friedman, 2020).\u00a0 Pinterest and Instagram, due to their image base, work best for sharing pictures, visual charts and worksheets.\u00a0 Whereas LinkedIn, is great for sharing educated related articles.\u00a0 Facebook blends all of the above (Friedman,<\/span> 2020).<\/p>\n I am choosing to focus on creating\/expanding my PLN and for that, I plan to use Twitter as my primary social media platform.\u00a0 I am not opposed to using other social media platforms, but in all honesty, when I think about maintaining my personal social media accounts and LLC social media accounts, I know that I need to prioritize one social media account for my professional development until I get the swing of a PLN.<\/p>\n The chapter, \u201cProfessional Development in Social Media<\/a><\/span>\u201d in Rhoads and Stachowiak\u2019s book, tips on how to maximize Twitter potential as a tool for professional development is explored.\u00a0 It is suggested to:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Katie Davis<\/span><\/a> further recommends some tips for using Twitter and developing a PLN:<\/p>\n I found the ideas above helpful and they do challenge me. \u00a0The take away from my readings\u00a0 is that building a PLN through social media requires dedicated commitment.\u00a0 And as cliche as it might sound – the more you put in, the more you get out.\u00a0 The management of the account is what I find the most daunting. Davis mentions she had professional and private accounts and this is not something she\u2019d recommend as it was too difficult to manage.\u00a0 Whilst I believe she\u2019s likely right, I still hope to maintain division between professional and private space.\u00a0 I like her list that she created in Twitter of her \u201cMust follow library types\u201d (Davis, 2018).\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know how to do this before and can see its value when building a PLN.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t used a Twitter client to streamline feeds before but I am familiar with pushing\/scheduling social media like Buffer<\/a><\/span>, though I prefer Hootsuite<\/a><\/span> as you are able to schedule up to 30 messages with the free account versus Buffer’s maximum of 10, unless you upgrade to a paid subscription.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now that I am ready to get started, I now need to build the list of who I follow.\u00a0 Both Davis\u2019 and Cool Tools For School<\/a><\/span> have list suggestions from what they have built. Cool Tool for School also recommends: Starting with \u201cTwitter\u2019s \u2018Who To Follow\u2019, ask your friends, and watch who other people are talking to and pick some to follow (Cool Tool For School, 2019). All articles mention that by following others, Twitter users should not to become consumed with who follows back.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cPeople may not follow you back right away. If they have lots of followers, they may not even notice you started following them. To connect with someone, say hello! Thank them for sharing great information. Watch for a chance to help them out or offer an idea\u201d (Cool Tool For School, 2019). Renwich<\/span><\/a> emphasizes the need for active participation to generate meaningful learning and to be a part of a give and take communication forum.\u00a0 He says, \u201cTwitter should be a participatory experience: The more active you are on the site, the more you get out of it. This includes sharing your thoughts, links and blog posts\u201d (Renwich, 2015).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDon’t focus on follower count… <\/strong>When you become more active, you will start seeing that your professional network is growing naturally and other educators are getting to know you. That’s<\/em> what having a social media presence is all about!\u201d (Friedman<\/span><\/a>, 2020)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n Baruch, Netanel.\u00a0 2018.\u00a0 “How to Get Followers on Twitter? Here\u2019s the Ultimate Guide.”\u00a0 [Image].\u00a0 Retrieved from https:\/\/commun.it\/blog\/how-to-get-followers-on-twitter\/<\/a><\/p>\n Cool Tool For School. \u00a02019. \u201cThing 4: Twitter, Facebook & Personal Learning Networks\u201d.\u00a0 (n.d.).\u00a0 Retrieved from https:\/\/cooltoolsforschool.net\/twitter-pln\/<\/a><\/p>\n Davis, Kate. 2018. \u00a0My top tips for using social media for professional networking and more.\u00a0 Retrieved from http:\/\/katedavis.info\/2018\/10\/my-top-tips-for-using-social-media-for-professional-networking\/<\/a><\/p>\n Equalman. 2018.\u00a0 Socialnomics [ video file ].\u00a0 Retrieved from https:\/\/youtu.be\/2IcpwISszbQ<\/p>\n Friedman, Jordan.\u00a0 2020. \u201cUsing Social Media for Teacher Professional Development.\u201d Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.hmhco.com\/blog\/using-social-media-for-teacher-professional-development<\/a><\/p>\n Pikmykid.\u00a0 2019.\u00a0 “9 Twitter Accounts Every Educator Should Follow.” [Image]. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.pikmykid.com\/9-twitter-accounts-every-educator-should-follow\/<\/a><\/p>\n Renwick, Matt.\u00a0 2015.\u00a0 How Twitter Can Power Your Professional Learning.\u00a0 Retrieved from https:\/\/edtechmagazine.com\/k12\/article\/2015\/07\/how-twitter-can-power-your-professional-learning<\/a><\/p>\n Rhoads, M and Stachowiak, B. 2017. \u201cProfessional Development via Social Media\u201d.\u00a0 Igniting Your Teaching with Educational Technology (1st<\/sup> Edition). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. Retrieved from https:\/\/edd7032017f2.pressbooks.com\/chapter\/6\/<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"YouTube](\"http:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/2IcpwISszbQ\/0.jpg\")
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Who to follow?\u00a0 Building your PLN<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nWorks Cited:<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n