Social Networking and School Library Media Centers
Vickie Holmes
As stated by Brian Matthews, “Social networks represent the
collective body of the people we know.
The term “social networking” was coined by J.A. Barnes in 1954. The more interaction you have within your
circles, the stronger your network is. The concept of interpersonal networking
was first developed in 1929 by Karinthy Frigyes” (Courtney, 2007). When I read
this, I have to admit I was taken back a little because of my assumption that
these concepts were newly developed.
Using social networking allows the media specialist to bring
the library to the students. As stated
by Dickson and Holley, “One of the
goals of libraries branching into social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter,
and Google+ is the ability for the library to conduct outreach to more users
while they are not inside the library.
The type of information that exists on the library social media site can
be divided into two main categories:
static information and active social media content. Static information is a one-way information exchange
that tells the user a piece of information such as the library hours, location,
and website information. Static
information can exist on Facebook as a complement to the library’s traditional
website” (Gelfand & Lin, 2012).
That was a new concept to me; using a social networking site
as your media website! If you have read
the news though, you are aware of the legal ramifications of teachers
interacting with students on these social networks. My school district has required teachers to
read the policies and put a signature that it has been read when dealing with
social networking sites. We are not
permitted to contact students on any social networks. But they have created a district social
network called “My Big Campus”. The
format is exactly like Facebook and it allows students to interact with each
other on this network. The district
conducts staff development on this site for teachers. I have to check into My Big Campus for
information on workshops that I have signed up for. The district monitors the activity on My Big
Campus and each school has one person in charge of reporting any suspicious
activities that have been flagged to the district. This social network is
mainly used at the middle and high school levels; although we do have some students
using it at the elementary level. All
students are given an account that can be accessed. Parents were made aware, but not involved in
the process.
A social network could be used to promote new books,
advertise special events that are coming, and allow students to connect with
the media center from any location.
Teachers are required, due to CIPA, to teach internet safety and how to
use social networks safely. I think this
is a great idea. I might not agree with
a concept; but if it’s here we might as well teach the best way to use it!
Courtney, N. (2007). Library
and Beyond (p.75-76). Libraries Unlimited: Westport, CT
Gelfand, J., & Lin, A (2012). Social Networking: Product or Process
and What Shade of Grey?
Grey Journal (TGJ). 8(1), 14-26.
Very interesting background information on the "social networking" term. I too thought it was a fairly new term, but yet it has been around for 59 years! It does not shock me that terms relating to networking have been around for a long time. My first degree is in business and when I think about networking, I think about forming bonds, gaining buy in, and working within a circle of those with similar interests.
ReplyDeleteIf a media specialist is only concerned with static information, a regular website would suit their needs; however, with today's learners we need more active social interaction. Students need to be able to comment and question. We can learn from each other using active social interaction, but static is just that, it doesn't move.
My county also has guidelines regarding social media. This year was the first year we were really asked to review policies. We are mostly told to use of professional judgment, but then we are giving a long list of reprimands. This has led many of us to deactivate social media accounts and/or defriend some of our contacts. The idea of "My Big Campus" seems neat and like something I would like to learn more about.
As you mentioned, there are so many ways we could use social media as a LMS, we just have to be very careful to jump through the policy hoops as we do so.
Thanks for sharing about the "My Big Campus" social network - what a great idea! Rather than worrying about students getting on other unmonitored social networking sites, they have a chance to practice their social networking skills in a safe, monitored place. This could be so good for children as they learn about the etiquette for using such sites. (I know of several teenagers/young adults who have gotten themselves in trouble while using FaceBook, not realizing that prospective employers might be looking at their profiles and what they were posting. Those "digital citizenship" lessons apparently didn't stick!) I hope that "My Big Campus" is a success and that other systems follow their lead.
ReplyDeleteI tried something last year with my fifth graders that was successful and fun for them. I created a "MyFace" bulletin board that mimicked a FaceBook/MySpace type page for each student. They created profiles on paper that was attached to the board, then they would write status updates on blue notecards and post them, while other students could comment on their posts on a yellow notecard. I made "thumbs up" stickers so we could "like" what they posted. It expanded as I invited administrators and other teachers to comment on status updates. The students were so excited to come in each day to see who had commented on their page! This gave them the chance to practice social networking skills, both as an original poster and a commenter, long before they would be old enough to try out FaceBook or MySpace on their own.
Vickie you presented some interesting information regarding how to best use social networking in schools specifically in the media center. By incorporating elements like Facebook into the media center web page, would be a great idea to intrigue and hope have more student “followers” of what is happening in the media center. Seeing as students are constantly engaged in social media, why shouldn’t we appeal to the technology they use everyday. While you did make a good point of teacher and student interaction on social networking sites, it is equally important to train the staff as well as inform the students of the expectations of what is appropriate.
ReplyDeleteIf used appropriately, social networking sites could be extremely beneficial for a teacher or media specialist. Social networking options allow people to send notifications, reminders, or messages quickly to a large group of people; this could be great for coaches or club sponsors that need to remind their students about a meeting time or change of venue.
Additionally, social networking sites like twitter and facebook are becoming more and more acceptable in an educational setting. If not these two sites specifically, there are other sites available, such as Edmodo, that teachers and students are utilizing for assignments, tests, and quizzes. Students can join groups, ask questions, submit assignments, etc. Also, teachers can join professional development groups as well as content-based group and easily share ideas, post resources, and ask questions. Social networking is changing the way in which educators communicate and present materials and assignments overall.
Social networking can be a great asset to the media specialist or teachers. This source will help develop collaboration among everyone. It will enable teachers and students to share their thoughts with others around the world. Teachers can share lesson plans with other teachers around the world. These social networking sites also offer teachers and students a directory that can be use to find a particular individual and locate academic materials. There are some teachers that use social networking tools at the school. They have incorporated flickr, and blogging in their daily lesson plans.
ReplyDeleteMy school does filter out most of the social networking tools. No one is allowed to use yahoo e-mail or facebook at school. There are some social networking sites that can be used at school which the teachers or students are not aware of. The media specialist could locate these sites and share these sites with them. It’s important to develop social skills among the teachers and students. Teachers and students can learn from each others through social networking. Social networking can be use in all grade levels. Kindergarten classes can use flickr to share pictures from a special event or a field trip. Students in the other grades can do a project which require pictures and share with others. To promote reading, the teacher can have the students to read a book that they have selected and share it with the class using one of the social networking tools.
Social networking sites are going to be around for a long time. A media specialist should learn as much as possible about social networking to stay on target with the world.
I think a social networking site would be an excellent way to communicate to your stakeholders. I'm always excited to see just how many students will pay attention to something of it's online. While completing the LMC webpage assignment, I found a few excellent media center wikis and blogs. They were informative and up-to-date, and some showed the number of views and you could tell how many people visited those sites. It made me wonder how many people will visit a webpage designed in that form compared to a regular webpage?
ReplyDeleteI agree that teachers and staff must be fully aware of the acceptable use policy and district policies when creating webpages and utilizing social-networking. I keep totally separate everything's. Meaning, I have my personal Twitter, Facebook, etc., and then I have my school ones. (Not that my personals have anything interesting on them, I like my private life private. :-)