Social Media in the Classroom - Political

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

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

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

Twitter
Set up accounts
Follower recommendations around course topic ex. 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

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

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

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.

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

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

Social Media Course

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

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 require advanced technical skills, just a curiosity to try out new things.

Special Projects sxtxstate.com txstatemcweek.com

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

Find this presentation at slidesha.re/royal_classroom_aej

Social Media in the Classroom - Political

by clroyal on Jul 30, 2011

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