Amy Mascott transitioned from being a teacher to becoming a social media consultant called a "social media mama". She started a blog called Teachmama in 2008 to share her experiences raising a family and learning about various social media tools. Over the years, she grew her blog into a business called Teachmama Media by expanding her use of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and developing an online community called WeTeach. She now helps other educators and companies learn how to effectively use social media.

1. +
social media mama
growing teach mama from the
ground up: blogging, tweeting, liking,
and chatting
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

2. +
tonight: the big 3
1. birth of a business: teacher to social media mama
2. social media tools 101
3. tools I use: lazy me
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

3. +
history. . .
9 yrs ago: (2003)
10 yrs ago: (2002)
- 2nd yr teaching in
- 4th yr teaching in
MCPS
HCPSS
- pregnant
- engaged
* Eudora email, Marks,
Gradebook Plus * First Class, Making
theknot.com The Grade,
storknet.com,
parenting.com
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

4. +
history. . .
7 yrs ago: (2005) 4 yrs ago: (2008)
- 20 month old and a - 4, 3, 1 year old
newborn - diapers, bottles,
- tutoring, parenting messes
- Master’s in Reading - Needy friends
* internet, Sesame * Facebook, blog
Workshop, blog-hater, lurker, Twitter lurker,
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

5. + November 2008. . .
teachmama.com
• Blogger • early html
• godaddy.com
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

6. +
first post: November 2008
 I’ve finally jumped on the bandwagon of the blogging
world, and, I have to admit, I’m doing it reluctantly and
imperfectly. Being a lover of interaction with people, I
often wondered how bloggers fit their blogging, tweeting,
facebooking, and cyber-interacting into their real lives,
especially those who are full-time, stay-at-home with their
kiddos types. I can barely finish cleaning up the breakfast
dishes, do a load of laundry, or read the newspaper, let
alone actually find time to sit down, relax, and read
someone else’s blog. . . .
 However, I have come to realize that I cannot be an
internet and blog-hater for much longer, or I will be left
behind, and I refuse to be so. So instead of complaining,
I’ve decided to share my world, as nutty and crazy and
unorganized as it is, with others, for three reasons:
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

7. +
3 reasons for starting the blog:
1. I love teaching. I miss teaching. But I’m forgetting some
really important students.
2. My second reason for throwing myself out there to the
sharks is to help other teachers-turned SAHM’s find ways
of earning some extra money by launching their own
tutoring business.
3. My last reason is that there’s no better way of learning
than by doing. So here I am. . . Maybe you will find
humor in the way I fumble with my early-elementary
knowledge of websites and weblogs, the way I try to
stumble to keep up with the rest.
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

8. +
goal: develop community
family readers
friends
companies
Teachmama.com
MOMS
Club
conferences
Twitter DC Metro preschool
Moms
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

9. + June 2009. . .
teachmama re-vamp
• Digital Image Suite • Amazon store
• More html fun • 4Shared.com
• ads, sponsors, giveaways
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

10. +
goal: carve out my niche
read
write
comment
maintain focus
declare myself the expert

11. +
goal: grow online community
Facebook Twitter:
• fan page • Twitter parties
• RSS • #hashtags
• Invite friends to ‘fan’ / ‘like’ • conversation
build brand
Blog FREElancing
• comments • guest posts, bigger blogs
• conversation • eZines
• linkys, hops, awards • bigger sites: Washington Times
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

12. +
February 2010. . .
we teach: weteachgroup.com
• ning.com • newsletter: Mail
• personalized Chimp
community • sponsors
• online forum
• 50+ groups, 4200+
members
• message blast
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

13. +
June 2011. . .
teach mama media, llc
• We’re in • partnerships
business! • balance
• goals, growth
• learning
curve
• professional
development
• reflection
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

14. +
quick survey:
Do you. . .
 Use Twitter?
 Use Facebook?
 Use Skype?
 Use Pinterest?
 Particpate in a Ning?
 Write a blog?
 Use a photo-sharing site?
 Use a wiki?
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

15. +
 Twitter
 Facebook
Skype
social media tools 
101  Pinterest
 Ning
-----------------
 Blog
focus:  Wiki
learn about some  YouTube
available online
 Flickr/ Photobucket/ Picassa
resources that
teachers can use  Linkedin
with ease  Discuss: WHY use them? What is the
benefit?
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

16. +
Can you identify. . .

17. +
quick look: Twitter
 What is it? Tips:
Twitter is a microblogging tool  Follow back the people who are
that allows you to share links and following you
content
 Retweet (RT) the things you find
interesting to engage in dialogue
 Where is it? and build relationships.
http://www.twitter.com  Add a hashtag (#) so your tweets will
come up in searches such as #ece
for early childhood education
 How to use it:
 Create Twitter lists to follow a group
Engage with colleagues by sharing of people
brief snippets of content in 140
characters or less with your  Block and unfollow spam Tweeters
followers. Besides personal tweets,
Twitter users often share written  Use the same etiquette you would
use in real life
content— blog posts, journal
articles, etc.— links to photos,  Use direct message (DM) when
videos, and interesting content having a private conversation or
sharing email addresses
around the web.
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

18. +
Where are we? . . .

19. +
quick look: Facebook
Tips:
 What is it?
Facebook is a social  Check your employer’s social
networking policy.
networking site and service.
 Customize your privacy settings
according to how much information
 Where is it? you want to share and with whom. Err
on the side of caution.
http://www.facebook.com
 Be respectful of student privacy when
posting any class photos visible to
your friends and networks.
 How to use it:  Be mindful of what you post on your
wall.
Besides your personal profile,
 Use private groups to communicate
Facebook can be used to with colleagues about school-related
curate lists of personal interests, issues.
chat with contacts, and join  Create friend lists to organize your
interest groups. relationships .
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

20. +
And this is. . .
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

21. +
quick look: Skype
 What is it? Tips:
Skype is a free internet tool  Be mindful of privacy, safety, and
that facilitates communication security concerns when setting up
through typed chat, audio Skype profiles for students.
voice calls, and video calling.
 Only accept requests from known
individuals as contacts.
 Where is it?
http://www.skype.com  Invest in a dedicated microphone
and webcam if using Skype
frequently.
 How to use it:
Skype can be used as a  Try to eliminate as much
professional development tool background noise as possible.
and a teaching tool. It can be
used to access conference  Conduct a test call to ensure your
computer has a strong connection
presentations or to bring the
classroom to life through live
conversations with experts or
classrooms around the word. social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

22. +
Hello, friend. . .

23. +
quick look: Pinterest
 What is it? Tips:
Pinterest is a visual pinboard-  Examine other users’ boards
like a bulletin board- that before you start creating your
own, making notes about what
allows you to bookmark your ideas you think are valuable and
favorite content using images. which are not.
 Where is it?  Follow any and all boards that
interest you.
http://pinterest.com/
 Think ‘outside the board’. You can
pin anything—so create boards of
 How to use it:
ideas, people, quotes, dreams,
Pinboards serve as virtual file folders lessons, you name it.
which can be created to sort photos
 Collaborate on boards as a team
of activities and resources for various
by inviting friends and colleagues.
curriculum areas and units. Pinned
items can be pushed to Facebook  Repin, repin, repin!
and Twitter, allowing your content to
be shared with other educational
communities.
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

24. +
What on earth? . . .

25. +
quick look: Ning
 What is it? Tips:
Ning is a platform that can be  Try it out! Apply for a Pearson Ning
used to create social Mini scholarship (<150 members)
networking websites.  http://go.ning.com/pearsonspo
nsorship/
 Where is it?
 Create a focus or vision.
http://ning.com/
 Make it a personal, welcoming,
 How to use it: and supportive environment.
Ning allows users to create a
 Make everyone a stakeholder.
community site with a Delegate.
customized look and feel. Sites
can be developed to engage  Join other Ning groups for ideas
members in rich discussions while and inspiration.
also integrating social
networking tools, photos, and  Use an analytics service from
video features. beginning.
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

26. +
goal: make it easy (for others)
 4Shared: 4shared.com  Facebook:
 Share documents facebook.com/teachmama
 Pagemoto-- pagemodo.com
 Scribd:  Apps– RSS Graffiti --
scribd.com/teachmama pagemodo.com
 Create lists, followers, shelf  Shortstack—
 Share on Facebook, Twitter shortstackapp.com/
 Embed documents on site  ‘Like’ pages– tag pages,
people, events
 YouTube:
youtube.com/teachmama1  Linked In: linkedin.com
 Share videos  online resume
 Cultivate channel
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

27. +
goal: make it easy (for me)
 RSS: www.google.com  Slideshows
 read, stay in touch with
others’ blogs  PicMonkey: www.picmonkey.com
 Photo editing
 Pinterest:  Connected to Flickr
www.pinterest.com/teachma
ma  HootSuite: hootsuite.com
 Visual, quick!  Schedule tweets
 Tripled traffic in short time  Schedule FB posts
 Tumblr:  Twitter: twitter.com
www.teachmama.tumblr.com
 Lists, groups, columns, about
 My faves, quick a la blog
 Followers, tweets, tags
 Triberr: triberr.com
 Join ‘tribes’ auto tweet posts
 Flickr: www.flickr.com social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com

28. +
goal: move onward, upward
Publishing
Growing
Partnering
Speaking
Learning
social media mama * amy mascott * teachmama.com