2. Agenda
• Social media defined
• Personal vs. Professional use
• Tools of the trade: Twitter, LinkedIn,
Pinterest
• How to: access resources
• How to: crowd source answers
• How to: build your PLC
4. Social Media Defined
…Online media tools developed for the use of
instant communication and publishing among
individuals.
5. Social Media Usage
Personal
• Connect with friends and
family
• Build a community
around personal interests
• Share family photos,
humor, messages of
personal beliefs
Professional
• Connect with colleagues
and associates
• Build a network around
educational interests
• Share resources, consult
others in your network,
harbor discussions
6. Social Media Usage
Can social media be both personal and professional?
Yes…but
Professionals in your network follow you because
of the content you provide, not your thoughts on
last night’s episode of the Bachelor.
Best to keep the two areas
separate (most of the time)
8. But What About Facebook?
• More personal than professional
• Does not easily set up for link sharing
“Keep it for your friends, choose
another path for your colleagues.”
9. Getting Started: Twitter
• Visit www.twitter.com
• Fill in your name, username,
and a password
• Follow the prompts to add a few
people to follow
The Ultimate Twitter Guide for Teachers
Twitter Cheat Sheet
100 Ways to Teach With Twitter
10. Getting Started: LinkedIn
• Visit www.linkedin.com
• Fill in your name, email, and a
password
• Follow the six steps for
connecting to others and setting
up your account
LinkedIn Guide for Knowledge Workers
Teacher’s Guide to the Use of LinkedIn
50 Great LinkedIn Groups for Academics
11. Getting Started: Pinterest
• Visit www.pinterest.com
• Click the join Pinterest button
• Create an account using your
email, Twitter, or Facebook
account
• Follow at least five boards to
get started
Pinterest for Teachers
Follow “Power Pinners”
4 Ways to Use Pinterest in Education
12. How to: Access Resources
TWO MAIN METHODS
• Searching using a keyword
• Browsing through postings of those in your
personal learning network
13. How to: Access Resources
Twitter
• Type one of three items in the search bar
– Topic – returns everything with this term associated with it
– @Topic – returns users who have that term in their username
– #Topic – only returns postings that used that term as a hashtag
• Browse the results and click on the embedded hyperlinks
You can further limit search
results by selecting top, all, or
people you follow
14. How to: Access Resources
LinkedIn
• Works best when browsing through groups
• Click the search bar and select groups as the search option
• Select a group that has active discussions related to your topic
• View the discuss to see what resources are available*
*Many groups are private. In this case you must request to
join them first before accessing their discussion threads.
15. How to: Access Resources
Pinterest
• Three main methods
1. Use the search bar to look up a specific topic
2. Click on categories at the top of the screen and browse
3. View the links provided by those you are following in your PLN
• Click on any of the images to view the resource on it’s original web
page
• Click the repin button to add the link to your Pinterest page and
share with your PLN
16. How to: Crowdsource Answers
What is crowdsourcing?
“the act of obtaining resources or answers from a
large group of people, often through digital means”
Using social media teachers can pose
difficult questions to a nearly limitless
community of educators who may have a
unique perspective on the problem at hand.
17. How to: Crowdsource Answers
Twitter
• Compose a new tweet
• In the tweet include hashtags for terms specific to your question
• Consider adding specific users to the tweet with the @ symbol
• View the section to see response to your question
Other Twitter users who will
see the message directly
Hashtags increase your chances
of getting a response
18. How to: Crowdsource Answers
LinkedIn
• For maximum value join a group related to your question topic
• Post a new discussion within the group stating your question
• Return to LinkedIn (or check your email) to see responses
• You also have the opportunity to set up polls to quickly survey group
members
– Great when you have multiple answers to a problem to choose from
19. How to: Crowdsource Answers
Pinterest
• Create a pin to a site or image related to your subject
• Pose a question in the description asking your PLC to help and
repin
• Anyone who is part of your network will see the pin on their
‘following’ page and be able to help with the question at hand
– Note: If a person is only following one of your boards and not all of them, they may not see
the message unless it is on that board. Choose the placement of the pin carefully.
20. How to: Build Your PLC
Professional Learning Community (PLC)
Also known as Professional Learning Network
• The people and organizations that:
– You follow
– Follow you
– You share and interact with
21. How to: Build Your PLC
Twitter
• More than just following individuals and businesses
– Must interact with them to build the connections
– Favorite tweets, reply to tweets, add their usernames to questions and shout
outs
• Do not follow just anyone
– Be exclusive, this is your list of go to people in your PLC
• Consider participating in Twitter chats
Check out this article for more information
Utilizing Twitter Chats for Professional Development
22. How to: Build Your PLC
LinkedIn
• Specializes in networking
• Two options
– Search for connections (people you already know)
• Comes from your contact lists on other sites and your professional
affiliations (schools and businesses)
– Join groups, get to know others and add them to your network
WARNING
Unlike other social media sites,
LinkedIn is not designed for you to
connect with strangers. Think of your
connections as references. Do not
extend connections to just anyone.
23. How to: Build Your PLC
Pinterest
• Start by searching for colleagues and other professionals using the
Friends to Follow link
• Browse for topics of interest to you
• Begin to follow boards that include quality content
• Follow the board creators if their interests are closely aligned to
yours
• Comment on their pins and boards to create connections
– Two way communication is necessary
24. Start small, stay focused, and be
patient. PLCs are relationships.
Relationships need time to develop.
Concluding Thoughts
Social media is about
connecting with others who
share a similar interest,
experience, or concern.
An online PLC
provides you with
additional brainpower
you will never find in
one school building.
