social media – Seoul Learning

Part 3: Reflection

I am so glad that I chose this unit. I had seen it listed as an elective over the past 18 months and thought, “no way am I going to take that!” However, during my student placement in a high school library last November, I created a book display to support a specific unit of study. My supervisor casually took out her phone, filmed it and posted it on an Instagram library page. The ease in which she did this both impressed me and took me aback. Due to a bad experience, I have avoided all social media for years (except Whatsapp). I am reminded of a study by Choi et al. (2018, p. 154), where the researchers found that teacher’s personal experiences in social media often mirrored their confidence levels in digital citizenship. I feel strongly about teaching digital citizenship, but I didn’t know my way around the social media platforms well enough to talk to students about them. I realised it was time to start exploring it again, for professional reasons (I begin my first teacher-librarian job in August). The world seemed to have passed me by and in order to find my way back into social media again, I signed up for INF506 (Seewald, 2022a). The following paragraphs highlight a few of things I have learned and considered throughout the unit.

The number one ‘takeaway’ from the unit has been that I can control what I do, that the social media platforms do not have to control me. This may seem very trivial to others, but to me this was a very important realisation and really the only reason I screwed up the courage to create my new Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts. I was struck by a comment made by a peer, Alison O’Keefe (2022) on her blog that what we don’t post is also part of our identity. I responded with my concern that we post/tweet/blog too quickly due to the availability of our internet speed, and the expectation that if we don’t respond, the moment is lost (Seewald, 2022b). Then I realised that it is in my control to become a thoughtful poster, blogger and tweeter. I can use my hesitations to my advantage. I remember a point made by Di Gangi et al. (2018, p. 1101), that sometimes professional and personal accounts on social media blend together and this may provide additional challenges. I feel comfortable with my decision that my presence on social media will be solely professional, and in this manner, I was able to take my first steps down the social media road.

I am still mulling over the use of social media in libraries. INF506 opened up a world of resources and I discovered there are numerous professional blogs and publications that indicate that many librarians are very comfortable with using social media and recommend it for promoting and advocating for the library. For example, Farch uses Instagram as part of her goal to keep the school library “relevant” (Farch, 2022, p. 5). Finch-Stanford states that the use of social media platforms has made a very positive impact within her library and she “wouldn’t be without it now” (Finch-Stanford & Akter, 2021, p. 11). For small libraries she argues that social media offers opportunities that can’t be found elsewhere (Finch-Stanford & Akter, 2021, p. 11), and there is an assumption that social media use in small libraries is largely beneficial (Humphreys, 2019). Angela Hursch is a prolific disseminator of knowledge in regards to using social media in the library (Hursch, n.d.)

Then INF506 took me down a different path and I read about the ethical issues that may arise from using social media, such as privacy concerns and the protection of data (Olura et al., 2015, p. 335), the need for strong social media policies and processes (Liew, 2021, p. 376), and the concerns in regards to our general lack of understanding of intellectual property/digital copyrights (Meese & Hagedorn, 2019). This information was rather overwhelming. I discovered that one mis-step may have serious consequences, as highlighted in my blog (Seewald, 2022c) in regards to “The $12,000 Tweet” (Hickman, 2021, p. 3). The contradictory experiences of social media in libraries highlighted in the literature became concerning to me. I need to find my own way through and to continue to reflect on what I have read, and am still reading.

Considering my own future practice in social media, I realised that it takes skill and experience to engage with patrons, and to avoid social media being just another mode of one-way information. The research of Doney et al. (2020, p.12) suggests that in reflecting the community, a social media account will be more effective. For me, not only must I engage with the technology, I must get to know my school community well and then base my choice of my social media platform with them in consideration. Rather than being overwhelmed by the literature surrounding social media, I must educate myself without fear, develop professional learning networks that are supportive, reach out to ask for help (Seewald, 2022d) and experiment with the various platforms. A great start has been gathering resources from my peers within INF506 and offering my own (Seewald, 2022e). I am up for the challenge moving forward in my upcoming new career as a TL and credit much of what I have learned in INF506 for this rather significant change in my approach to social media.

One final thought I would like to highlight is the human in the midst of technology. As we move into Web 4.0, I find the technology both interesting and intimidating. For example, setting up an AR/VR in the library sounds amazing for students and overwhelming for the TL (Seewald, 2022f). However I need to explore any and all opportunities. I am heartened, however, that behind all the new technology, and the reliance of social media in society, students will still need a human (Ayinde & Kirkwood, 2020, p. 143). I intend to be there for them!

Word count: 1009

References

Ayinde, L., & Kirkwood, H. (2020). Rethinking the roles and skills of information professionals in the 4th industrial revolution. Business Information Review, 37(4), 142-153. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266382120968057

Choi, M., Cristol, D., & Gimbert, B. (2018). Teachers as digital citizens: The influence of individual backgrounds, internet use and psychological characteristics on teachers’ levels of digital citizenship. Computers & Education, 121, 143-161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.03.005

Di Gangi, P. M., Johnston, A. C., Worrell, J. L., & Thompson, S. C. (2016). What could possibly go wrong? A multi-panel delphi study of organizational social media risk. Information Systems Frontiers, 20(5), 1097-1116. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-016-9714-2

Doney, J., Wikle, O., & Martinez, J. (2020). Likes, comments, views. Information Technology and Libraries, 39(3), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v39i3.12211

Farch, H. (2022). Why do I use Instagram to promote my school library? Connections, 120(1), 5-7.

Finch-Stanford, C., & Aktar, R. (2021). Tweeting from the shelves of the school library. School Librarian, 69(2), 10-11.

Hickman, B. (2020). The $12,000 tweet: A collision at the intersection of social media and copyright law. Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 24(2), 3-16. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555458920964851

Humphreys, S. (2019). Tweeting into the void?: Creating a UK library twitter list and analyzing best practice – successes and myths. UKSG Insights. https://insights.uksg.org/articles/10.1629/uksg.471/?utm_source=TrendMD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Insights_TrendMD_0

Hursh, A. (n.d.). Who is Angela Hursh? Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion. https://superlibrarymarketing.com/aboutangelahursh/

Liew, C. L. (2021). Let’s talk about risks: A pillar framework for social media risk management in memory institutions. Online Information Review, 46(2), 375-390. https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-08-2020-0380

Meese, J., & Hagedorn, J. (2019). Mundane content on social media: Creation, circulation, and the copyright problem. Social Media + Society, 5(2), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305119839190

O’Keefe, A. (2022, May 3). OLJ task 15 (Module 5) managing your digital identity. Reflections: My Teacher Librarian Journey. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/aok1/2022/05/03/olj-task-15-module-5-managing-your-digital-identity/

Olura, S. P., Soluoku, T., & Akolade, Y. L. (2015). Ethical issues arising from social media use in libraries. In A. Tella (Ed.), Social media strategies for dynamic library service development (pp. 331-350). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-7415-8

Seewald, A. (2022a, March 4). I also chose this unit to push myself – I have been without social media for years but need to. [Comment]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/263092359252292

Seewald, A. (2022b, May 19). Hi Alison “Choosing when to post and not to post is also an element that can shape one’s digital identity.” I [Comment on the blog post “OLJ task 14: Areas of concern (Module 5)”]. Reflections: My teacher librarian journey. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/aok1/2022/05/03/olj-task-15-module-5-managing-your-digital-identity/

Seewald, A. (2022c, May 4). OLJ task 14: Areas of concern (Module 5). Seoul Learning: My Journey Towards Teacher-Librarianship. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/angseewald/2022/05/04/olj-task-14-areas-of-concern-module-5/

Seewald, A. (2022d, May 5). Hi Kendall, TTGL sounds like it is doing a great job! I read in your bio that you have moved [Comment on the blog post “OLJ task 4: Reflections on the impact of change”]. Journaling Through My Masters of Education. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/kendall/2022/03/25/olj-task-4-reflections-on-the-impact-of-change/comment-page-1/?unapproved=6&moderation-hash=e989effc662781e248e9d2d3e9324728#comment-6

Seewald, A. (2022e, May 15). Dear Jenny Thank you for the thoughts. At your recommendation (in a FB post to our group) I have bookmarked [Comment on the blog post “OLJ task 14 (Module 5)”]. Open Book: Defining Contexts of the Teacher Librarian. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jsimon/2022/05/10/olj-task-15-module-5/#comments

Seewald, A. (2022f, May 5). Daniel, I read your experiences with VR/AR on our group Facebook page with interest. I’ve not experienced VR, but I would [Comment on the blog post “OLJ 12: Virtual and augmented reality”]. Daniel Jones: Information Specialist. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/jonesthinksaloud/2022/04/22/olj-12-virtual-and-augmented-reality/#comments

Part 2 : Extended Post_Social media and misinformation

Figure 1. Misinformation. Note. From Misinformation, 3dpete. (2011, Aug 12). Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/26867441@N07/6072467398

Watching my son flip back and forth between three screens is a sight to behold. He has his phone, his laptop screen, and his PC monitor (on which he is playing a different game than to the one that is streaming via Youtube on his phone). His laptop screen displays his homework – a research project for Economics. However comfortable he may appear in a digital universe, research tells us that teenagers struggle to analyse websites for bias and misinformation (Wineburg et al., 2016, p. 4). Students are now using social media more and more for their source of news and information. Half of US teens recently surveyed by Common Sense Media (2019) preferred watching Youtube for their news (celebrities and influencers being popular) and 54% scrolled through Instagram, Facebook or Twitter for current affairs. It is clear that just because our teenagers seem masterful in the digital world, does not mean that they attain the knowledge and skills to keep them discerning and safe (Gardner & Mazzola, 2018, p. 6). It is no wonder that Wineburg et al. summed up the ability of teens to think critically about online material as “bleak” (2016, p. 4). This post is a short discussion about my own take on misinformation, social media, teenagers and teacher-librarians (TL).

Misinformation, “is when false information is shared, but no harm is meant” (Wardle & Derakshan, 2017, p. 5). Misinformation has been around for a very long time, but with the increased connectivity and speed that the internet brings, it now knows no bounds (Wardle & Derkshan, 2017, p. 11-12). It seems to shape-shift so quickly and one dimensional efforts to combat it do not seem to work. My own students in high school appear relatively unconcerned that there is so much misinformation (and disinformation) on the platforms they use. This does beg the question, maybe we should be less concerned about the misinformation and more concerned about its causes and consequences? (Sullivan, 2019, p. 92).

Libraries and other memory institutions play a very active role in developing information literacy skills in their patrons to meet Goal #16 of the SDGs (Msauki, 2021; UN, n.d.). Accessible and democratic institutions provide trustworthy information for today and keep it for the future (Herrero-diz & Lopéz-rufino, 2021, p. 3). School librarians are at the forefront of developing critical thinking skills in students to enable them to evaluate the materials online when they undertake research (Gardner & Mazzola, 2018, p. 6). Methods like the CRAAP test (QUT Library, 2015) and SIFT (Caulfield, 2019) are widely used as well as infographics such as IFLA’s “How to spot fake news” (IFLA, 2017). However, I think the pervasiveness of social media, and the use of it for news has taken misinformation to a whole new level of “information pollution” (Wardle & Derkshan, 2017, p. 4). We need to have a different approach when talking to teenagers about this. I do think the above mentioned methods are worthy, but we cannot rely on these alone, particularly if they are just taught in ‘stand-alone library lessons’ without the context of subject content. We also know that arguing against misinformation may only cement the belief further (Finley et al., 2017, p. 10).

As a newbie TL, I hope that I will have time with students to earn their trust. I think establishing an open relationship with students goes a long way to enable them to really listen to what we are trying to convey. Students need to be taught about how our brains work; the nuts and bolts of chemicals and neurotransmission. Misinformation spreads faster than factual news, and the more novel or emotional the information is, the faster it spreads (Vosoughi et al, 2018, p. 1146). At the end of the day, social media mimics human connections and appeals to emotions; the tiny bursts of dopamine when we are socially rewarded on platforms proving highly addictive (Haynes, 2018; Wardle & Derkshan, 2017). At times, we’ll be sharing false information without even knowing it, due to the sheer inundation of material we receive (Wardle & Derkshan, 2017, p. 13). We need to ask students to slow down and take a step back to think about what they are receiving and what they are reposting or retweeting. Being aware of how our brains work and the speed at which they work may help.

TLs need to acknowledge to students that it is not just a ‘teenage problem’; that we too get it wrong and can be susceptible to misinformation (Sullivan, 2019, p. 97). In the past, I know my students have appreciated me talking about my own mistakes and also discussing ‘the grey areas’ of things. Viewing the world in black or white, “good or bad, verified or biased” (Sullivan, 2019, p. 96) can lead to a very dichotomous process which may detract from our purposes. Others agree, stating that figuring out the difference between fact and fiction “requires a nuanced approach to the idea of objective truth” (Gardner and Mazzola, 2018, p. 6). We want students to think, not to judge and categorise in a quick second. What if we got back to basics first with teenagers? Who do they trust in their physical lives? Who do they trust online? Who do they follow? Why? Students generally love to talk about themselves and are usually open to these questions. It is important for me to note too, that working in an international school, I have a diverse range of cultures who use social media differently. For example, as opposed to the US teenagers in the aforementioned Commonsense Media research, Nygren et al. (2019, p. 87) discovered that most Swedish teenagers surveyed obtained their news from mainstream news domains, not social media platforms.

Many seem to agree that education is the way forward and that media literacy instruction in schools is imperative (Finley et al., 2017; Johnston, 2020). Modelling the creation of positive, truthful posts on the social media platforms the library uses could be helpful for students. Using social media in the library space for educational purposes may signal to students that we are not opposed to social media, but it needs to be handled with care. I have not found many “how to” sources for a TL seeking to move beyond “talking at” teenagers rather than exploring the issues of misinformation on social media with them. Finding this window of opportunity and trying out ideas will be a priority for me as I start my new TL job in August.

Word count: 1076

References

3dpete. (2011, August 12). Misinformation [Photograph]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/26867441@N07/6072467398

Caulfield, M. (2019, June 19). SIFT (The four moves). Hapgood. https://hapgood.us/2019/06/19/sift-the-four-moves/

Common Sense Media. (2019, August 12). New survey reveals teens get their news from social media and YouTube. Common Sense Media. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/press-releases/new-survey-reveals-teens-get-their-news-from-social-media-and-youtube

Finley, W., McGowan, B., & Kluever, J. (2017). Fake news: An opportunity for real librarianship. The Illinois Library Association Reporter, 35(3), 8-11.

Gardner, M., & Mazzola, N. (2018). Fighting fake news: Tools and resources to combat disinformation. Knowledge Quest, 47(1), 6-7.

Haynes, T. (2018, May 1). Dopamine, smartphones & you: A battle for your time. Harvard University: The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2018/dopamine-smartphones-battle-time/

Herrero-diz, P., & López-rufino, C. (2021). Libraries fight disinformation: An analysis of online practices to help users’ generations in spotting fake news. Societies, 11(4), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc11040133

International Federation of Libraries Associations and Institutions. (2017, March). How to spot fake news [Infographic]. International Federation of Libraries Associations and Institutions. https://repository.ifla.org/handle/123456789/167

Johnston, N. (2020). Living in the world of fake news: High school students’ evaluation of information from social media sites. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 69(4), 430-450. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2020.1821146

Msauki, G. (2021). Library 4.0 sustainable development: Opportunities and challenges. In J. Phiri Chigwada & N. M. Nwaohiri (Eds.), Examining the impact of industry 4.0 on academic libraries (pp. 34-44). Emerald Publishing. https://web-p-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzI1MDU1NTFfX0FO0?sid=56ed028b-ae62-4b8a-a2df-15d548f53997%40redis&vid=0&format=EB&lpid=lp_5&rid=0

Nygren, T., Brounéus, F., & Svensson, G. (2019). Diversity and credibility in young people’s news feeds: A foundation for teaching and learning citizenship in a digital era. Journal of Social Science Education, 18(2), 87-109. https://doi.org/10.4119/jsse-917

QUT Library. (2015, September 7). The CRAAP test: Critically evaluating information sources [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5Jm8_82nYc&ab_channel=QUTLibrary

Sullivan, M. C. (2019). Libraries and fake news: What’s the problem? What’s the plan? Communications in Information Literacy, 13(1), 91-113. https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2019.13.1.7

The United Nations. (n.d.). Make the SDGs a reality. United Nations: Department of Economic and Social Affairs. https://sdgs.un.org/

Vosoughi, S., Roy, D., & Aral, S. (2018). The spread of true and false news online. Science, 359(6380), 1146-1151. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aap9559

Wardle, C., & Derakhshan, H. (2017, October). Information disorder: Toward an interdisciplinary framework for research and policy making. Council of Europe. https://edoc.coe.int/en/media/7495-information-disorder-toward-an-interdisciplinary-framework-for-research-and-policy-making.html

Wineburg, S., McGrew, S., Breakstone, J., & Ortega, T. (2016). Evaluating information: The cornerstone of civic online reasoning. Stanford History Education Group. https://purl.stanford.edu/fv751yt5934

OLJ Task 14: Areas of Concern (Module 5)

Lately I’ve been wondering about attribution on social media and platforms. It came about as I was discussing with a colleague whether we should give attribution to a certain image on a Libguide. Should we? Shouldn’t we? It is SO MUCH work to attribute every little thing! That made me think of social media and the millions of images, memes, gifs and videos that are posted daily. I then saw Meese and Hagedorn’s (2019) article listed in Module 5. The word “mundane” caught my eye. Most of our posted content really is mundane…does this mean we should be ignoring the issue of attribution? Does it really matter?

According to Meese and Hagedorn (2019, p. 1), it does. However, it appears our legal framework around copyright is unable to keep up with the ever changing nature of social media (Meese & Hagedorn, 2019, p. 1). It was interesting to read that in some fandom and creative online communities, contributors at the grassroots level have discussed and agreed upon attribution issues (Meese & Hagedorn, 2019, p. 1). It appears online communities are working at a very democratic, decentralised level, however it remains that most of us could fall foul of our current legal system even with a simple repost (Meese & Hagedorn, 2019, p. 3). I found it ironic to realise that social media is set up to increase our level of sharing, but this potentially exposes us to more infringement (Tan, 2018, as cited in Meese & Hagedorn, 2019, p. 4). I had never thought of this before.

Rather than being ‘mundane’, Meese and Hagedorn’s (2019) article got me thinking. How will I go about modelling correct attribution as a newbie TL next year? Do I need to pay more attention to Terms of Use/Service statements? Should I be exploring ways to attribute when I start my library’s Instagram or Twitter account? How can I address this with students who will immediately roll their eyes if I mention ‘copyright’ and ‘social media’ in the same sentence? I don’t have any answers yet, but in looking for them, I stumbled across the case study of Sam Groome and the “$12,000 tweet” (Hickman, 2021, p. 3). It gave me lots to think about!

Word count: 368

References

Meese, J., & Hagedorn, J. (2019). Mundane content on social media: Creation, circulation, and the copyright problem. Social Media + Society, 5(2), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305119839190

To Tweet or not to Tweet?

Figure 1. Twitter flock. Note. From Twitter flock. GK, R. (2014, February 22). Flickr. GK, R. (2014, February 22). Rodney GK’s Magical Forest. https://rodneygk.tumblr.com/post/77511036587/twitter-flock

Undertaking the OLJ 10 Twitter Feeds task was excellent for me as it made me really concentrate on the content and style of tweets, when previously I had just read them quickly. My scenario for Assignment 1 was a high school library wanting to promote its services to the students. I was able to take this as a “real life” situation and apply it to my own high school. I chose Instagram for my platform, as the students said that none of them use Twitter and they would prefer to receive information/promotions via Instagram. However, having taken a deeper dive into Twitter, I wish we could use this. I am new to both social media platforms, and I do love Forest Hill College Library’s reels, as well as the reels from Middle Grade Mavens (these school librarians are obviously passionate and funny as well). However, Twitter seems more “newsy” and “professional”.

I know that it might be silly to even think this, as obviously in order to reach students, we need to use what they do. But then I thought – well, we ask them to use all sorts of platforms for school – actually we REQUIRE them to do so – Google Classroom, class/group Google Chat, Flipgrid, Jamboard, Padlet and many more. Would it be possible for us to require them to use Twitter – for school promotion and information? I know in reality this wouldn’t happen (in our current school situation). But I’m wondering if it could be done…as part of the first day of Grade 10 school scenario, “Ok, kids, let’s sign up and log in to all the platforms you’ll need….”

PS. Dear reader, please comment, I’d love to hear from you about what platform you use if you work in a school library!

References

Fhclibrary. (2022, May 1). So you think reading is boring? [Video]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc_nGIJg2YY/

GK, R. (2014, February 22). Twitter flock [Image]. Rodney GK’s Magical Forest. https://rodneygk.tumblr.com/post/77511036587/twitter-flock

Middle Grade Mavens [@julieannegrassobooks]. (2022, May 2). Actual sound my body makes when running! Know what I’m saying? [Video]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CdChEUUBFCm/

OLJ Post 9: PLN adoption (Module 3)

I’m a high school teacher, and will start my first job as a teacher-librarian (TL) in August 2022. As I progressed through the CSU units, I subscribed to or bookmarked blogs that I thought would be helpful to me as a newbie to the profession, such as 500 Hats (Braxton, 2021) and Mighty Little Librarian (Whitehead, 2021). I also subscribed to the Librarian’s Guide to Teaching (Piekart & Kiebler, 2021) and Don’t Shush Me! (Bogan, 2021) podcasts. These steps may seem simple, but this was the start to my PLN.

I have registered for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I’m still figuring them out, as I have avoided social media platforms for many years. I am now following several TL’s on Twitter, for example Joyce Valenza (2022). I have also discovered ‘hashtags’ that are helpful for categorized tweets, such as #futurereadylibs, #tlchat, #edtechchat. At first when I started with Twitter, I thought that TLs used it mostly to highlight what they had done, and although this is good for ideas, it seemed resource poor. However, now I know what to look for, I am coming across tweets that ask for direct help such as the tweet from Geyer (2022) as well as invitations to online webinars (Malespina, 2022). Facebook pages recommended by my TL mentor at school have been really helpful, such as the Int’l Library Connection (n.d.) and Follet Destiny Users for Librarians (n.d). The Follet page has a great post from a newbie TL on how to do inventory for the first time – so many people responded with tips and tricks and encouragement. I have placed this post under “Favourites!”

Figure 1. Hello school librarians. Note. From Hello school librarians, Geyer, W. [@MrGee_Librarian]. (2022, April 12). Twitter. https://twitter.com/MrGee_Librarian/status/1513541006532218891

As a newbie, I feel like I SHOULD be able to relate to Utecht’s (2008) first ‘immersion’ stage of creating a PLN. However, I don’t feel that sense of urgency to immerse myself in everything, rather I feel a sense of carefulness and I am old enough to know that I can’t take everything in at once. Utecth’s fifth stage (2008) indicates that a balance is achieved between maintaining a PLN and respecting personal boundaries. I feel that I am already here due to my nervousness in regards to social media. Thus I feel I have elements of the first and fifth stage co-existing alongside each other. I am also intentionally using my social media accounts purely for professional purposes. I recognize that I need to keep developing my PLN and dip my toe in more and post questions and answers, rather than be a passive reader. I anticipate that I will do this more once I have actually started my new position.

Word count: 435

References

Bogan, K. (Narr.). (2021, August 2). Pt 1: Dealing with discipline in the high school library [Audio podcast episode]. In Don’t shush me; Listen Notes. https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/dont-shush-me-kelsey-bogan-hpExw3qZAU6/

Braxton, B. (2021, March 2). Safe harbour hat. 500 Hats: The teacher librarian in the 21st century. https://500hats.edublogs.org/2021/03/02/the-safe-harbour-hat/

Follet Destiny Users for Librarians. (n.d.). About. [Facebook page]. Retrieved April 27, 2022 from https://www.facebook.com/groups/227147405037179/about

Geyer, W. [@MrGee_Librarian]. (2022, April 12). Hello school librarians – I’m a librarian in training (grad student) and would like to know: What strategies and actions [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/MrGee_Librarian/status/1513541006532218891

Int’l School Library Connection. (n.d.). About. [Facebook page]. Facebook. Retrieved April 27, 2022 from https://www.facebook.com/groups/SLAsia/about

Malespina, E. [@elissamalespina]. (2022, April 28). During today’s webinar for Future Ready Libs we will be discussing items in this wakelet #futurereadylibs – BOOK CHALLENGE RESOURCES https://wke.lt/w/s/RyFQnr [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/elissamalespina/status/1519404556408565761

Piekart, A., & Kiebler, J. (Narrs.). (2021, May 14). Marketing your library instruction (No. 38) [Audio podcast episode]. In The librarian’s guide to teaching. The Librarian’s Guide to Teaching. https://librariansguidetoteaching.weebly.com/#:~:text=%E2%80%8BThe%20Librarian’s%20Guide%20to,having%20meaningful%20conversations%20about%20librarianship&excl;

Utecht, J. (2008, April 3). Stages of PLN adoption. The Thinking Stick. https://www.thethinkingstick.com/stages-of-pln-adoption/

Valenza, J. [@joycevalenza]. (2022, May 2). Another lovely list; Best digital tools for teaching and learning 2022 – American Association of School Librarians (AASL) [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/joycevalenza/status/1520911350662324224

Whitehead, T. (2021, October 28). First quarter success; Mighty Little Librarian. http://www.mightylittlelibrarian.com/

OLJ task 1: Social Media and Society – Journal Article Analysis (Module 1)

Figure 1. Mom’s Twitter lesson part 2. Note: From Mom’s Twitter lesson part 2. Levine, A. (2010, November 29). Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/37996646802@N01/5220058302

I read “The Protective Role of the Internet in Depression for Europeans Aged 50+ Living Alone” by Sliva et al. (2022). These authors used a large sample size (64,260 people) to ascertain as to whether the internet has a role in preventing depression among people aged 50+ who live alone (Silva et al., 2022, p.6.) A literature review undertaken by the authors outlined studies that provided varying degrees of whether the internet provided positive, neutral or negative effects to those people living alone (Silva et al., 2022, p.2). As a result of mixed findings, the authors felt that further research was needed to shed more light on the topic area (Silva et al., 2022, p.2).

The results of their study found that those who used the internet were less likely to experience depression (Silva et al., 2022, p. 5). Although not specified in the study, I am sure that communication with loved ones, the ability to research services and have access to information at the fingertips may contribute to feelings of well-being and lessen loneliness and depression. The results of the study do raise an important point of inequalities in accessing the internet. Some in the 50+ age group may not have the knowledge of how to use the internet, nor have access to either an internet connection or a device (mobile or computer). It also makes me think about the importance of public libraries that offer free internet access to those who do not have access from home. As Silva et al. (2022, p. 2) suggest, these findings could inform policies in regards to digital inclusiveness and older people. It was in thinking about this that I came across the Australian Digital Inclusion Index (2022) which I had not heard of before.

I have long been skeptical about the use of the internet and social media platforms in our lives. However, I am beginning to realise I am somewhat of a hypocrite. I have not been able to return to Australia for 2.5 years due to Covid and travel restrictions. However, I have maintained contact with my family with Whatsapp all over the world and this has made a significant difference in feeling connected. Studies such as these exploring the benefits of being technologically connected help challenge my viewpoint. It also makes me think of my elderly Grandmother, who lived alone on an isolated farm. I wonder what she would have thought of Whatsapp and I’m a little sad she didn’t get to experience it.

Word count: 421

Please note that I relied on the CSU Referencing Summary to guide my most of my citations for the Online Learning Journal.

References

Australian Digital Inclusion Index. (2022). Key findings and next steps. Australian Digital Inclusion Index. https://www.digitalinclusionindex.org.au/

Levine, A. (2010, November 29). Mom’s Twitter lesson part 2 [Photograph]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/37996646802@N01/5220058302

Silva, P., Matos, A. D., & Martinez-pecino, R. (2022). The protective role of the internet in depression for Europeans aged 50+ living alone. Social Media + Society, 8(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051221077675

The worth of a social media network in leadership: A very personal challenge

CreativeTools.se – Twitter bird standing on branch – Close-up. (2011). Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/33907867@N02/5360884710

I have been thinking a lot recently about the role of the TL and technology, in particular, social media. This is quite personal to write about, but I had a nasty experience with Facebook over 10 years ago and since then have not been on any social media. I know this is hard to believe, but no FB, no Twitter, no Instagram etc. People think I’m crazy (in particular my 16 year old son) but I have been happy with this – it was my choice and I choose to communicate with friends via Whatsapp and good old fashioned email and voice calls. Professionally, I have limited myself to subscribing to a wide range of blogs, practitioner websites and extensively use the school library’s subscriptions to online subject magazines and databases. I am available to students via Google Classroom/Hangouts/Zoom/Gmail.

But I keep reading how important it is for TL leadership to develop a social/professional network for learning, for support, to share new ideas, to promote the library to the community, to advocate for the library (Fleming, 2106; National Library of New Zealand n.d.; Softlink, 2020)

Throughout this Masters course I have increasingly become aware that I have a decision to make. Reading Weisburg’s Leadership: There is no other option really hit home. Weisburg (2020) takes a tough love approach and confronts excuses and fears with common sense, encouragement and a challenge – to be a full advocate and leader of a learning space that is at the forefront of 21st century learning – this is what you need to do.

I’m not yet working in a library, but I really hope to make the leap from classroom teacher to TL. In order to do this I need to have a digital voice, a digital presence beyond the school library webpage, school email and Google Classroom/Hangouts. I need to take a deep breath and take the plunge. Although this is personally challenging, I realise that to be a leader I need to make choices that push me outside my comfort zone. I need to model risk taking and a growth mindset but to be smart about it (privacy settings on etc.) In doing so, I’ll be more empathic to my colleagues and students when they are faced with their own areas of discomfort and be able to practice genuine servant leadership.

References

Fleming, L. (2016, September 27). The power of a school library hashtag. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/power-of-school-library-hashtag-laura-fleming

National Library of New Zealand. (n.d.). Social media and the school library. National Library of New Zealand. https://natlib.govt.nz/schools/school-libraries/library-services-for-teaching-and-learning/your-school-library-online/social-media-and-the-school-library

Softlink. (2020, June 29). Social media ideas for the school library. https://www.softlinkint.com/blog/social-media-rise-your-school-library/

Weisburg, H. K. (2020). Leadership: There is no other option. Synergy, 18(1).