INF 506 Reflective Statement

Constructing and Contributing to the OLJ
For me, the most significant aspect of contributing to my online journal was the realisation that staying “fresh and frequent” in regards to posting, is paramount to social media success (Ashley & Tuten, 2015). This resulted from my investigation of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Twitter account, which was a humbling experience. The ALA produce a comprehensive variety of tweets that align with their mission statement while promoting all aspects of what libraries can be. From serious political discourse to “Game of Thrones” exhibits, ALA promote the multifaceted potential of libraries and are likely attracting more patrons (Orzechowski, 2017). Even more resonant for me was the frequency of posts, usually two or three a day, which made me realise that social media does not wait for anyone. Internalising ALA’s use of Twitter, made me understand that consistently contributing to my own blog posts and social media platforms is essential. Followers will be dissuaded by three week “dead spaces” and posting four or five entries in two days can be overwhelming- I am not allowing my readers the time to digest my thoughts, nor am I staying consistently fresh. Now I understand that quality and consistent frequency are key to creating and maintaining readership and followers on social media.

While time management is certainly hindering attempts at consistent posting, my own insecurities are also an issue. As an English teacher for over twelve years, I have allowed myself to become too comfortable with analysing texts and not creating them. The truth is, it is easier for me. I have not embraced the opportunities to learn and grow that I preach about to my own students. Laura Cohen’s video about “2.0 Librarians” encouraged publishing before things are perfect and adjusting according to patron feedback (2006), however I have not shown the courage and initiative to release my work consistently. Andzulis et al, point out that producing and collecting feedback is critical to success on social media as the environment changes so rapidly you cannot be a passive participant (2012). Clearly I am missing opportunities to engage and grow as I passively analyse others, without making contributions. I need to get a “skin in the game”. Shifting from nearly thirteen years of teaching to managing a school library will take resiliency, optimism and dedication. Social media is a platform that can help me facilitate this skill set.

Relevant Social Media Tools
Although I have not been posting frequently, I have enriched my understanding of how potentially beneficial social media networks are. To see my good friend and colleague Andrew raise over 25,000 CHF with his modest social media presence,(related post here), brings me joy and a lot of optimism. Andrew has proven that social media can positively impact the way consumerism is facilitated (Wardle, 2016). I believe that it also has the power to affect the areas of my own landscape that can improve and I was inspired to investigate how to bolster teacher professional development.

In undertaking a case study for the course, I began to examine the #2mindPD hashtag in hopes of improving teacher professional development, which can be a dreary and unimportant for some. Although the case study was cancelled, it did inspire me to create after watching the variety of short, accessible and categorised videos that aim to improve teacher development associated with #2minPD. After researching how our Ed Tech coach uses the hashtag and files all the helpful videos in our Google Team Drive, I watched this video on how to use the school HUE document camera. Having learned from the HUE video how to use the camera and share my own video, I now felt comfortable creating my own video, which was aimed to help my senior students prepare for upcoming exams. I shared the video on Twitter employing the #2minPD, #LangLit, #IB, #EagleEd hashtags. I didn’t generate a huge response (4 likes) but I did earn two new followers from outside of school, likely from the #LangLit hashtag. Subsequently I realised that putting my creative work into the “Twittersphere” was more about overcoming my own anxieties than not actually having the technical ability to do it.

Changes in Understanding of Social Media: Deeper Understanding of Context
Previously I have felt disdain when having a new operating system or technological innovation forced upon me. Perhaps we can all relate to the look of disbelief on members of IT department, who are excited about introducing the new technology, as teachers groan about having to learn something else, just when they were feeling comfortable with the present platforms. Understanding the frustration of  the receiving end of unwanted technology changes, will help me better communicate how social media use can benefit all members of our educational community.
A recurring theme throughout my studies of social media is that you must understand the context of users: including needs, abilities, goals and desires. The literature is fairly consistent in recognising how emotional capacity (Huy & Shpilov, 2012) and a sense of community is vital for a “two-way” initiative to launch successfully and sustain growth (Aggarwall, 2011). For me, the most meaningful breakdown came from the “Right Tech, Wrong Time” article by Adner and Kapoor (2016) as they simplified a fairly complex topic with real world examples. They noted how rapidly ink jet printers replaced dot matrix printers as an example to explain “creative destruction”: institutional ecosystems that are ready for technological change. They went on to highlight the other end of the spectrum, “robust resilience”, noting electric cars are still not part of the transportation ecosystem and the arduous process of moving from desktop to cloud computing in the late 1990’s as examples of excellent technology, but not the right environment. Simply put, even if the technology is “better”, the ecosystem will not necessarily accept and implement it, unless the desire and comfort to change is clear. Of course, there is a real danger in resisting tech trends that otherwise are embraced: have you been to a Blockbuster video to physically rent a movie recently?
As a member of staff that has been resistant to technological change, I now realise that I can be the catalyst for selecting and implementing the types of social media platforms and strategies that align with the school’s goals, teacher needs and student learning. As I have not yet become a consistent social media creator, I need to engage and grow on these platforms as a model for my community to see how possible it is to communicate with other educators around the world. It is essential that I create emotional capacity amongst staff and students and am recognised as a trusted educator that can help implement new technology. I have an understanding of the consumers and how educators can use platforms to better facilitate student learning; now I must model my growth and share my successes and failures.

Issues in the Online Environment
Simply creating posts on social media is not going to create a comprehensive two-way platform that meets user needs. Data mining must be undertaken in order to get “bottom-up” feedback, which must be carefully managed, avoiding rash or impulsive decisions (Ayelet, et al, 2014). This of course highlights an area of concern for me in regards to not only decision making, but ensuring privacy of anyone engaging with the interface. As I am not yet confident in all the idiosyncratic issues concerning data privacy, I recognise my need for growth and the creation of a clear social media strategy that reflects upon users needs and protects their privacy (Di Gangi, Johnston, Worrell, et al, 2018).
In all honesty, I avoided the prompts in Module 5 of the course that asked students to consider drafting strategies as I felt it was too far out of my comfort zone. This mistake on my part highlights exactly why I do need to concentrate my efforts towards policy making as it an area for improvement. In revisiting the module, I now see that I do not need to invent the wheel, as others have already initiated the process. David King’s article explains how to carefully mine data on a variety of platforms without compromising the integrity of users and aligning with strategic goals (2015). Likewise George Washington University provides a concise, accessible set of guidelines to aid in creating policy (2018). In a world where people are concerned about algorithms and bots controlling their news feeds, I want to ensure that my library platform provides a feeling of safety for patrons.

Ultimately, I feel that employing social media platforms mirrors my journey from a teacher to teacher librarian. Let go of the past, model your successes and failures while learning from experts and amateurs alike. Remaining diligent, flexible and reflective are the keys to success in both virtual and physical library spaces.

 

References

Adner, R., & Kapoor, R. (2016). Right Tech, Wrong Time. Harvard Business Review, 94(11), 60–67. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=118866680&site=ehost-live

Aggarwal C.C. (2011) An Introduction to Social Network Data Analytics. In: Aggarwal C. (eds) Social Network Data Analytics. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8462-3_1

Andzulis, J. “Mick,” Panagopoulos, N. G., & Rapp, A. (2012). A Review of Social Media and Implications for the Sales Process. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 32(3), 305–316. https://doi 10.2753/PSS0885-3134320302

Ashley, C., & Tuten, T. (2015). Creative Strategies in Social Media Marketing: An Exploratory Study of Branded Social Content and Consumer Engagement. Psychology & Marketing, 32(1), 15–27. https://doi 10.1002/mar.20761

Ayelet, G., Grant-Muller, S.M, Minkov, M., Nocera, S. (2014). The Impact of Social Media Usage on Transport Policy: Issues, Challenges and Recommendations. Procedia- Social and Behavioural Sciences. 111. 937-946. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.128

Cohen, L. (2006) A Librarian’s 2.0 Manifesto. [Video File] Retrieved from:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZblrRs3fkSU

Di Gangi, P. M., Johnston, A. C., Worrell, J. L., & Thompson, S. C. (2018). What could possibly go wrong? A multi-panel Delphi study of organizational social media risk. Information Systems Frontiers, 20(5), 1097-1116. doi: 10.1007/s10796-016-9714-2

George Washington University Libraries. (2018). Social media research ethical and privacy guidelines. Retrieved from https://gwu-libraries.github.io/sfm-ui/resources/social_media_research_ethical_and_privacy_guidelines.pdf

Huy, Q., & Shipilov, A. (2012). The key to social media success within organizations.MIT Sloan Management Review, 54(1), 73-81. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/1115278025?accountid=10344

King, D. L. (2015). Analytics, goals, and strategy for social media. Library Technology Reports, 51(1), 26-32.

Orzechowski, V. (2017, January 10). #NoFilter: Social media content ideas for libraries [blog post]. LITA Blog. Retrieved from http://litablog.org/2017/01/nofilter-social-media-content-ideas-for-libraries/

Youngs, M. (2013). Is your organisation making the best of social media? Logistics & Transport Focus, 15(7), 32–34. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bah&AN=89015120&site=ehost-live

Wardle, C (2016, April, 6) Is this the biggest disruptor of the news industry? [Blog Post] Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/04/is-this-the-biggest-disruptor-of-the-news-industry