Tag Archives: #DigitalEducator

INF506 – Reflection: Social Networking and Me

Why select Social Networking for Information Professionals?

As a practicing Technologies and Information Leader in a school, I elected to complete INF506 with the intent to further develop my knowledge and confidence with for implementing social media platforms to support the school.

For years, I have known that the use of social networks is inevitable for schools and that more people, young and old, are accessing these sites as part of their everyday life as research shows that ninety-nine percent of Australian 15 to 17-year-olds regularly access the Internet for personal use (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2014) and 87% use social networking sites (SNS) on a daily basis (A. Mitchell, Patrick, Heywood, Blackman, & Pitts, 2014).

Why is it Relevant?

Social networking remains a highly relevant topic that directly impacts everyday processes and function in my workplace. It made sense that we needed to implement the use of social networking sites into our school.

Previously, when I raised the taboo topic of ‘social media’ with other members of leadership and school staff, I was met with resistance towards implementing such a space for our school. The last time this was attempted it resulted in the online bullying of school staff. Today’s pitfall of technology has enabled a myriad of people to partake in voicing their opinions in a whole new* way…referred to as “Keyboard Warriors” and “flexing their Facebook muscles” (Eitner, 2018) For many years, I accepted this resistance as a gospel answer and not delved any further into introducing social networking into the school.

Professionally Moving and Changing –

Through completing the INF506 course content, it became evident to me that the “platform society” … refers to a profound dispute about private gain versus public benefit in a society where most interactions are carried now out via the Internet. (Van Dijck, Poell & De Waal, 2018)

INF506 has assisted to develop my knowledge and confidence in order to form a 2 tiered approach where social media is concerned for our school. This will include Student Education and School Based implementation.

I presented an implementation plan to the principal for the proposed Facebook page which was completed as the Social Community Project Report. Consideration of potential issues were addressed in the report, inclusive of an implementation plan and considerations for risk mitigation.

Through leadership, a shared vision and by providing technical and pedagogical support to staff, I have been able to revisit the idea of the use of a Facebook page, as schools can now rely on improvements made by traditional social media companies to reduce risk and improve functionality and services (e.g., Facebook, Chowdry 2018) The principal and leadership team have since approved the implementation of this space and it has become a responsibility for the Digital Technologies Team.

INF506 course materials and other articles, has demonstrated that there is a pressing need for the development of curriculum content around social networking safety and online etiquette. Explicitly teaching the management of individual social media presence is imperative for our students along with educating staff around this topic. I entered this course with the intent to implement a social media page, however my beliefs have further developed to consider students in order to equip them with the tools to successfully navigate the online networking world.

Teaching Individual Users to Consider Their Digital Shadow

 

Impactful Learning for a Digital Professional – Challenges & Opportunities

The learning from INF506 has made a direct impact toward the opportunity for the implementation of a Facebook page for the school. Studies have found that teachers having an ‘openness to change’ are more likely to experiment and integrate digital practices (Baylor & Richie, 2002). This notion coupled with the timing of the implementation of the ‘Remote Learning Program’ due to Covid-19 has allowed me to overcome one of the largest challenges of staff resistance which has provided a stumbling block in the past.

When introducing a social media page and a new website at the school during this time, I was met with resistance around personal privacy and the effect that such a space would have on an individual’s personal life and workload.  I was able to address this through the preparation and research I had conducted during the development of the Social Community Project Report. A culture of change means that teachers can work towards change and feel they are able to experiment with new tools, approaches and teaching strategies without punishment (Little, 1982).

Through careful planning, consideration for reducing risks, clear communication and developing trust, I was able to assist staff to see the potential and opportunities for our school to enter the social networking world.

Rathore, S. (2017)

In closing, taking the time to investigate Social Networking for organisations has definitely been a timely and relevant topic of learning for my professional life, I feel confident to navigate the complexities of social networking implementation. Despite the overwhelming content and considerations, I am a believer that social media, if used correctly, can enhance businesses, organisations and my own personal life.

825 words

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2016). 8146.0—Household use of information technology, Australia, 2014-15. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8146.0

Baylor, A. L., & Ritchie, D. (2002). What factors facilitate teacher skill, teacher moral, and perceived student learning in technology-using classrooms? Computers & Education, 39, 395–414. doi:10.1016/S0360-1315(02)00075-1

Chowdry, A., (2018). Facebook launches ads in marketplace. Retrieved from  https://tinyurl.com/y8kf5g4t.

Eitner, J (2018) Keyboard Warriors and Social Media Muscles in Schools Retrieved from https://www.bamradionetwork.com/keyboard-warriors-and-social-media-muscles-in-schools/

Little, J. W. (1982). Norms of collegiality and experimentation: Workplace conditions of school success. American Educational Research Journal, 19(3), 325–340. doi:10.3102/00028312019003325

Me and My Shadow: Take Control of Your Data https://myshadow.org/ accessed 27th May 2020

Mitchell, A., Patrick, K., Heywood, W., Blackman, P., Pitts, M. (2014). National survey of Australian secondary students and sexual health 2013. Retrieved from https://yeah-org-au.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/31631-ARCSHS_NSASSSH_FINAL-A-3.pdf

Monks, H., Barnes, A., Cross, D., & McKee, H. (2019). A qualitative exploration of electronic image sharing among young people: Navigating the issues of conformity, trust, intention, and reputation. Health Education & Behavior, 46(2_suppl), 106S-113S. doi:10.1177/1090198119873921

Rathore, S. (2017, August 22). 7 Key steps in creating an effective social media marketing strategy. [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.socialmediatoday.com/social-business/7-key-steps-creating-effective-social-media-marketing-strategy

Xu, W., & Saxton, G. D. (2018). Does stakeholder engagement pay off on social media? A social capital perspective. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 48(1), 28-49. doi:10.1177/0899764018791267

Van Dijck, J. (2018). Introduction. In J. Van Dijck (Ed.), The Platform Society.  Retrieved from Oxford Scholarship Online.

INF506 – OLJ Task 18: Thoughts For The Future

What is the potential for the future of an organisation you are familiar with?

Globally, the total number of social media users is estimated to grow to 3.29 billion users in 2022, which will be 42.3% of the world’s population (eMarketer 2018). With the understanding that social media is always shifting and changing. ‘Social media as we know it today is different than even a year ago (let alone a decade ago), and social media a year from now will likely be different than now’ (Appel et. Al 2020)

With such a transient and ever changing digital environment it is now evident that our parents and students ‘consumers’  live in a world in which social media intersects with most aspects of their lives … in domains such as travel (e.g., TripAdvisor), work (e.g., LinkedIn), food (e.g., Yelp), music (e.g., Spotify), and more.

Schools, therefore, can now look towards implementing and actively using social media platforms in order to compliment and market themselves. They can promote and share learning and school celebrations. As enrolments become a competitive space, schools can now rely on improvements made by traditional social media companies to reduce risk and improve functionality and services (e.g., Facebook’s marketplace, Chowdry 2018; WeChat’s payment system, Cheng 2017). These bidirectional trends suggest that the modern-day consumer is living in an increasingly “omni-social” world.

If an ‘omni-social’ existence is imminent, it makes sense for schools to target this space as it is where the people are.

What impact might the future have on us as information professionals?

As information professionals in the education sector, it is imperative that we ensure that we actively seek professional learning and keep up to date with the relevant possibilities of social media platforms. New and existing platforms are ever changing and improving and may directly impact our workloads and change what was once impossible into exciting possibilities, for example, Trusov et al. (2009) and Stephen and Galak (2012) demonstrated that certain kinds of social interactions can now happen on social media (e.g., “refer a friend” features and discussions in online communities) can positively affect important marketing outcomes such as new customer acquisition and sales. These changes can directly affect workload and outcomes.

Information professional educators need to actively teach students the skills to manage their social media presence and how to utilise this fluid platform to enhance different aspects of their lives. If this is not explicitly taught and addressed, we will leave the youth of today to embark into the digital world without the necessary tools to safely navigate these platforms. Evidence has shown that consumers are deleting their social media presence, where research has shown that nearly 40% of digitally connected individuals admitted to deleting at least one social media account due to fears of their personal data being mishandled (Edelman 2018). With effective teaching, risks can be minimised for each individual.

Adaptability and ability to collect data to inform

We can also work with improved technologies that assist information technology professionals to manage large groups and safely manage and use data collection. A recent review on the future of customer relationship management, Haenlein (2017) describes “invisible CRM” as future systems that will make customer engagement simple and accessible for customers. This will have a direct impact on time taken to communicate with clients, share marketing and gather analytical data. With reduced time spent of these areas, information professionals can direct focus to more creative outlets and efficient practices.

References

Appel, G., Grewal, L., Hadi, R., & Stephen, A. T. (2020). The future of social media in marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48(1), 79-95. doi:10.1007/s11747-019-00695-1

Cheng, E. (2017). China is living the future of mobile pay right now. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y8hm6vlo.

Chowdry, A., (2018). Facebook launches ads in marketplace. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y8kf5g4t.

Edelman, K. (2018). Trust Barometer Brands Social Media. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ycrm23gf.

Haenlein, M. (2017). How to date your clients in the 21st century: Challenges in managing customer relationships in today’s world. Business Horizons, 60, 577–586.

Melanie (2018) The Future of Social Media Marketing & AWG Social Media Program. AWG Sales Services. Retrieved from https://awgsalesservices.com/2018/09/20/the-future-of-social-media-marketing-awg-social-media-program/

Packham, A (2019). The Future of Social Media in Marketing The Drum Retrieved from https://www.thedrum.com/industryinsights/2019/05/14/the-future-social-media-marketing

Stephen, A. T., & Galak, J. (2012). The effects of traditional and social earned media on sales: A study of a microlending marketplace. Journal of Marketing Research, 49(5), 624–639.

The Digital Transformation https://youtu.be/6k_G_h41ZaQ

Trusov, M., Bucklin, R. E., & Pauwels, T. (2009). Effects of word-of mouth versus traditional marketing: Findings from an internet social networking site. Journal of Marketing, 73(5), 90–102.

INF506 – OLJ Task 13: Information Trends

 

The School Organisation Perspective

These changing social behaviours can directly impact on the need for, and development of, information policies in organisations in order to address these behaviours. It is not about the if the online world reaches students, more to the point it’s the how schools can prepare for managing their impacts and consider how to strategically expose students in a scaffolded and protected environment.

As stated in the Social media research ethical and privacy guidelines. Organisations and schools need to be particularly careful about the collection of data, how it is shared and published, with specific consideration for our young students.

For schools, sage journals published a journal article on the Qualitative Exploration of Electronic Image Sharing Among Young People which discusses and navigates the issues that adolescents face around Conformity, Trust, Intention and Reputation. Young people today are far more exposed to potential risks and exposure online including cyberbullying, image sharing and sexting, all problems that have not been issues prior to the social networking world.

The education for this begins for schools at a much earlier stage where children as young as 5 have exposure to digital platforms and social media. Some are even younger where platforms such as Facebook now have messenger for kids as an example. It is schools and adults that must keep our young people safe online.

Some considerations for schools:

  • Organisations such as primary schools can minimise the level of negative impacts within their student community through providing education for parents and families.
  • A current eSmart program for students to address trending digital social issues should be in place for students of all ages and relevant to their development and current online exposures.
  • The student privacy and parent consent must be sought before sharing of any images or names on the internet. When schools do so, this must be completed considering the privacies and safety of the student.
  • Appropriate policies should be in place to guide the school in order to keep all stakeholders safe online.

Some policies that I have devised for the primary school I work at include:

These considerations help institutions ensure that risk mitigation is considered and in place. Despite the potential risk to students, it is important for a school to actively teach appropriate online etiquette and therefore equip our young people with the tools to successfully navigate their way through the ever changing online world that we now live in.

References

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

Monks, H., Barnes, A., Cross, D., & McKee, H. (2019). A qualitative exploration of electronic image sharing among young people:Navigating the issues of conformity, trust, intention, and reputation. Health Education & Behavior, 46(2_suppl), 106S-113S. doi:10.1177/1090198119873921

The Digital Transformation https://youtu.be/6k_G_h41ZaQ

 

INF506 – OLJ Task 1: Social Media and Society – Journal Article Analysis

  

OLJ task 1 – Social Media and Society – Journal Article Analysis

When embarking on the CSU masters subject – Social Networking for Information Professionals, my reading journey has now delved into the influence that social media has on our current society as we know it. I have never really considered the impact of strategic communication and how the delivery of this has changed over time. Social media and networking has moulded and changed relationships and social and professional engagement and continues to do so.

Whilst listening to the podcast A Conversation with Nancy Baym, a Principal Researcher with Microsoft Research, it led me to consider how communications are always moving and growing, Baym described the shift towards online social platforms as ‘a real site of power renegotiation’. With this she goes on to elaborate that over the last 150 years, media and social networking has moved from the ‘elite’ controlled model, where popular culture entertainment platforms such as radio and television, was directed by a person or a group of people and presented to an audience in the same physical place at the same physical time. The introduction of the world wide web and social media platforms such as MySpace led to a more equitable culture of ‘access to media’. Here was a place where everyone could have a say, join communities, connect and advertise their businesses.

Baym continues to discuss that, as digital technologies have developed into the 21st century, people are finding themselves on social networking platforms either willingly or even at times unknowingly. Social media is affecting our everyday lives and changing the very definition of personal relationships. The example shared by Baym was Myspace. This platform provided the music industry with a fan based energy to connect audiences through social media. With this came marketing for brands, companies and professionals, in a place where a self-brand could be developed and remain lively and engaging for communities with similar interest.

Through social media platforms the music industry has predicted social change and effected crowd/fan engagement and therfore enabled the increase of sales and popularity. Baym also discusses the tensions and divide between the previous tightly controlled media networks to the current day equitable access to media where everyone can post, share and speak. This understandably comes with a myriad of positives and negative aspects.

When discussing the theory research of the constitution of social media Baym discussed;

  • Material Labour – The actual communication
  • Effective Labour – Non-verbal communication
  • Information Labour – The real content of the communication
  • Emotional Labour – Focused on the encounter
  • Relational Labour –  The relationship of the communicator and engager

These concepts I found to be quite interesting and in particular emotional labour which further readings led me to find that it is the ‘professional online engagement can be analysed in terms of ‘emotional labour’ (Hochschild 1983). It explores whether the pleasure that practitioners derive from online work, the freedom it gives them to work remotely and flexibly and the licence it offers to build a personal brand also serves to hide exploitation, legitimize long working hours and reaffirm existing gender roles’

However, with freedom and flexibility for work, I ask the question; How are our responsibilities impacted when considering target audiences, persuasion, engagement, balance between real life and virtual life? Baym discusses that the ethics of these kinds of relationships and labours and the ability to now create systems in order to have viable careers without personal connections, what works and what doesn’t work effectively? These need to be formed along with the consideration of the tensions that it raises, good and bad elements and our choices to engage in them or not.

For many of the issues raised in this podcast, I feel that this has developed many questions in my professional working mind as a Digital Technologies Leading Teacher, the many layers of ‘labour’ that make up social media environments all contribute to the end user experience and can be manipulated for ‘good or evil’. These all need to be considered when engaging in the use of social media and networking, as well as for when selecting and implementing the use of these networks for my own personal and professional purposes.

Finally Baym discusses that with social networks and the use of social media, this comes with cultures and expectations. With this topic being a generative topic and most relevant to digital native citizens, we all can make different and better choices now and shape a whole different world. The question that this raises for me is, Who is responsible for teaching future generations of the importance of appropriate culture, expectations and behaviour when engaging in and using social networking platforms?

References –

Lingel.J (2020) A Conversation with Nancy Baym, Author of Playing to the Crowd

Liz Bridgen (2011) Emotional labour and the pursuit of the personal brand: Public relations practitioners’ use of social media, Journal of Media Practice, 12:1, 61-76, DOI: 10.1386/jmpr.12.1.61_1

Sage Journals Volume 6 Issue 2, April-June 2020

Social Media and Society https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2056305119899008

Welcome to Yoong’s Learning Blog!

During my Designing Learning Spaces Journey, I will use this Blog Space to share my thoughts and learning. I am excited to share learning with you all and look forward to collaborating with others in this course over the session.

I am new to the Masters of Education – Knowledge Networks and Digital Innovation and this is my fist subject in the course! I am very excited to embark on this learning journey and have a hunger for furthering my own personal learning and knowledge. For the past 5 years (and in 2 schools) I have been a Leading Teacher in Melbourne Victoria in the area of Digital Technology which has a coaching component from years Foundation to 6. I also co-ordinate LOTE – Chinese for the School which is taught by both classroom teachers and by Chinese tutors located in China through video conferencing.