Facebook and Twitter
Social networking is an online platform designed for users to connect with each other based on social and/or business purposes. Social networking has transformed the use of communication in the education field. Educators are able to connect with students, parents and the community in a way that is more relevant to modern users. Because of this, we can reach more people in our school community. Today, I will be discussing the role of Facebook and Twitter in libraries and education.
Facebook
I have used Facebook for over ten years mainly for social purposes. It was not until I began pursuing my Master's degree in Library Science that I discovered the benefits in using Facebook for business purposes as well. Facebook promotes the library in a more interactive way than just a standard library webpage. Most students are familiar with Facebook; it's a part of their everyday life. This makes it easy for students to navigate the page and is more engaging than a traditional webpage. Facebook creates a space to share information beyond the library. Students, parents and the school community can access the page simply with the click of the App. Users can customize their settings so the Library page pops up at the top of their newsfeed. One huge advantage of using Facebook in the library is that it facilitates communication and collaboration beyond the school library. These are two of the 4C's mentioned by Adelstein and Barbour in the article Social media in secondary school settings. Students are able to read each other's comments and respond back. Facebook provides notifications when someone responds to one's posts. This is convenient because users don't have to keep checking to see if someone has responded. Another benefit for educators is the ability to attach pictures, documents, videos, and conduct live chats. These are great ways to communicate with our school community! Marketing for the library is another advantage to using Facebook. Users can share posts on Facebook which draws more activity to the page, especially when highlighting important events, services and resources at the library. Having a Facebook page allows librarians to connect with other libraries in their community and around the world.
One disadvantage of Facebook is that users must create an account in order to view page content. When using Facebook, it is crucial to protect student privacy. Librarians should not release student information and will need to adhere to their district's acceptable use policy. Some librarians might say that a disadvantage is the amount of time it takes to maintain a Facebook page for their library: posting pictures, event and event details, responding to comments and messages. Some might consider it to be working at your library from home. As with all social media, the unpredictability of user comments is always a risk. Luckily, the group creator can monitor and approve comments before posted.
Facebook Library Pages
I spent some time exploring various school library Facebook pages and saw a wide range of ideas to promote the library.
Noel Elementary School Library in Missouri shares their monthly spotlight, which is a different subject that is highlighted in the library, such as Texas History, and Geology. The librarian also features pictures of students holding all of the new books that come into the library. I thought this was a great way to get students interested in new reading material available. There were not many comments on their Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/noelelementaryschoollibrary
Elm Grove Library in Missouri makes great use of their Facebook library page. The librarian, Jeff Harris, gets volunteers to sign up through Facebook to assist with events such as the Book Fair. He consistently posts pictures of library and school events. He shares his favorite read alouds for each grade level. I got some great ideas from him! He got the most comments out of all the library pages I visited, which I believe results from his consistent use of Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/elmgrovelibrary
Atascocita Middle School Library in Humble, Texas does a great job of highlighting author events in the area. The librarian receives several comments and I noticed that many of them are librarians in the district. Following other library's pages is a great way to gather new ideas. Brooke King, the librarian, writes book reviews on her library page as well, which is one way to connect the school community with books in the library.
https://www.facebook.com/amslibrary
This is the School Library page that I started: https://fb.me/mckeagueschoollibrary
Twitter
I explored Kathy Schrock @kathyschrock and read a few of her edtech articles on the Discovery Education blog: Kathy's Katch. Schrock mainly shares digital tools that will enhance student learning. She also wants to help educators streamline their use of online learning tools. She believes in finding the right tool to serve students in their learning, not just using technology for the sake of it.
https://twitter.com/kathyschrock/status/103588126512635494
hhttps://twitter.com/kathyschrock/status/1035881265126354945ttps://twitter.com/kathyshrock/status/103588126512635494
Conclusion:
Both Facebook and Twitter are excellent digital tools to promote events, services and resources at the library. There are benefits to both. I prefer Twitter as a way to communicate and connect with the school community and leaders in the library field. As a librarian, I would use Facebook to help promote events and get volunteers to support these events. Both tools allow librarians to connect with the community.
Images from:
https://www.cnet.com/news/facebook-isnt-a-community-its-a-weapon/
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/twitter/9wzdncrfj140
I have used Facebook for over ten years mainly for social purposes. It was not until I began pursuing my Master's degree in Library Science that I discovered the benefits in using Facebook for business purposes as well. Facebook promotes the library in a more interactive way than just a standard library webpage. Most students are familiar with Facebook; it's a part of their everyday life. This makes it easy for students to navigate the page and is more engaging than a traditional webpage. Facebook creates a space to share information beyond the library. Students, parents and the school community can access the page simply with the click of the App. Users can customize their settings so the Library page pops up at the top of their newsfeed. One huge advantage of using Facebook in the library is that it facilitates communication and collaboration beyond the school library. These are two of the 4C's mentioned by Adelstein and Barbour in the article Social media in secondary school settings. Students are able to read each other's comments and respond back. Facebook provides notifications when someone responds to one's posts. This is convenient because users don't have to keep checking to see if someone has responded. Another benefit for educators is the ability to attach pictures, documents, videos, and conduct live chats. These are great ways to communicate with our school community! Marketing for the library is another advantage to using Facebook. Users can share posts on Facebook which draws more activity to the page, especially when highlighting important events, services and resources at the library. Having a Facebook page allows librarians to connect with other libraries in their community and around the world.
One disadvantage of Facebook is that users must create an account in order to view page content. When using Facebook, it is crucial to protect student privacy. Librarians should not release student information and will need to adhere to their district's acceptable use policy. Some librarians might say that a disadvantage is the amount of time it takes to maintain a Facebook page for their library: posting pictures, event and event details, responding to comments and messages. Some might consider it to be working at your library from home. As with all social media, the unpredictability of user comments is always a risk. Luckily, the group creator can monitor and approve comments before posted.
Facebook Library Pages
I spent some time exploring various school library Facebook pages and saw a wide range of ideas to promote the library.
Noel Elementary School Library in Missouri shares their monthly spotlight, which is a different subject that is highlighted in the library, such as Texas History, and Geology. The librarian also features pictures of students holding all of the new books that come into the library. I thought this was a great way to get students interested in new reading material available. There were not many comments on their Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/noelelementaryschoollibrary
Elm Grove Library in Missouri makes great use of their Facebook library page. The librarian, Jeff Harris, gets volunteers to sign up through Facebook to assist with events such as the Book Fair. He consistently posts pictures of library and school events. He shares his favorite read alouds for each grade level. I got some great ideas from him! He got the most comments out of all the library pages I visited, which I believe results from his consistent use of Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/elmgrovelibrary
Atascocita Middle School Library in Humble, Texas does a great job of highlighting author events in the area. The librarian receives several comments and I noticed that many of them are librarians in the district. Following other library's pages is a great way to gather new ideas. Brooke King, the librarian, writes book reviews on her library page as well, which is one way to connect the school community with books in the library.
https://www.facebook.com/amslibrary
This is the School Library page that I started: https://fb.me/mckeagueschoollibrary
I explored Kathy Schrock @kathyschrock and read a few of her edtech articles on the Discovery Education blog: Kathy's Katch. Schrock mainly shares digital tools that will enhance student learning. She also wants to help educators streamline their use of online learning tools. She believes in finding the right tool to serve students in their learning, not just using technology for the sake of it.
https://twitter.com/kathyschrock/status/103588126512635494
hhttps://twitter.com/kathyschrock/status/1035881265126354945ttps://twitter.com/kathyshrock/status/103588126512635494
I spent most of my time reading through Jim Lerman's Twitter @jimlerman. I appreciated that his Twitter focused solely on Educational Technology. I had to really scroll through some of the other pages to find what I was looking for. David Warlick @dwarlick mostly features his photography work now, since he is retired. Back to Jim Lerman...his posts provoked new thinking and shared great ideas, such as Bedtime Math, which is a night time math puzzle routine. I've never thought about how much we value reading before bed time, why not value math as well?New @DiscoveryEd Kathy’s Katch blog post is live for September. “Favorite tools for schools, part 1” https://t.co/9uonjfRwsv— Kathy Schrock (@kathyschrock) September 1, 2018
I enjoyed exploring Lerman's and the Daring Librarian's @GwynethJones Scoop.it! I had never heard of this online tool before, but I really liked the concise and organized way of presenting multiple blog posts (viewing short paragraphs of the blog post in an almost Padlet-looking interface).Bedtime Math https://t.co/dUJD38q62w pic.twitter.com/Ry8eA2B1hQ— Jim Lerman (@jimlerman) September 7, 2018
Conclusion:
Both Facebook and Twitter are excellent digital tools to promote events, services and resources at the library. There are benefits to both. I prefer Twitter as a way to communicate and connect with the school community and leaders in the library field. As a librarian, I would use Facebook to help promote events and get volunteers to support these events. Both tools allow librarians to connect with the community.
Images from:
https://www.cnet.com/news/facebook-isnt-a-community-its-a-weapon/
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/twitter/9wzdncrfj140
I agree with you that Twitter is a better way to communicate with others and it you can focus more on educational content. You don't have to be as wary like on Facebook. The key is to communicate and connect so either are a win win!
ReplyDeleteLiz
I also agree with you and Liz, I will choose Twitter over Facebook. Since I'm at an elementary campus, my students really don't discuss social media. I enjoyed reading your blog and thank you for sharing this information.
ReplyDeleteI was not a Twitter person until this class and have enjoyed being part of some of the discussion during our workshops. This is a great tool of communication.
ReplyDelete