By Leslie-Jean Thornton, Arizona State University
I’ve seen so many benefits from using social media in my classes that I have no wish to teach without such tools, no matter the subject. They enhance my ability to teach skills in real-world situations while allowing the growth of community within and without the group.
Social Media is changing everything. Nowhere is this more evident than on our college and university campuses. Yet there are unique challenges in incorporating social media into an established and tested curriculum.
AEJMC asked teachers to share some of their best practices for incorporating social media into the classroom, including suggested articles, exercises, tools and more. The following is a collection their best ideas and experiences.
Showing posts with label WordPress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WordPress. Show all posts
Social Media in the Classroom
By Cliff Shaluta, Western Kentucky University
01 / Introduction to Social Media
The business of advertising is being transformed. Consumers are choosing new communication technologies to network with others and to consume news, information, and entertainment on the platforms they choose at the times they want. We are witnessing a seismic shift in consumer media behavior, along with a much slower realignment of advertising budgets. eMarketer projects that spending on digital advertising in the United States will reach $23.6 billion this year, which represents about 14.4% of total advertising spending of $163 billion. Advertising spending exclusively on social networks is pegged at $1.3 billion or about 5% of total digital advertising spending for this year. Advertising on social networks is projected to reach just $1.6 billion by 2013. eMarketer projects that overall spending on digital advertising will grow to $34.0 billion in 2014, meaning that the actual percentage of ad dollars spent on the social networks will remain about 5% of total digital ad spending in the United States.
01 / Introduction to Social Media
The business of advertising is being transformed. Consumers are choosing new communication technologies to network with others and to consume news, information, and entertainment on the platforms they choose at the times they want. We are witnessing a seismic shift in consumer media behavior, along with a much slower realignment of advertising budgets. eMarketer projects that spending on digital advertising in the United States will reach $23.6 billion this year, which represents about 14.4% of total advertising spending of $163 billion. Advertising spending exclusively on social networks is pegged at $1.3 billion or about 5% of total digital advertising spending for this year. Advertising on social networks is projected to reach just $1.6 billion by 2013. eMarketer projects that overall spending on digital advertising will grow to $34.0 billion in 2014, meaning that the actual percentage of ad dollars spent on the social networks will remain about 5% of total digital ad spending in the United States.
Widgets and Wikis for the Web 2.0 Journo
By Allissa Richardson, Morgan State University
On the first day of class, my students set up their “e-newsrooms.” The technology-shy students usually groan—then ask me what Facebook, Scribd, Twitter and Wordpress have to do with being a journalist. I understand AEJMC begs this question too. Please allow me to share how my affinity for social media in the classroom began and evolved.
On the first day of class, my students set up their “e-newsrooms.” The technology-shy students usually groan—then ask me what Facebook, Scribd, Twitter and Wordpress have to do with being a journalist. I understand AEJMC begs this question too. Please allow me to share how my affinity for social media in the classroom began and evolved.
Communicate, Research and Collaborate: Social Media in the Classroom
By Adam Wagler, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
New Media Design and Advanced New Media Design are courses that study current communication techniques used in interactive media. Discussion revolves around multimedia's role in Integrated Marketing Communications and analysis of successful applications in new media. The primary focus of the course is hands-on experiences and the creation of effective digital communications using current Web technologies. Generally, the classes are made up of undergraduate juniors and seniors, but are also offered as a graduate course resulting in a small population of graduate students. The course focuses on the design and production of Web sites with related topics including social media, mobile and search engine optimization. Three tools are used in class to develop skills using social media to communicate, research and collaborate.
New Media Design and Advanced New Media Design are courses that study current communication techniques used in interactive media. Discussion revolves around multimedia's role in Integrated Marketing Communications and analysis of successful applications in new media. The primary focus of the course is hands-on experiences and the creation of effective digital communications using current Web technologies. Generally, the classes are made up of undergraduate juniors and seniors, but are also offered as a graduate course resulting in a small population of graduate students. The course focuses on the design and production of Web sites with related topics including social media, mobile and search engine optimization. Three tools are used in class to develop skills using social media to communicate, research and collaborate.
Teaching Research Methods with Social Media Tools
By Kelli Burns, University of South Florida
Today’s tech-savvy student generation is actively participating in social networking and other online communities, so most students not only understand how to use Web 2.0 teaching tools, they thrive in the environment when Web communication solutions are integrated in the classroom.—K. Driscoll, 2007, p. 10
Today’s tech-savvy student generation is actively participating in social networking and other online communities, so most students not only understand how to use Web 2.0 teaching tools, they thrive in the environment when Web communication solutions are integrated in the classroom.—K. Driscoll, 2007, p. 10
Teaching Ideas To Help Students (and Professors) Blog, Tweet, and Friend Their Way
By Rick Kenney, Hampton University
BEGIN WITH THE BASICS, AND FOLLOW THROUGH WITH ETHICS
I began teaching social media in an online journalism course a little over a year ago. I determined from the outset that I would make ethics the linchpin. I incorporated readings and discussions about core values of traditional media and conventional reporting. Because of our curriculum’s emphasis on ethics and neglect of multimedia skills, the students caught on quickly to the theoretical but needed help with the practical. We stumbled together toward the semester’s finish line, leaving me thinking they knew how and when to use social media but not what to do with it. Still, it was a start for them, and it was progress for me.
BEGIN WITH THE BASICS, AND FOLLOW THROUGH WITH ETHICS
I began teaching social media in an online journalism course a little over a year ago. I determined from the outset that I would make ethics the linchpin. I incorporated readings and discussions about core values of traditional media and conventional reporting. Because of our curriculum’s emphasis on ethics and neglect of multimedia skills, the students caught on quickly to the theoretical but needed help with the practical. We stumbled together toward the semester’s finish line, leaving me thinking they knew how and when to use social media but not what to do with it. Still, it was a start for them, and it was progress for me.
How To Integrate Social Networks And Blogs Into Traditional Curriculums
By Keith Quesenberry, Temple University
Introduction
Social Media is growing and changing the way we live, the way we do business and the way we connect. The latest numbers indicate that in December 2009 the social network Facebook surpassed 100 million active users in the U.S. and over 350 million worldwide (Smith, 2010). Blogs are, well, everywhere. The latest number I could find was in 2008 when the Blog Herald reported that there were roughly 200 million blogs (Helmond, 2008). Since then it seems people have given up counting. Even CEOs are blogging. Sun Microsystems CEO Blog gets 400,000 hits a month (Balwani, 2009). Bloggers are now legitimate media gaining access to and asking questions of the President at Whitehouse press conferences (Baker, 2009). And Facebook has become large enough and influential enough to draw fire from U.S Senators over its privacy settings (Patel, 2010).
Introduction
Social Media is growing and changing the way we live, the way we do business and the way we connect. The latest numbers indicate that in December 2009 the social network Facebook surpassed 100 million active users in the U.S. and over 350 million worldwide (Smith, 2010). Blogs are, well, everywhere. The latest number I could find was in 2008 when the Blog Herald reported that there were roughly 200 million blogs (Helmond, 2008). Since then it seems people have given up counting. Even CEOs are blogging. Sun Microsystems CEO Blog gets 400,000 hits a month (Balwani, 2009). Bloggers are now legitimate media gaining access to and asking questions of the President at Whitehouse press conferences (Baker, 2009). And Facebook has become large enough and influential enough to draw fire from U.S Senators over its privacy settings (Patel, 2010).
The Teaching of Social Media: A Cross-Curricular Infusion Approach
By George Daniels, University of Alabama
From teaching an introductory course in journalism to leading a graduate-level seminar on the role of mass media in society or facilitating an advanced public relations writing course, social media can be a part of your teaching strategy. As facilitators of professionally-oriented courses of study, our goal is always to produce critical thinkers with a skillset that enables them to be “ready to work” in media environments that require flexible, forward-looking employees. What better way to be “forward-looking” than to see not only how social media have evolved in recent years, but how audience use of these social media is changing the way traditional media operate. Structured around five “core principles” presented as 140-character tweets (like those found on Twitter), this essay reviews teaching approaches by a journalism instructor whose core teaching area is cross-platform/multimedia reporting, but who also teaches a freshman-level introductory course in journalism, basic news reporting as well as a junior/senior-level course in media management for students studying in all areas of mass media.
From teaching an introductory course in journalism to leading a graduate-level seminar on the role of mass media in society or facilitating an advanced public relations writing course, social media can be a part of your teaching strategy. As facilitators of professionally-oriented courses of study, our goal is always to produce critical thinkers with a skillset that enables them to be “ready to work” in media environments that require flexible, forward-looking employees. What better way to be “forward-looking” than to see not only how social media have evolved in recent years, but how audience use of these social media is changing the way traditional media operate. Structured around five “core principles” presented as 140-character tweets (like those found on Twitter), this essay reviews teaching approaches by a journalism instructor whose core teaching area is cross-platform/multimedia reporting, but who also teaches a freshman-level introductory course in journalism, basic news reporting as well as a junior/senior-level course in media management for students studying in all areas of mass media.
Gettin’ Social in the Classroom
By Bret Schulte, University of Arkansas
This is the way stories used to be written in the University of Arkansas journalism department: The student banged away in a computer lab. The student printed off the story, and the student turned it into the instructor. The instructor wielded a pen and slashed the paper with great red strokes (of enthusiasm, naturally) and returned it to the student. The student revised (with equal enthusiasm). The story was graded – and the story was never seen again, most likely.
This is the way stories used to be written in the University of Arkansas journalism department: The student banged away in a computer lab. The student printed off the story, and the student turned it into the instructor. The instructor wielded a pen and slashed the paper with great red strokes (of enthusiasm, naturally) and returned it to the student. The student revised (with equal enthusiasm). The story was graded – and the story was never seen again, most likely.
Social Media in the Classroom
By Brian Carroll, Berry College | www.cubanxgiants.com | wanderingrocks.wordpress.com
Introduction
To help my undergraduate journalism students begin to appreciate the capacity and proper roles for journalism of social media tools such as blogging and microblogging software, wikis and geomapping, I assign my students several exercises, one for each of these tools. I’ve included in this submission the assignment instructions and a listing of suggested resources. I’ve also included sources for the instructor, to be used as readings, background and historical context.
Introduction
To help my undergraduate journalism students begin to appreciate the capacity and proper roles for journalism of social media tools such as blogging and microblogging software, wikis and geomapping, I assign my students several exercises, one for each of these tools. I’ve included in this submission the assignment instructions and a listing of suggested resources. I’ve also included sources for the instructor, to be used as readings, background and historical context.
Social Media in the Classroom
by Cindy Royal, Texas State University
I have been teaching online and social media for the past eleven years, since I was a Ph.D. student at The University of Texas and now as an assistant professor at Texas State University in San Marcos. This year, I was named by the Austin American-Statesman as a Texas Social Media Award winner. My personal social media activities include my music review and interview show onthatnote.com and tech blog cindytech.wordpress.com. I have also been the editor of the online newsletter for Texas Music Magazine for the past two years. You can learn more about me at cindyroyal.com. I am happy to share some of the ways I have incorporated social media in the classroom and curriculum.
I have been teaching online and social media for the past eleven years, since I was a Ph.D. student at The University of Texas and now as an assistant professor at Texas State University in San Marcos. This year, I was named by the Austin American-Statesman as a Texas Social Media Award winner. My personal social media activities include my music review and interview show onthatnote.com and tech blog cindytech.wordpress.com. I have also been the editor of the online newsletter for Texas Music Magazine for the past two years. You can learn more about me at cindyroyal.com. I am happy to share some of the ways I have incorporated social media in the classroom and curriculum.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)