Social Media

Picking a Platform
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Social Media

Picking a Platform

There are literally hundreds of social media platforms in existence, and you can’t use all of them. It will drive you mad, or you’ll spend so much time clicking and liking and sharing that you’ll never get anything done. It’s best to pick one or two and use them well then to use two dozen and only post or listen once every few weeks. This isn’t a step by step guide to picking the perfect platform, there’s too many variables for that, but I want to present some basic and relevant principles to doing so. Social networks do their best to show that everyone in the world is using them and that they’re intensely relevant to your needs, when that sometimes, even often, isn’t so. So here’s a few tips.

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April 25, 2013
Social Media

Tweet Tweet

Not just the cry of the Rockin’ Robin, not for the last seven years. Boasting 500 million registered users, Twitter is a huge social network that favours tiny messages. 140 characters, to be exact. Twitter is an excellent space for academics to connect with students, other scholars, conferences, and all kinds of interesting people. The saying goes “Facebook for people you know, Twitter for people you want to know.” It’s also a great place to get updates on events going on around campus, find interesting news articles, and carry on casual conversations with people around the world. But this isn’t about why Twitter is cool and useful, it’s about why Twitter is cool and useful for higher education.
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April 18, 2013
The Alchemy of Connection
Communication / Social Media

The Alchemy of Connection

It’s time for some more obviousness, I hope. We all know that social media can help connect you with people all over the world. We’ve been railing about it for years, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Youtube. But we also all know that describing the people we’re connected to on Facebook as “Friends” is possibly the grossest abuse of the word. the connections made over this systems aren’t the strong kind that are forged in the fire of battle, the bloody brother-and sisterhoods brought about by shared struggles and a love for Star Trek, but rather the bonds of those people that you met that one time who seemed cool but probably wouldn’t help you move. I have good news. It is within your power to transform the second into the first, like some kind of relationship alchemist. Instead of purging the lead from your connections every six months, transform a portion of it into gold. (more…)

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April 11, 2013
Social Media

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Get LinkedIn

If you’re a teacher, it can be hard to see the use of LinkedIn. It’s one more social network, which means one more set of emails connecting you with people that you barely talk with. Worse, it’s for professionals, so it won’t even have all the cute cats and strange pictures you get to see on Facebook. On the up side, you also won’t have to watch people break up. And besides, you already have a job. Even if you don’t, teaching jobs aren’t the kind of thing you’re going to find on LinkedIn this side of ever. Nonetheless, by the time you’ve finished reading, you’ll see the value of LinkedIn to teachers and academics.

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April 4, 2013
Headspace

The Magnificence of Honesty

Headspace

I’m live writing ths today, on account of not being able to write anything I’m really happy withh yet. I want to explore all these platforms and best practices, but some days you’re just not up to it, and it’s time to go back to first principles. It’s the philosopher in me. But I’m not sorry.  (more…)

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March 28, 2013
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