Today I am joining the Institute for Liberal Arts to give a presentation to doctoral students about social media. It’s not something I have ever thought of as an area of expertise, but I’ve now been asked to do something similar about a dozen times. I lean heavily on my amazing friends, virtual and “real” (Nathan Jurgenson would kill me for that bit of digital dualism). Social media informs my scholarship in ways I find difficult to describe to colleagues who are resistant to the very premise. However, like I do with most things on my professional agenda, I trudge along because one day mine might be the google hit that actually helps someone. That’s certainly been the case for me when I’ve been looking for guidance.
I try to post my presentations here ahead of such talks. This way the resources are online, people are freed from furious note-taking, and we can instead focus on having a conversation. So, ILA, I’m about to be in you in 5, 4, 3…
[scribd id=135725980 key=key-u77ya2jj82o0dw413ak mode=scroll]
ETA:
Here are some resources that popped up in response to Q&A:
1. For those asking about scheduling social media time blocks, check out Hootsuite to schedule tweets in advance and Mentions.com to keep track of who mentions you (so that you can, hopefully, respond in kind). Caution, these tools aren’t a replacement for ENGAGEMENT. No one likes the social media broadcaster: all tweeting, no exchange.
Feedly can also help you aggregate content from other people’s blogs so that you can read, online and offline, at your leisure.
Also, don’t forget all these websites/tools have mobile platforms. Engaging on my phone is actually how I do most of my social media stuff.
2. CFP hunting: Twitter is also useful here but also see H-Net by subject area.
Thanks for having me!
Thanks for this info. Being in this technology in pedagogy class has helped me think about these issues and using my online persona for both professional and personal reasons more effectively. We need to talk offline about this, but these resources are a great start! Love it.
Thanks! This was super interesting! As a lowly first year PhD student I’ve been an avid social media user ages. However I’ve just started building a presence online that uses my own name and is more tailored to my research and professional interests (rather than fandom!). Just followed you on twitter, and I’m looking forward to reading more!