Friday, April 11, 2014

Using Social Media to get Connected


Provide a brief overview of your past and present experience with social media.

I utilize different forms of social media such as youtube and facebook.  I have often found both useful tools for different reasons.  Youtube has allowed me to share short clips in my classroom to my students about topics that we had been discussing.  It allows me to show them the topic in a different approach helping the more visual learners understand.  Facebook has also introduced me to local business that I could use as well as keep in touch with old friends.  I have not used it for any educational purpose but do know that many useful organizations are beginning to use it.

Describe what social media tools you feel lend themselves to effective advocacy.

The tools that lend themselves to effective advocacy are newsletters and facebook.  Since many people are on facebook now, it would benefit many organizations to create a page and keep it current.  They could post about upcoming events as well as important information that they want others to know.  Newsletters would be a useful tool for the individuals who do not like to utilize the computer to find information.  Some people still utilize newspapers and handouts to find their information.  Using both resources will help reach more people.

Identify how you might use these social media tools to educate and inspire others in your advocacy work.

I have many professionals on my facebook page.  I would be able to post information that pertains to them on there to help promote important causes and organizations.  This will hopefully inspire them to pursue more advocacy work and help find a cause that they are passionate about.  By me posting information about steps that I have taken to help others and children, hopefully people in the field will take what I am doing and use it to help others as well.

Ask your colleagues for their suggestions and/or their help with using social media as a tool to promote advocacy efforts.

Many of my colleagues have also suggested utilizing facebook as a means to get the most information about advocacy efforts out to the public.  Out of the 4 people I asked, all of them said that since many people and companies are on facebook, it would be the fastest way to get the message and information out to others.

2 comments:

  1. Jacqueline,
    Good Post. It seems many people have a Facebook page these days. I like that the message is out instantly to all sectors of society. Sometimes, creates such a buzz and makes a news headline on television. Clearly, advocates have to be current with technology and social media tools that can contribute to successes in advocacy efforts.

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  2. Through social media not only do you connect with likeminded people but you can begin to educate and pursued individuals who are not connected to ECE. I had a lot of people respond to my WOYC posts this week who I did not expect.

    Betsy

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