Becoming a Social Media Scholar: Writing an Ebook Chapter

Hi everyone! I enjoy teaching the Social Media each semester, but each semester is a new experience. I always integrate new assignments and new social media technologies/features, because they are always changing. 

This semester, the students are doing the following assignment:

Scholar Group Project: Write Your Book Chapter (a List of 40+ Ideas) - Social Engagement Innovation on the 13 Social Media Categories

Each group will write a engagement paper focused on their computer-mediated communication scholar topic. This paper should include the following:

Brief Description:

1) describe the technology (4 sources needed per area), 

2) 40 ways (in total) companies/organizations can use the technology to engage with users in the following areas:

A - sharing information (10+ and 4 database resources),

B - providing services (10+ and 4 database resources),

C - providing status (10+ and 4 database resources),

D - offering goods (10+ and 4 database resources), 

3) Project the future of user interaction via the technology.

Here are specific instructions:

- Each component of this paper will be due on specific dates (as indicated on the syllabus calendar).

- Each group member is required to significantly contribute to the production of the paper. Each week, each group member’s work will be assessed for contributing significant comments on the Google Document to sections for which their name is not assigned.

- Please remember to submit questions by 4pm on Friday. Questions submitted after 4pm will not be answered until Monday morning.

- Each component of this paper will be due on specific dates (as indicated on the syllabus calendar).

Interested in a specific student success topic or do you need a speaker for an upcoming conference? Contact me via direct message on Twitter or join our Student Success Communication and Technology Institute on Facebook!

Thanks for visiting! 

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Higher Education Speaker and Researcher

My Social Media Channels!
Remember to Follow Me on Twitter! @drjtedwards
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My Research Interests: Customer Service and Social Media, Higher Education Retention, and Millennials at Work

Becoming a Social Media Scholar at Tarleton State University

Hi everyone! I enjoy teaching the Social Media each semester, but each semester is a new experience. I always integrate new assignments and new social media technologies/features, because they are always changing. 

This semester, the students are doing the following assignment:

Scholar Group Project: Write Your Book Chapter (a List of 40+ Ideas) - Social Engagement Innovation on the 13 Social Media Categories

Each group will write a engagement paper focused on their computer-mediated communication scholar topic. This paper should include the following:

Brief Description:

1) describe the technology (4 sources needed per area), 

2) 40 ways (in total) companies/organizations can use the technology to engage with users in the following areas:

A - sharing information (10+ and 4 database resources),

B - providing services (10+ and 4 database resources),

C - providing status (10+ and 4 database resources),

D - offering goods (10+ and 4 database resources), 

3) Project the future of user interaction via the technology.

Here are specific instructions:

- Each component of this paper will be due on specific dates (as indicated on the syllabus calendar).

- Each group member is required to significantly contribute to the production of the paper. Each week, each group member’s work will be assessed for contributing significant comments on the Google Document to sections for which their name is not assigned.

- Please remember to submit questions by 4pm on Friday. Questions submitted after 4pm will not be answered until Monday morning.

- Each component of this paper will be due on specific dates (as indicated on the syllabus calendar).

Interested in a specific student success topic or do you need a speaker for an upcoming conference? Contact me via direct message on Twitter or join our Student Success Communication and Technology Institute on Facebook!

Thanks for visiting! 

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Higher Education Speaker and Researcher

My Social Media Channels!
Remember to Follow Me on Twitter! @drjtedwards
I Always Post Higher Education Videos on YouTube
Find Me on Instagram
Engage with Me on Facebook!
Watch My Videos on Twitter Live - http://www.periscope.com/drjtedwards/
Email Me! I am PR Friendly! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com
My Research Interests: Customer Service and Social Media, Higher Education Retention, and Millennials at Work

The 13 Social Media Categories - According to Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards

This semester, I am focused on how professors and other higher education professionals can incorporate easy-to-read and understand infographics to help others understand potentially complicated information.

Here's the information that could be perceived as a complicated concept. If you've ever read the Social Media Bible book, I know that you've discovered the various social media categories introduced in the book. This book has not been updated in awhile and social media is changing DAILY. This means that I had to make my own list of social media technologies.

Here it is!

This infographic represents an updated list of social media technology categories to reflect the changing social media landscape.

by Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards - @drjtedwards

Executive Director of the Texas Social Media Research Institute & Associate Professor of

Communication Studies at Tarleton State University

Here's the text copy of the infographic.

1 - Multi-Focused Social Media

This category includes social media incorporating three or more of the social media categories listed below as primary features for users of the technology. Example - LinkedIn, Facebook (pictures, video, live-casting, commerce, gaming-focused)

2 - Photo-Focused Social Media 

Example - Instagram, Pinterest

3 - Video-Focused Social Media

Example - YouTube, Vimeo

4 - Audio-Focused Social Media

Example - Soundcloud, Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora

5 - Social Media for Content Curators

Example - Flipboard, Stumble Upon, RSS Feeds

6 - Blogging

Example - Wordpress, Blogger, Tumblr

7 - Microblogging

Example - Twitter

8 - Commerce-Focused Social Media 

Example - Amazon, EBay, Offer Up, Varage Sale, LetGo

9 - Rating-Focused Social Media

Example - Amazon, Yelp, Trip Advisor

10 - Anonymous Social Media

Example - Livewire, Yik Yak, Sarahah

11 - Gaming-Focused Social Media 

Example - MPORG - MultiPlayer Online Role Playing Games

(World of Warcraft, Minecraft, League of Legends)

12 - Learning-Focused Social Media

Example - Coursera, Lynda, Udemy, Blackboard

13 - Business-Focused Social Media

Example - Asana, Slack, Yammer, Sharepoint, Basecamp

References

Aichner, T. & Jacob, F. (2015, March). Measuring the Degree of Corporate Social Media Use. International Journal of Market Research, 57

Safko, L. (2012). The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success. Wiley Press.

Please let me know what you think!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards

My Social Media Channels!
Of Course You Follow Me on Twitter! @drjtedwards
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Did I Hold It Together During the Graduation Ceremony? You Decide!

Last night was one of the best experiences that I've had in academia. I've worked at the same university for the past ten years and by far, this has been my proudest moment so far.

The Tarleton State University Communication Studies Department celebrated its first two communication studies graduates at the master's level. Mr. Winston Dawson and Ms. Becca Long have always been trend setters for their peers, but last night they proved that they mastered their academic discipline. 

When Becca asked me to "hood" in the December graduation ceremony a few weeks ago, I was so excited to add this important event to my calendar! I told her that I would not miss it for the world!

Becca
I've known Becca for the past six (almost seven) years! She was one of the first undergraduate students involved with the Texas Social Media Research Institute (@TSMRI) and we have been proud of her since that point. We also keep up with all of our graduates and their career progression!

Winston
I met Winston six years ago and he is the funniest person that I know. He always has a smile on his face and he impacts all individuals around him! He actually attended my secret baby shower planned by the first class of @TSMRI interns. I've always admired him for attending and supporting my journey as a parent. 

Traivohn, Torri, and Lizzie
We also had three undergraduate students accomplish the first part of their academic journey as well. These students have been some of the most creative and most motivational students I've ever encountered. I immediately think of these students when I think about the student learning outcomes from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). These students served as trendsetters for their peers and I was excited to see them cross the stage!

I also told them that they had to keep in contact with me through our Friday check-in meetings on Twitter group messages. I have a recurring meeting in my schedule to remind me to initiate the communication if I do not hear from them.

This experience marks the end of their bachelor's level or master's level graduate journey, but it does not represent the end of their academic journey! I look forward to hearing about their next accomplishments!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards


Have a great week! Thanks for visiting the Millennial Professor Blog!

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
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Applied Social Media Graduate Course at Tarleton State University - The Course Syllabus and Course Navigation Video

This semester, I am so excited about teaching the Applied Social Media course at Tarleton. To help others in their syllabus creation journey, I decided to embed my syllabus (and course navigation video) on the blog. :)

Adapting the Course from Undergraduate Students to Graduate Students
I taught this course at the undergraduate level and I always enjoyed helping the students on their research projects. Anytime that I can help students build their resume and also integrate their learning in high-impact educational practices (undergraduate research, etc.), I always strive to do so. Now, as I teach graduate students, research assignments have become more important because it seems that these students are searching for ways to help their resumes stand out from the rest of the applicants for positions.

Utilizing E-Books for Course Preparation and for Course Texts
This semester (to my surprise), I found the textbook for the course at our university's library, the Dick Smith Library as an e-book. This means that the students could potentially only have to purchase one book for the semester. Last semester, I utilized e-books to prepare for the Computer-Mediated Communication course and it was MUCH easier to bookmark key concepts and less cumbersome than dragging books from campus to the house.

Please let me know if you have any questions and I will be happy to help!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
- Twitter/Instagram - @drjtedwards
- http://www.facebook.com/millennialprofessor/
- drjtedwards at gmail.com